Learn Agreement Accessibility At Csun 2012

This calendar week we’re aid the 27th annual CSUN International Technology too Persons amongst Disabilities Conference. As the Internet evolves, enshroud readers, browsers too other tools for accessibility involve to grow to encounter the complexity of the modern web. Conferences similar CSUN are an chance to cheque inward amongst spider web users amongst disabilities: non simply to percentage our progress inward making online technologies accessible, but to also hash out improvements for the future.

Who are these users? In August, nosotros conducted a survey amongst the American Council of the Blind, to honour out to a greater extent than nigh how people amongst sight harm role the web. We received nearly 1,000 responses from people who are blind or visually impaired, from a broad make of professions inward 57 countries: teachers, software developers, social workers, writers, psychologists, musicians too students. The results pigment a moving-picture demonstrate of why it is critical to improve the accessibility of spider web applications. Of the respondents:

• Almost xc per centum reported regularly using the spider web to proceed inward acquit on amongst friends too family
• Over one-half role a smartphone, too over one-half ain to a greater extent than than 1 computer
• Over two-thirds of respondents said they role social media
• Over fifty per centum convey completed a baccalaureate degree, too of those, thirty per centum convey gone on to to postgraduate studies at the masters' or Ph.D. level
• Of those who are currently students, over seventy per centum convey their assistive technology scientific discipline provided for yesteryear their school
• However, for those who convey left schoolhouse too are of working age, 46 per centum are unemployed

Better spider web accessibility has the potential to increase educational too occupation opportunities, render social cohesion too enable independence for the people amongst disabilities. We imagine a futurity for the spider web where the most visually complex applications tin hold out rendered flawlessly to enshroud readers too other assistive devices that don't rely on sight, using technologies that run seamlessly on browsers too smartphones.


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Since nosotros concluding attended CSUN, we’ve made several improvements to the accessibility of our products:

• ChromeVox (in beta) provides a enshroud reader that's built for the web, correct within Chrome.
• We've improved accessibility for Google Docs, Sites too Calendar, including keyboard shortcuts too improve back upwards inward modern enshroud readers
• Android 4.0 introduces touch exploration too out-of-box accessibility activation
• We've also expanded caption back upwards on YouTube—improving access to broadcast too direct-to-web videos for people who are deaf or difficult of hearing

If you're aid CSUN 2012, nosotros promise you'll come upwards up too state hullo at 1 of our talks on the accessibility of our products, including the role of video inward Google+ too Docs too accessibility on Android devices. And Fri we’ll host a Q&A Fireside chat amongst Google production teams. You tin also endeavor roughly of these improvements out at our 2 hands-on demo sessions on Thursday, inward the Connaught breakout room:

• 10am to 12pm—Chromebooks too novel features inward Google Apps
• 1pm to 3pm—Android 4.0 Milky Way Nexus phones

If you're non aid CSUN 2012, we'd honey to remove heed your thoughts on accessibility inward our web forum.

Posted yesteryear Naomi Black, Engineering Program Manager, Google Accessibility