XR Accessibility User Requirements W3 have released a working draft for accessibility user requirements for XR (virtual/augmented reality). XR currently requires that the user be in a physical position, with high degree of precision, timing and simultaneous action. The draft suggests users should be allowed to navigate an XR environment and interact with objects in… [Read More]

Models of Disability: Types and Definitions A useful reference to bookmark. The medical model of disability is “a problem of the person… [requiring ‘fixing’ with] a cure or an adjustment/behavioural change”. The social model sees disability as a socially created problem, requiring individual, community and large-scale change for full integration in society. Whilst there are… [Read More]

Styling yourself when you are blind Nas Campanella, who is blind, describes how she used a designer to create her wedding dress, feeling dozens of fabrics before arriving at one with flowers, lace and beads. Journalist Catherine Mahony uses stylists, maintaining a written book of tactile things so she can identify what’s in her wardrobe…. [Read More]

Google develops virtual braille keyboard for Android, rolling out now Currently, people plug in physical braille keyboards when they want to type, which can be inconvenient on mobile. Google have developed a virtual TalkBack keyboard integrated into Android, which you hold in landscape orientation, supporting both grade 1 and grade 2 braille.

The WebAIM Million – An annual accessibility analysis of the top 1,000,000 home pages A discouraging report on the accessibility of the top 1 million homepages. 98.1% failed at least one WCAG 2 criterion. Most commonly, this was low contrast text (86.3% of all homepages), missing alt text (66% – over half of these were… [Read More]

How accessible is the HTML video player? Scott Vinkle concludes that the native HTML video player is not particularly accessible, citing a number of issues in certain browser / AT combinations. For example, content ‘behind’ full screen video can still be navigable when it shouldn’t be; controls aren’t always announced when using the tab key;… [Read More]

As a disabled person, it’s hard to watch accessibility only improve now that able-bodied are affected John Loeppky, a writer who has cerebral palsy, describes the frustration watching “the adaptations many of us beg for — remote working, live streamed art, food delivery — become ubiquitous and unchallenged as soon as abled people find themselves… [Read More]

CSS Can Influence Screenreaders Ben Myers explains that some CSS may have unintended side-effects on assistive technologies. <button style=”text-transform: uppercase”>Add</button>, for example, is read out as the acronym “A.D.D.” on VoiceOver. The line between presentation and content is increasingly blurred with ::before/::after pseudo elements, the output of which is compiled into the same accessibility tree… [Read More]

Accessibility Maze A game developed by The Chang School, Ryerson University (Ontario). It simulates various challenges which are only overcome by good accessible design, providing good metaphors that encourage things like alt text. I don’t want to give too much away as it would ruin the game – it’s extremely well made and only takes… [Read More]

Unexpected accessibility tips An article in broken English, but don’t let that put you off. Chris Cid shares tips for testing your app: use it on your train commute to work (one-handed usage, motion sickness, etc). Test it on people who are in a hurry (grab someone outside a WC!) to simulate lots of distractions,… [Read More]