Sorry this isn't as pretty as the original I received. I've included the link to the web version so it is clearer. Vision Australia was a pioneer in many accessibility efforts. I worked a contract for them back in the noughties when they were converting from tape to CD to digital delivery. Jan
----- Original Message ----- From: [email protected] To: [email protected] Cc: Sent: Sun, 17 May 2020 19:43:33 -0400 Subject: Fwd: Digital Access Online Event: Celebrate 20 years of Digital Access View on the web: https://view.s10.exacttarget.com/?qs=8797e03ad0057ecf83b0a92e1885f2336f3386cd3ac04db227b5a1140daf78c0959bd179a78111b4ff88735ce7b483dfacf977f24ccd6dfcf5e6525521984f0e8905b89dc54e67c57e5d990c39c12274 -------- Original Message -------- Subject: Digital Access Online Event: Celebrate 20 years of Digital Access Date: 2020-05-17 19:34 From: "Vision Australia Digital Access" To: We're having a double celebration in conjunction with Global Accessibility Awareness Day! View web version here [1] IT'S OUR 20TH ANNIVERSARY AND WE'RE HAVING A DOUBLE CELEBRATION IN CONJUNCTION WITH GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY (GAAD) Cast your mind back… It's the year 2000 and we had all just survived Y2K. The bug that was meant to shut down the world, kind of ironic considering the current situation we are in… Y2K struck fear into the hearts of developers and software engineers globally, as well as the general public. There was hoarding of food, generators and fuel - petrol was 88.6c/litre (Wait… What?? #DejaVu) and as the clock struck midnight, we all waited with baited breath and then… NOTHING! A collective sigh of disappointment rippled across the globe. No planes fell out of the sky, no nuclear power stations went into meltdown and the lights stayed on. Clearly the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse were too busy partying like it was 1999… So was it all just a hoax? Was it all just hype? Or was it the massive mitigation effort and countless hours, updating operating systems and application software? I'm inclined to go with hypothesis number three. Having an online presence is almost a requirement of any business these days. But 20 years ago, when Mum would yell "Get off the internet! I need to use the phone!!" things were very different. There were less than 18 million websites, compared to todays 1.74 billion and although the main Australian website accessibility law, the Disability Discrimination Act was introduced in 1992, much of the content available online was not accessible to people with a disability. In 2001, 98% of websites failed to meet the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C's) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0. [1] https://cielo24.com/2016/12/australian-web-accessibility-laws-and-policies/ [2] Back in the year 2000, as we all relished in the fact that our MSN Messenger chat logs hadn't been lost forever, Digital Access was known as 'The Vision Australia Foundation Web Accessibility Consultancy Service' and excitement about the upcoming Sydney Olympic Games was beginning to reach fever pitch However, one man, Mr Bruce Maguire, had his excitement turn very quickly to frustration. Bruce, like many others, wanted to purchase tickets and enjoy the athletic spectacle and atmosphere that the 24th Summer Olympiad promised. Unfortunately, the official Olympics ticket book and website were not accessible to Bruce who is blind. After many attempts at having the situation rectified, Bruce was left with no other option than to raise a complaint with the Human Rights Commission. This became a worldwide landmark case for digital accessibility, a 16-month fight for Bruce, with a heavy personal toll and exposed underlying societal prejudice against People with Disability. _"If people with disabilities complained about every barrier that we encounter we'd be spending the whole of our lives 24 hours 7 days a week complaining because society has created disabling barriers and they're all over the place."_ Bruce Maguire You can learn more about Bruce's fight by watching Just The Ticket [3], produced on behalf of the Human Rights Commission. Or if you would like to watch with the audio-described ticket it can be accessed by choosing Audio Description - Just The Ticket [4]. Today we would like to think, that as a collective, we are doing better. Much like mitigating Y2K, businesses are reducing their risks by proactively considering accessibility from design, through to production. The digital world is a fast paced and ever-changing playing field and our approach and services have developed as a direct response. Some highlights of the past 20 years have been: * Development of the Web Accessibility Toolbar (WAT) * Development of the Document Accessibility Toolbar (DAT) * The largest ever study into the accessibility of PDF format (2010 and 2013) * Contribution to the development of WCAG specifications * Government policies (NTS and DSS) guidance on position of the DDA with regards digital services We have moved from supporting informational websites to dynamic ecommerce platforms, eLearning and core government services. We now support our customers in the development of a whole range of digital products including apps, terminals, digital displays, enterprise software and Assistive Technologies. Something that sets us apart and something that we are very proud of, is that we are not a profit driven enterprise. The heart of what we do has always been centred around the needs of the end-user - all profits from our fee-for-service engagements over the past 20 years are directed back to support independent living services for people who are blind or have low vision. We have come a long way, we have seen a lot of changes and hopefully we have learned some lessons. But we are not done yet, and we, the Digital Access Consulting Team look forward to continuing that journey with you for the next 20 years. Join the Digital Access Team and special guest, Bruce Maguire, talking about the changes we've seen over the past 20 years, and our predictions for the future of Digital Accessibility. Online Event Looking Back, Looking Forward - 20 Years of Digital Access With special guest: Bruce Maguire WHEN: 3:30pm-4:30pm (AEST) Thursday, May 21st, 2020 Save your Seat [5] - Limited places available Thursday May 21st marks the 9th GLOBAL ACCESSIBILITY AWARENESS DAY. A day where designers, developers and content creators are asked to shine a spotlight on digital accessibility and inclusion. Approximately one billion people, or 15% of the world's population experience some form of permanent disability. Persons with disabilities are more likely to experience lower levels of education and employment, poor health outcomes and higher poverty rates. But it is not necessarily their perceived limitations that cause the barriers. It is a mismatch between them and their surroundings. The lack of available accommodations within the physical and digital environments creates service gaps, discrimination and prejudice. But it doesn't have to be that way. We can probably all agree that accessibility is important, and we all want to do the right thing. Nobody is building with "exclusion" in mind. But how often have you been involved in a project that is running over time and over budget, and the first thing to be cut is Accessibility? I mean really, how important could it be? Recently we've probably all had a big taste of exclusion. We can't access parks, cafes or our favourite venues. We can't go and hang out with our friends and family, we can't go to the gym, play sport or get our hair and nails done. In fact, many of us haven't really been able to leave the house at all, and it has taken a toll on our mental health and general wellbeing. But isn't it great that we can still work from home, shop online or stay in touch with our loved ones via Video Chat, Zoom, Skype and Social Media. And aren't we lucky, that at a time when many of us are feeling vulnerable and isolated that we CAN access those avenues to stay connected? For many people with disability though, this sense of exclusion and isolation isn't the temporary side effect of a global pandemic. It is their everyday experience. So, leading up to this 9th GAAD I ask that you take a moment and reflect on how these restrictions have affected you and your daily life. What has changed for you? What did you previously take for granted that has been taken away from you? What are you most looking forward to getting back, or getting back to? And how would you feel, if you were never able to experience those things again? I also want to challenge you! When you sign up to our GAAD webinar we will send you daily accessibility challenges. I dare you to try these out in your own time between now and May 21st. Then join us on Thursday May 21st and share your results and experiences. Online Event Details Looking Back, Looking Forward - 20 Years of Digital Access With special guest: Bruce Maguire WHEN: 3:30pm-4:30pm (AEST) Thursday, May 21st, 2020 Save your Seat [5] - Limited places available FORWARD TO A FRIEND Know someone who'd be interested in this e-newsletter? They can subscribe [6] here. Vision Australia is a not-for-profit organisation. Vision Australia 454 Glenferrie Road Kooyong, VIC, 3144, AU ABN: 67 108 391 831 ACN: 108 391 831 If you do not wish to receive this email in the future please unsubscribe [7] or update [8] your preference Having difficulty reading this email? 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