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Read more about Wikispeech project aims to make Wikipedia accessible for vision impaired people

Crossing the digital divide

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A recent discussion paper states that 1 million Australians with a disability don’t have internet access at home, because of cost, complexity and/or connectivity issues. This is well below the national average, yet an expert in web accessibility, Dr Scott Hollier, maintains that with the right technology, those with an impairment or disability can access information on the net, quickly and easily.

No access sign

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Digital technology

Australian policy and legislation

Affordable

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Sydney Opera House launches expanded access strategic plan

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One of the world’s leading arts venues, the Sydney Opera House, has launched a significantly expanded access strategic plan, covering all elements of disability access for the venue and its productions.

Opera Australia's Luke Gabbedy performs with Auslan choir conductor and actor Alex Jones at the 2016 Access Launch. Image credit: Daniel Boud

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ACMA releases captioning standards report

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The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has released the final report on the review it has been conducting of television captioning standards.

Remote control pointed at Smart TV

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TV & video

ACMA, Australian Communications and Media Authority

Television

TV access

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BBC researches caption user experience

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Three researchers from the BBC have created a framework for understanding – and potentially improving – the UX (user experience) of people who use captions.

Woman sitting on a couch pointing a TV remote control

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TV & video

Captions

Closed captions

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More work needed for digital inclusion at home

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A newly-released report from the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) lists the number of households with access to the internet at home as 7.7 million in the last financial year, representing 86% of all households, up 3% from 2012–13. However, a recent discussion paper shows that there are one million people with a reported disability who do not have internet access at home.

Left hand pressing a holographic play button

The ABS Household use of IT study, released on 18 February 2016, shows that the number of Australians accessing the net is continuing to rise, albeit at a slightly slower rate than in past years.

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International policy and legislation

Digital media and technology:

WCAG

Techniques

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U.S. clarifies TV captioning responsibilities

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In a new ruling, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has moved to improve captions by clarifying who bears the responsibility for their delivery and quality.

Left hand holding a remote control in front of a screen

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TV & video

FCC, Federal Communications Commission

Television

Captions

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First NVDA screen reader update for 2016 now available

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NV Access has launched the 2016.1 update of its NVDA screen reader for Microsoft Windows, adding a new option to lower the volume of external sounds, additional support for braille displays, significant fixes for using Microsoft Office and improvements to browsing the iTunes Store.

Woman using a laptop with headphones outdoors

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