One of the best things about my job has been promoting transformation. I have enjoyed helping people, organisations and systems change their expectations in response to emerging technology. I started my career in Accessibility and Inclusion, by accident, more than 20 years ago, because there was little support for the increasing number of diverse adults […]
We often look at assistive technology through the lens of individual users’ needs but are we overlooking all the organisational factors that need to be in place to ensure success? Julie Eshleman, a PhD Candidate at University of Stirling, has been investigating what works when implementing assistive technology in care settings. Following an overview of […]
Power outages, planned closures and concerns about the rising cost-of-living will impact some students more than others. Listening to students who are disabled, or have long term health conditions, will help you to create a strategy that supports the wellbeing of everyone. Communication is key Ensuring information is accessible will make it easier for everyone […]
As immersive technologies gain traction in further and higher education, Chris Creed looks at why it’s so important to consider accessibility of these environments at this emergent stage. Learn more from Chris at TechAbility in Birmingham on 16th November 2022. About Me I am a Professor of Human-Computer Interaction at Birmingham City University (BCU) where […]
In our new blog series looking at researching assistive technology, Geena Vabulas (a popular contributor to Assistive Technology Network events) explains why she’s focused on working in a user-centred way to ensure everyone can harness the power of speech recognition. Interested in being a participant in this important project? Find details at the end of […]
With the expectation that staff absence and self-isolation will continue for the next few weeks, it can be challenging to sustain the momentum of accessibility projects and training. With staff stretched to capacity covering shortages and supporting their students, how can we ensure the work on accessibility and digital inclusion doesn’t get relegated to the […]
This month we are grateful to our guest Ros Walker, Digital Accessibility Adviser at the University of St Andrews, and member of the Assistive technology network (ATN) steering group. The ATN is a practitioner led community supported by Jisc and TechAbility. In this article, Ros highlights key areas that may be of particular support to […]
This year’s assistive technology network (ATN) event looked at sustainable approaches in a time of transformation. ATN steering group member Peter Scorey from the University of Chester ran a popular session on audio description – one of the more complex areas of media accessibility. Peter talks us through his own investigations into what audio description […]
On 23rd June 2021, mobile apps will come within scope of the Public sector bodies websites and mobile applications accessibility regulations 2018. The regulations have been rolled out in stages and this date represents the final deadline. The Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) monitors the implementation of accessibility regulations. Formerly, the team was part […]
By Kellie Mote and John Kelly. Many colleges are still getting to grips with public sector bodies accessibility regulations introduced in 2018. One further education provider, let’s call it college A, recently sought our help after being informed by the Central Digital and Data Office (CDDO) – formerly Government Digital Service – that its website […]