Practical web accessibility

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YouTube allows fans to contribute video captions

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In a recent update, YouTube will allow community members to contribute closed captions to supported videos, opening up the potential for the world’s largest online video platform to be more accessible for people who are Deaf or hearing impaired.

YouTube logo alongside the Closed Captioning (CC) logo

Digital media and technology: 

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Digital Gap pushes for change by 2017

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The call for improvement to digital accessibility for people with disabilities moved to Parliament House in Canberra with a call for significant change to happen by 2017, which is the 25th anniversary of the Disability Discrimination Act.

Two glass jars of peanut butter. Smooth on the left and crunchy on the right.


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ACCAN launches campaign for online caption quality

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The Australian Communications Consumer Action Network (ACCAN) has formed an alliance of organisations which is calling for online videos to be provided with accurate, readable captions.

YouTube auto-caption for Tony Abbott reads "things like the big butts well we want to carefully look". Image credit: ACCAN via Facebook


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Digital Gap Initiative invites you to Parliament

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The Federal Parliament will be the venue for a major accessibility event showcasing developments and issues in digital accessibility.

The front of Parliament House in Canberra

Digital media and technology: 

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Blind Citizens Australia wraps up successful convention in Perth

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The Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) annual convention was held over the weekend at the Mercure hotel in Perth, with approximately 120 attendees discussing a range of issues.

Much of the focus related to the 40th anniversary of BCA with presentations and discussions relating to how products and services for people who are blind or vision impaired have progressed over that time, current issues both locally and internationally, and the significance of BCA in the future.


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Looking forward with access at BCA

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Media Access Australia’s Director of Digital Accessibility, Dr Scott Hollier, will be presenting on developments in access technology for blind and vision impaired people at the Blind Citizens Australia (BCA) national convention in Perth on 10th October.

Entrance of the Perth Mercure hotel at dusk. Image credit: mercureperth.com.au

Dr Hollier is a well-known international expert and his presentation will cover a wide range of access technology following the convention theme of “Looking Forward Looking Back - Celebrating 40 Years of Achievement.”


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Accessible India Campaign to greatly improve access to media

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The Accessible India Campaign is set to launch on December 3, the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, with a strong focus on improving access to information and communication technology in the region.

Accessible India Campaign. Accessible India - Empowered India. Department of Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities, Ministry of Social Justice & Empowerment


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Five tips to make the web work better in your language

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In late May, Dr Scott Hollier travelled to Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, to teach a web accessibility course to 22 students. As part of the assignment work, the students learnt how to use the basic functionality of screen readers and other Assistive Technology (AT). While the work went well, it quickly became apparent that there were a number of issues relating to the way in which Arabic was supported by the tools, and how those tools interacted with the web.

Translate button on a keyboard amidst keys labelled with multiple languages

There are several reasons why the web becomes more complicated for non-English speaking users, and it’s a combination of a number of factors:


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Employment conference to cover digital accessibility

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One of the most powerful practical approaches to assist people with a disability in becoming self-sufficient and managing their needs is through helping them into employment. Specialist disability employment services are the usual first place that both employers and people with a disability turn to in that job-hunting quest. Whilst the person may be experienced, willing and able to take on the workplace, the workplace also needs to accommodate their needs.

Australia's Disability Employment Conference - Sydney 2015


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Chinese tech giant Baidu announces Blind Search device

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China’s leading search engine provider Baidu has announced the Blind Search device, a tool to assist blind and vision impaired people access “massive amounts of information online through touch” using a combination of tactile and voice-activated commands.

Blind Search facing upward with light emitting from the tactile display. Caption reads 'The device is called Blind Search'


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