e-access 11 conference notes

Dan Jellienek - more delegates, and more stands this year.

Ed Vaizey - Minister, Deptartment for Communication, Culture and the Creative Industries.

Held four workshops on ...

1.
* Universal service order - EU ???
*
2. Availability of digital technology, including price,
Dept. of Work and Pensions - Bring down the cost of equipment in the access to work scheme.

3. Single govt portal - 'alpha gov' something.

"Make sure your voice is heard."

Sandy Wassmer.

* Frank Loyd Wright "All fine architectural values are human values, else not valuable."
* The World Wide Web Designed to be Open & Inclusive,
* Important to remember the people, not just the technology,

Open Standards
* Open Source
* Open Education
* Open Innovation
* Open Collaboration
* Open Data

* Javascript is not open (ECMAscript?), but is royalty free.

"inspiring Open Minds"

Inclusive Design
* Inclusive Environments
* Inclusive Technology
* Inclusive Products
* Inclusive Services
* Inclusive Education

80% of people, without disabilities or signs of ageing get accessibility for free

interoperability is everything

Why?

Accessibility cannot survive without it.

Interoperability and Inclusive Design are not interchangeable
But, I wish they were...

The Principles of Inclusive Web Design

1. Equitable
2. Flexible
3. Straightforward
4. Perceptible
5. Informative
6. Preventative
7. Tolerant
8. Effortless
9. Accomodating
10. Consistent

Jason Bell, Action for Blind People.

Interoperability
 * enables Access Device Neutrality
 * allowing Choice and Opportunity for Diverse Users

--
    People of all shapes & sizes
            Devices
            
Desktop Laptop Tablet Phone Games console  Internet TV  AT:hardware -- curve, frown
  Operating Systems
   Accessibility API
   Applications    AT: Software
   
   User agents
Browsers  Media players  Browser extensions  Plug-ins  Mobile apps  W3C widgets -- curve, smile

Web
Content       Content     Web authoring tools
Creators


* Browsers are the windows, the gatekeepers to content

"Human rights are moral principles which apply equally to all human without qualification." Dr Evelyn Kallen - the speaker's mother! (Social anthropologist?)


Creative Commons - which??
Transcript available.

Adrian Goodall, Digital Inclusion, Deptartment for Communication, Culture and the Creative Industries (DCMS).

* Ofcom,
* Funding video relay,
* DCMS web site - interactive stuff?
* e-accessibility forum.

* alpha gov workshop - work on accessibility for the portal site.


Question for Adrian:
* Office for National Statistics - ongoing survey "Life Opportunities survey."


One Voice plenary
* Nigel
* One Voice Practical Steps guide

* Web accessibility
* Mobile and mobile apps.
* Gaming
* IVR - ??
* VoIP
* DigitalTV
* Windows
* Mac


Peter Bloor Research.

Launch Today
* The first 8 practical steps
www.onevoiceict.org/tools/tools/seven-steps

7 plus or minus 2.

* Eight is doable,
* Eight is not overwhelming,
* But eight is not trivial.

Why these eight steps
* They are all important
* They apply to most web sites
* They are relatively easy to implement,
* They will improve the accessibility of the site/most sites
*

Steps 1, 2, 3...
* Quick accessibility check
  Get an estimate of how accessible you site is now

* Publish an accessibility policy
  Express your intent
  Put a date on it.

* Provide a Contact Us function
  Enable users to tell you easily about accessibility issues

Steps 4,5,6,7...
* Add jump to content link
* Ensure tab sequence is logical
* Add alternative text pictures and links
* Ensure text sizing works.

Step 8
* Launch new Digital Accessibility eLearning
* First UK qualification in Web Accessibility

* Commissioned by EHRC, by AbilityNet & BCS.
* eLearning module and online examination.
* BCS accredited qualification.


Middlesex University - MSc in inclusive technology???

Plenary: Accessibility in the real world
Dr Stephen Duckworth
* Great slides of the development of the Olympic physical site.

Miro Griffiths
Student at Leeds University.
* Social model of disability
- socially constructed barriers, rather than the individuals impairment are the key.
* Example: the telephone.

Building blocks
* Respect for the individual,
* ICT developers should respect,
* Providing choice/ letting the end user choose,

Wanted: 3 monitors and software - 700 pounds.
Was given: mechanical page turner, user - 3000 pounds.
Bought: 3 monitors & software...

Wanted: a laptop, suited to me. (Wheelchair, muscle weaknes from neck down.)
..
Bought: own laptop.

Wanted: light a Kindle.
Given: heavier Sony reader.
Bought: Kindle.

Issues:
* suppliers list,
* the "Expert",
* gatekeepers,
* "forced-choice",
* product development teams.

1978 - social model paper / digital divide.



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