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Accessibility in the workplace has widespread benefits

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Almost half of all EU citizens living with a disability are unemployed, a new study commissioned by Microsoft has revealed. As people increasingly rely on technology to get their jobs done, the report also showed that many employees who are Deaf, blind, vision, hearing or cognitive impaired, or who have a physical disability, are finding it harder to participate productively in workplaces that are not technologically accessible.

Image of ‘thumbs up’ signifying ‘good’

Image of ‘thumbs up’ signifying ‘good’

 


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BBC iPlayer trialling subtitles for live channels in world-first

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In a welcome development from the UK, the BBC has begun trialling subtitles for live channels on their iPlayer platform. This is a first for any major video on-demand service in the world, as up till now, subtitles have only been available for on-demand programs.

Image of BBC iPlayer logo

Image of BBC iPlayer logo

 


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ADHD students gain more Civil Rights protection in the US

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The U.S. Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights (OCR) has just issued guidance that clarifies the obligation of schools in the United States to provide students with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) with equal educational opportunities.

Image of the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) logo

Image of the Office for Civil Rights logo

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US Democratic Convention the most accessible yet

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The Democratic Convention being held in Philadelphia from the 25th to 28th of July aims to be their most inclusive and accessible in history. The organisers are rolling out an Accessibility Plan that delivers unprecedented resources and technology for people with disabilities as well as for seniors.

Image of 2016 Democratic Convention logo

Image of 2016 Democratic Convention logo

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G3ict acquires IAAP in global accessibility merger

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The Global Initiative for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (G3ict) has announced it will be acquiring the International Association of Accessibility Professionals(IAAP) in a merger aimed at promoting the accessibility profession on a more global scale.

Image of an accessibility button on a laptop keyboard


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Screenworks host CC and AD workshop to educate filmmakers

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As part of the accessibility focus of Screenworks, they will be holding a Closed Captioning (CC) and Audio Description (AD) workshop next month, with the aim of educating filmmakers on the importance and simplicity of accessibility methods.

Screenworks logo

According to Ken Crouch, General Manager of this Northern Rivers NSW based not-for-profit organisation, the seminar aims to “raise the quality of closed captioning and audio description across the film industry.”


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USAA’s new banking app allows voice-guided cheque depositing

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USAA, a Texas-based Fortune 500 diversified financial services group, has recently demonstrated that banking and accessibility can easily go hand in hand with each other. This was proved in a recent update to their banking app which will mean that individuals who are blind or have a vision impairment will hear the benefits – literally.

USAA logo

This system offers verbal cues to guide a vision impaired customer to be able to properly position a cheque to deposit it. They use commands like ‘push out’, ‘pull in’, ‘move right’, ‘lift device’, ‘hold steady’, ‘image captured’, and more.


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Google announces Android Nougat with new accessibility features

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Google has officially launched its new version of Android 7.0 Nougat which will feature a number of significant accessibility additions and improvements.

Android robot waving and standing on a pile of nougat

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Barriers for disabled gamers with Pokémon Go

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The latest Pokémon game, Pokémon Go, has just been released, and instead of its usual portable game console format, it was released as a phone app. Pokefans everywhere are taking to the streets to catch their favourite Pokémon, but this new game is not playable by everyone.

Pokemon Go logo with three Pokemon charactors standing in the grass

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New free technology resource for teachers of the Deaf

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Australian not-for-profit, Conexu Foundation, has developed a free resource guide for teachers aimed at students who are Deaf, hard of hearing or speech impaired, entitled ‘11 easy to use technologies to enhance learning in your classroom'.

Front cover of the teacher resource with the words ‘Download Now!’

The new resource has been designed for teachers in mainstream public, Catholic and private schools where children with these disabilities attend, and allows educators to find the latest on relevant communication technology.


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