Dr. Scott Hollier gave a presentation on accessibility and emerging technologies. He discussed how (1) assistive technologies have advanced from specialized hardware to software built into operating systems, (2) mainstream devices now include basic accessibility features while continuing to improve, and (3) the internet of things may help people with disabilities as devices connect and share information. He then demonstrated accessibility features on mobile devices.

1. How we’re
going and new
frontiers
Dr Scott Hollier
Blind Citizens Australia Conference 2015

2. 2
• Australia’s only independent not-for-
profit organisation devoted to
increasing access to media for
people with disabilities
• Provides expert knowledge and
advice on existing and emerging
mainstream technologies
• Works as a catalyst for change in
multiple areas of access
Who is Media Access
Australia?

3. Who am I?
• Professional:
• Director, Digital Accessibility
• W3C Advisory Committee
• Academic:
• Edith Cowan University, Adjunct Lecturer
• PhD thesis ‘The Disability Divide’
• Personal: Legally blind, first-hand
knowledge of access issues

4. 1980s – dawn of software
AT
• Hardware-based text-to-
speech showcased at
1981 International Year of
Disabled persons
• SAM (Software Automatic
Mouth) released in 1982
on various 8-bit systems
such as Commodore 64,
Atari and Apple

5. 1980s – dawn of software
AT
• Hardware-based text-to-
speech showcased at
1981 International Year of
Disabled persons
• SAM (Software Automatic
Mouth) released in 1982
on various 8-bit systems
such as Commodore 64,
Atari and Apple

6. Brief history of access
• For the mainstream population,
Internet was viewed primarily as an
information and communication
resource
• For people with disabilities, Internet
was viewed as a gateway to
independence

7. User experience
• People with disabilities generally use assistive
technologies to help use a computer
• Assistive Technology is the practical
implementation of technology to support and
help people with disabilities
• Old model: specialist AT costs $1000-$2000
• New model: OS now contains many of these
tools, and free open-source also viable

8. Desktop - Windows 7/8.1/10
• Change the icon and text size
• Mouse pointer size & movement
• High contrast colour themes
• ToggleKeys
• Visual alerts
• On-screen keyboard
• Magnifier (touch 8+)
• Narrator screen reader (touch 8+)
• Cortana (workaround to turn on)
• NVDA: free alternative to Narrator

9. Desktop - Mac
Improvements over Windows:
• Better screen reader
VoiceOver
• Braille display support
However…
• VoiceOver doesn’t work
with the Office suite, works
mostly with OpenOffice for
Mac

10. Mobile & tablet – Apple iOS
iOS (IPhone/iPad)
• Great access: VoiceOver,
zoom, captioned video,
colour changes, switch key
• App compatibility
improving, AppleVis good
crowdsourcing advice
website

11. Mobile & tablet – Google
Android
Google Android phone and tablets:
• Talkback screen reader,
magnifier, colour contrast
adjustments (5.x), global caption
support
• Good third-party apps like BIG
Launcher
• More affordable than Apple
However…
• Only really a viable alternative if
running Android 4.2+

12. Wearables – current
Apple Watch:
• Includes some iOS features
such as VoiceOver, zoom,
audio in one ear
Android Wear:
• Android 5.1.1+ contains
limited accessibility features
including zoom, colour
correction options

13. Wearables – future
• Google Glass rumoured to
be making a comeback,
good demonstration by
Telstra on how it can help
blind and Deaf users
• Intel environmental sensing
system jacket: parts of the
jacket vibrate at different
rates to indicate location of
things, uses camera, GPS,
maps and sensors

14. Internet of Things (IoT)
• Just starting to see the emergence of
IoT
• Washing machine sends tweets to let
you know how far through the cycle
you are - difficult to read display now
accessible
• Microwave connected to web figures
out what you’re cooking and cooks it
perfectly

15. Demonstration - mobile
accessibility
• Android TalkBack screen reader
• ABC Australia app
• CNet app

16. 16
• ABC iView:
‒ Rollout still happening
‒ Desktop version delayed by a few months
‒ 290,000 viewings since April
• NZ has increased to 20 hours plus per
week
• Apple has started quietly releasing AD
titles, just search “blind viewer”
• Netflix is increasing every week
• Thailand is starting with AD on public
channels
Audio description update

17. Further information
• E-mail:
scott.hollier@mediaaccess.org.au
• Telephone:
• (02) 9212 6242 (head office)
• (08) 9311 8230 (direct)
• Website: www.mediaaccess.org.au
• Twitter: @mediaaccessaus