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There are three main categories that provide focused points of reference: accessible media for diverse learners, hearing impairment and deafness and low vision and blindness.
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There are three main categories that provide focused points of reference: accessible media for diverse learners, hearing impairment and deafness and low vision and blindness.
That’s the finding of new research, The accessibility of the cloud: Current and future trends white paper, produced by Media Access Australia and sponsored by the Australian web Industry Association, into the accessibility of cloud services for people with disabilities.
Developments that benefit viewers, stations, advertisers and content providers should be celebrated and publicised. Instead the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) puts out reports that hide innovation and the power of the market to deliver more under a spirit of healthy competition.
The research finds that improving the useability of cloud services is an essential criterion in organisations efforts to maximise their customer engagement opportunities and ensure that they are not left behind by their competitors, some of whom have already discovered the commercial potential of access.
Some stories about Google Glass help to explain the technology’s potential. Google Glass appears to provide an opportunity for consumers to access and engage in leisure and learning opportunities without significant access barriers. Telstra have been involved in a trial with b2cloud of prototype apps to support those with hearing or vision loss for use with Google Glass.
A major misconception is that there is an expense in setting up computers, office equipment and other systems so that they can be used by people with disabilities.
While this may once have been the case, it’s simply not true anymore. ‘Disabled employment’ no longer means ‘expensive’ or ‘too hard to set up’ and should not be viewed as a barrier.
That’s because the mainstream office technology that we all use—Windows, iOS, OS X and Android-based systems—is now packed with built-in accessibility features.
Ai-Media CEO Tony Abrahams said he was “delighted to be able to additionally service our broadcast, education, corporate and government clients from this dynamic city”.
The provision of captions via speech-to-text in the classroom, workplace, at conferences and in meetings has increased access to information and services for people with hearing impairment and other needs. This access affords people the opportunity to participate fully and make equitable contributions in their chosen fields or places of learning.
It is vital that teachers with students who are blind or have low vision in their classrooms can create an equitable educational environment through the use of accessibility practices.
Advances in technology have seen the concept of learning escape the confines of the classroom, however teachers need to ensure that BYOD and other devices or equipment in the classroom don’t pose a barrier for students with diverse learning needs. Accessibility features may need to be enabled on the devices.
To achieve best practice, modelling accessible use of media in your school communities can be facilitated by:
The full agenda is as follows:
9:15 – 9:30: Registration
9:30 – 9:45: Introduction (Morgan Strong)
9:45 – 10:15: An Accessible Museum for WA (Alec Coles)
10:15 – 10:45: Accessibility in the cloud (Dr. Scott Hollier)
10:45 – 11:00: Morning Break