Terminalfour’s Post

How can public colleges prepare for ADA digital accessibility requirements?

Are you a Title II ADA entity? If so, your digital accessibility team is about to be asking you for some additional resources to get you ready for this. (You do have a digital accessibility team, right?) Are you a company that sells products to state and local government agencies? (this includes public Colleges and Universities) You need to be paying attention to this as well; while argueably not a direct legal requirement of you today, your state and local government customers are about to have renewed attention to this area, much like you currently see with your federal government customers.

The Road to Inclusivity: European Accessibility Act 🌐 With the European Accessibility Act in full swing, ReadSpeaker is here to help businesses implement accessibility requirements for digital products and services. Discover more about what to expect and delve into the Act's Q&A for insights.

Today is my 5 year anniversary of working in digital accessibility! 🎉 I’ve been in 2 very different roles (one remediating issues and one preventing issues) and I wanted to share 5 things I’ve learned in those 5 years. 1. We won’t get it all done, but our work makes a difference 2. Like Meryl Evans says, it’s progress over perfection (thing #2.5 - Meryl Evans, CPACC (deaf) is a great person to follow!) 3. Some people won’t get why inclusivity matters, but lots of them will 4. If someone sends you a connection request on here and they have something about “PDF accessibility Section 508” in their headline you might want to ignore it 😉 5. None of us were born knowing what alt text is or that the first rule of ARIA is to try not to use it, so it’s okay that some people don’t know yet, and we can be kind to them while they learn Feel free to share the things you've learned in the comments! #Accessibility #DigitalAccessibility #AccessibilityMatters #WorkAnniversary

It was so exciting seeing our name on BBC News as a good news story for one of our recent customers. Even better it was one of the over 55 local authorities in the UK & Ireland using Recite Me to help make their websites more accessible and inclusive. But what does that mean though? On one level that is doing what we are most well known, assistive tools, allowing users to make adjustments to suit their needs. the WHO reported 8/10 people who need assistive tech don't have access to it, which is why it is so important for organisations and businesses to offer it. However, the WHO also say: 'Access to assistive technology and accessible environments is complementary – without one, the other is of little use. A user of a manual wheelchair cannot wheel up steps; and a screen reader user cannot hear a website that has not been made accessible. Similarly, accessible environments without access to assistive products can defeat the purpose.' This is why we also developed WCAG 2.2 Compliance Checking software to ensure the build of your website is accessible and compliant with accessibility industry standards. To supplement this we also have Accessibility experts who run workshops, website audits, training sessions, and consultancy about how to be truly inclusive. I don't know of another UK-based organisation that offers this level of accessibility support and expertise. Some focus on one area over another but in reality Accessibility (WCAG compliance) + Usability (Assistive Tech) = True Digital Inclusion. #DEI #EDI #Accessibility #ReciteMe #AssistiveTech #DigitalInclusion #Neurodiversity #Dyslexia #ADHD #Autism #VisualImpairment #WCAG #Website https://lnkd.in/eTPcpjxS

I've written a blog post where I explain the European Accessibility Act and its impact on the private sector. Learn the differences between the EAA, EU Web Accessibility Directive, Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations, and EN 301 549. I also share a few tips to prepare your business for compliance with the EAA. Lets try and make digital inclusion a priority for your company! https://lnkd.in/eDsEwwHH

#Accessibility across sectors, including in #HigherEducation. Ensuring e-books are accessible is a major shift and one that deeply affects efforts towards #EquityandInclusion. The post is a useful overview of the European Accessibility Act, which I've seen through #UniversalDesign being discussed and implemented across the board in university settings for instance. Now at Nord University working with Randi Stemland and team, I can see the ways in which keen insights are integrated into supporting faculties in their work. As explained about the EEA: "The EAA goes beyond just making your website and apps accessible. It extends to other digital products, like physical devices and e-books. Private sector organisations will need to ensure that all their existing digital products now meet the new accessibility requirements, which may mean going through everything from website design to app development, and ensuring that accessibility is integrated throughout the process. Whether you build digital hardware or software, it now needs to be accessible. It might be time to do some end-to-end user research to see which parts are challenging for people with disabilities." #ResearchMatters #InclusiveDesign #AccessibleDesign #EducationalLeadership #TransformationalLeadership

Thank you Craig Abbott for such a comprehensive blog post! If any of you are in the private sector and you are wondering what the European Accessibility Act is and how it can impact your services, you should read this! A small peek at Craig's words: "If you're in the private sector and you operate within the EU, you'll have to make sure your products and services meet the EAA's accessibility requirements. That means more than just making your website accessible. The EAA's impact is huge, and by embracing these regulations and incorporating accessibility into your digital products and services, you can provide a more inclusive experience for your customers, reach new markets, enhance your brand reputation, and drive innovation." Find more information at Craig's blog post: https://lnkd.in/dzF4hTkS #EuropeanAccessibilityAct #a11y

Only true accessibility will do

Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 requires federal agencies to ensure information and communication technology (ICT) and digital content is accessible and useable for people with disabilities. This is also known as digital accessibility, which means that anyone can use the technology or access the information, regardless of how much vision they have, how much they can hear, whether or not they can use their hands, or how they process information. https://lnkd.in/guNbzm5X #ICT #AppliedDevelopment #Section508