Wyoming Arts Council

Webinar provides tips to make your online and mobile tech content accessible to those with disabilities


More and more creatives are producing original content meant for “small screen” platforms. Much of our content originates on web sites like this one and increasingly finds its way to mobile technology as that market expands. Is that content accessible to those with disabilities?

Wyoming Arts Council staffers were at their desktop screens yesterday to learn more about the topic during the “Websites, Video, Mobile Apps and Games: Accessibility Webinar,” sponsored by the National Endowment for the Arts. Presenters included Larry Goldberg of the Shapiro National Center for Accessible Media in Boston, and Johnny Richardson and Mark Barlet, both from the AbleGamers Foundation in Charles Town, W.Va.

It’s always good to learn new things. According to Richardson, “There are more gamers over 50 than under age 18.” While young people grew up with technology, many older workers and retirees are increasingly interested in playing games, reading books and surfing the web on smartphones and tablets.

Added Richardson: “As age increases, so does the likelihood of physical limitations and the fact that the user is new to mobile technology.”

The speakers introduced us to apps that address visual, auditory and physical disabilities. Barlet, a disabled veteran, urged all of us begin at the beginning when designing content. “If you think about accessibility from day one, it’s not that hard.”

There are, for instance, many kinds of visual impairment. Did you know that there are overlays to address people with color blindness? There are programs that allow you to talk to your computer and the computer to talk back. High contrast apps help the visually-impaired person distinguish text from graphics and animation.

The three presenters urged all of us to use these kinds of apps – and watch others use them. If you’re uncertain about the accessibility of your program, go to Goldberg’s organization, National Center for Accessible Media.

The archive of this accessibility webinar will be available next week at http://www.arts.gov/podweb/webinars.html


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