a11y (digital accessibility)

This article and interview explore the unique story of Andres Gonzalez. He was born in Cuba and became blind at the age of 7. Andres was gifted at math and had a very supportive family that read him books. Eventually, Andres got his master's degree and then came to the US. He worked his way up in the tech field. Andres is now a Senior Software Engineer for Apple where he works on assistive technology applications like VoiceOver and Safari's Webkit

This webinar by the DO-IT Center of the University of Washington explores how to make digital accessibility part of the procurement process. It includes sample language around digital accessibility for an RFP, highlights the parts of a VPAT, and provides strategies for creating a digital accessibility policy at a higher education institution.

I think this article does a good job of highlighting the limitations of automated testing. This is because WCAG is complex and requires human interpretation and testing to identify all the different errors. It also highlights how automated testing is good at preventing regression by tracking progress over time. This is why lots of companies and higher education institutions are using automated testing to track the number of errors on a webpage over time.

This systemic review explores digital accessibility studies related to Morocco. These studies provide digital accessibility recommendations and align with WCAG Guidelines.

This article explores the impact the Apple Vision Pro is having on the lives of people with disabilities. For example, people with low vision might use the Apple Vision Pro to create giant virtual screens that can make it easier to read messages, play games, or watch TV. It seems like VR's ability to create multiple virtual screens might be a game-changer for people who magnify content on their monitors. The immersive virtual environments may benefit people who are neurodiverse by creating a distraction-free environment. One of the people interviewed called it, "noise-canceling headphones for my eyes.” Check out the full article for all the details and hopefully, developers will continue to add new accessibility features to the Apple Vision Pro and other VR headsets.

This article highlights how to design accessible buttons that meet WCAG standards, appeal to a broad range of users, and have an intuitive feel. It specifically explores WCAG's Non-text contrast criterion and provides examples of how to use it effectively.

This webpage provides tips for creating accessible captions for video/audio materials. It is important to ensure captions are no more than 2 lines and do not block important graphics. Also, tips are provided for identifying speakers and captioning things like music, sound effects, and slang.

Harvard's website covers the different principles of WCAG 2.1 and provides helpful examples to understand each standard. You can also filter the principles depending on what category they fit into (Operable, Perceivable, Robust, Understandable).

I think this article provides a lot of helpful tips for writing effective alt text. It is important to keep the alt text short and describe the key takeaway for the image.

This research article provides a lot of helpful foundational accessibility tips for creating accessible online courses. This includes design principles like creating an online course that is organized predictably and uses consistent navigation. It also defines concepts like universal design and authentic assessment.

This article highlights the importance of providing users a choice and not forcing them into one type of visual experience. Also, there are so many system-level accessibility options that impact color contrast it is important to ensure the app or website is compatible with those accessibility settings too.

I don't think a lot of people are aware that Articulate has on their product roadmap an accessibility checker for Storyline 360. I hope they share more information about this feature soon and that it comes out sometime in the next year. I'm also excited that a lot of the features listed on their product roadmap are accessibility related.

This article highlights how landmarks in most instances do not need an accessible name. Landmarks like header, main, and footer should only appear once per page, which makes them easy to identify. The accessible name may add redundancy or create confusion. Also limiting the number of landmarks can help make them more useful.

I think AI can help authors develop alt text similar to how auto-generated captions provide a base that a human can edit. I worry that the hype around web browsers using AI to describe images might lead to authors not adding alt text. AI can't determine the author's intention for each image and will miss key details. I do like Firefox's strategy of showing the AI-generated alt text each time an image is added to a PDF and asking the user to validate it.

I think Shawn does a great job highlighting the accessibility features in Venngage and how Canva lacks most of these features. It is important to note that the ability to export to an accessible PDF requires a paid Venngage business or enterprise account. Venngage is best for companies that can provide a paid account to their employees. It is a shame that Venngage's Premium account does not offer the ability to export an accessible PDF. A free Canva account can export to PDF but the file needs to be remediated to be accessible.

This article provides a helpful summary of the changes to Section 504 and the ADA and when these new updates will come into effect. The biggest change is that these laws are adopting the WCAG 2.1 AA standard. This will require entities funded with government money and recipients of Health and Human Services funding to meet these standards. The article also highlights the exceptions and how these laws might lead to more accessible digital experiences.

This study examines top public university library websites. It used automated checkers like the WAVE Tool to find common accessibility errors. Two of the most common errors were forms missing a label and text with a low color contrast ratio. In addition, this study names each university included in the study. This makes it clear which universities have a more accessible library website, and which ones do not.

This articles provides some context about the limitations of screen readers and why it is necessary to create accessible content. For example, screen readers do not use natural language processing to understand language or analyze images. This is why creating accessible content is so important with features like alternative text or programmatic headings.

If you are updating an existing course in Storyline 360 headings and lists may not be compatible with screen reading software. You need to go into the Design Toolbar and select Fonts and choose "Upgrade Project Text" for the headings and lists to be accessible to learners using screen reading software. I recommend checking that this has been implemented if you are working on a new project too.

Be My Eyes is making its ChatGPT assistant (Be My AI) available on Windows platforms now along with iOS and Android.

This is a helpful article on how to create accessible calendar tables with abbreviations. It highlights how to use the aria-hidden when using an abbreviation. It also notes that the tag is only recognized by VoiceOver on Macs. There are a lot of helpful examples provided.

This journal article provides a summary of the laws relating to online learning at higher education institutions. It then explores some of the instructional barriers students encounter. The article concludes by providing a variety of strategies that can make an online learning environment more accessible. This includes making the content accessible and incorporating Universal Design for Learning teaching principles. It also explores the impact of these strategies.

Google is also updating Android OS with new accessibility features. Google Maps will make it easier to find reviews related to wheelchair accessibility. They are also going to denote if a building has Auracast support which is a bluetooth audio standard compatible with hearing aids. The Lookout app will have a new Find Mode that can identify and describe objects. Also Google's Live Caption feature is getting an update that will include emoji support.

Apple is previewing iOS 18 by highlighting a host of new accessibility features included in the update. Eye tracking assistive technology is very expensive so it will be interesting to see how well Apple's eye tracking works especially with third party applications. I think Vocal Shortcuts will be very useful for people with aphasia. As someone who gets motion sickness when looking at my phone I wonder how effective Vehicle Motion Cues will be.

This study highlights the benefits of consistent homework reminders for students. About 80% of students were watching the required lab videos. The professor began sending out consistent email reminders and the adherence jumped to around 90%. LMS platforms should include a feature that can push out weekly homework reminders directly to each student's email or through a text message. I have ADHD and I can see these types of reminders being very beneficial. #accessibility