Assistive Technology and Accessibility

New Editions is pleased to be a Silver sponsor of the 5th annual ICT TESTING SYMPOSIUM 2020. The testing symposium provides support to those tackling the issue of ensuring equal access to digital information for all members of our society, and is especially important in this time of rapid transition towards the use of online tools as a primary means of communication. This year’s conference will be online, as many conferences have converted to this year.

WebAim performed a survey on a million home pages and found a substantial number of issues centered around what testers would call “easy-picking” tests; those that take little effort to test and where - as a tester - you are sure to find a failure. The top failures were low contrast, images without alternative text, empty links, missing form input buttons, empty buttons, and lack of document language.

There are so many methods for accessibility testing. How do you know what is most effective? What is the most reliable?

The Trusted Tester Section 508 Conformance Test Process for Web v5.0 is a rigorous, methodical method for testing web content using WCAG 2.0 Level A and AA standards. The Office of Accessible Systems and Technology (OAST) in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) offers free training in the process and certifies testers. The course, instructor assistance through a Q&A Board and certification exam and certificate, is free.

Overview

National Disability Employment Awareness Month (NDEAM), which lasts the month of October, will celebrate the contributions of workers with disabilities and inform employers about the value of including employees with disabilities. 

The 2019 “Innovation at Work” technology showcase, hosted by the U.S. Department of Agriculture TARGET Center, brought together a wide range of interested participants within the technology, government, and disability communities. Upon arriving at the event, guests were greeted by staff skilled in American Sign Language (ASL), who signed as they spoke to all guests regardless of hearing ability.

The M-Enabling Summit re-convened in Washington DC in 2018 for its 7th year. We attended the Summit and this blog provides you with some insights into what we noticed.