Sensory impairment

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Finding your way around our updated education website content

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The education section of our website has a new menu structure, with an increased level of content and information to assist teachers and parents.

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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Consumers and cloud accessibility

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Consumers stand to benefit from the wider adoption of cloud services in their private and work lives, but the lack of accessibility of these services for people with disabilities may hamper the realisation of the cloud’s benefits.

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.


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Caption reports hide great access story

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Why is it that our communications regulator seems satisfied to hide great achievements in access by our free-to-air television stations? Commentary by Alex Varley.

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.


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Accessibility: the missing essential in cloud services

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Independent access expert Media Access Australia has released a research paper on the need for commercial services and governments to incorporate accessibility for people with disabilities into their cloud services.

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.


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Google Glass flips the classroom

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Students with disabilities at times require specialist technology in the classroom that is often relevant just for their use. With the yet to be released Google Glass wearable head mounted technology, that scenario appears to be ‘flipped on its head’, with the technology being marketed as mainstream.

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.

Digital media and technology: 

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Disability employment: three easy steps

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Getting ready to either help or directly employ people with disabilities is easier than you think. Here are three reasons why.

Workplace systems and technology

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.


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Ai-Media expansion to benefit education and business

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Access provider Ai-Media has expanded its operations to Melbourne as part of growing its national and global operations in Sydney, Brisbane, Adelaide and London.

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.


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Teacher information (vision)

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.


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Technology for increased classroom access

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:


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WA Accessibility Camp agenda now available

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The agenda for the WA accessibility camp to be held on 1 August 2014 is now available. The event is headlined with keynotes by Alec Coles from the Western Australian Museum based on the topic ‘An Accessible Museum for WA’, and MAA’s own Dr Scott Hollier speaking about recent advances on accessibility and cloud computing.

The full agenda is as follows:

9:15 – 9:30: Registration

Session 1 – Keynotes

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


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