Introduction The UK’s Online Safety Act (OSA) came into force on 26 October 2023 and places new legal duties and responsibilities on online service providers to prevent, detect and remove illegal content. Although the Act is aimed primarily at the largest social media and video-sharing services many organisations including universities will be expected to play […]
Announcing a comprehensive new learning resource Dragon Professional is a widely-used tool that enables users to access and control their computer using speech alone. In addition to accurate dictation, the software supports complete hands-free access, making it a popular tool for many who experience barriers to using the keyboard and mouse. Accredited Dragon Professional trainer, […]
Supporting those with accessibility needs is something that we all know is the right thing to do. We don’t like to think of the confrontational side. Why should it be necessary to enact strict enforcement laws to compel organisations and people to make their content and services available to everyone? Change, of course, requires […]
Since they came into force in 2019 The Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile Applications) (No. 2) Accessibility Regulations 2018 (PSBAR)) have been effective in highlighting the need to treat accessibility as a serious responsibility. These regulations have reinforced the obligation to make reasonable adjustments to digital content that the Equality Act 2010 established. […]
Geane Fontinele, a Research Fellow on the Teaching Accessibility in the Digital Skill Set (TADSS) research project at the University of Southampton, reports on education-focused sessions from AbilityNet’s TechShare Pro conference. Current industry perspectives on education and training The recent TechShare Pro 2023 in London brought a strong sense of responsibility and enthusiasm towards building […]
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 […]