Tobii is a world-leader in eye-tracking technology that made £1.5 million in revenue in 2019>, but although it's tech is transforming the lives of disabled people it launched in 2001 with a focus on technology rather than accessibility.
“We actually didn't start with accessibility," said Henrik Eskilsson, Tobii’s CEO & Co-Founder, speaking at TechShare Pro 2020.
Eskilsson added; "We provide eye-tracking technology and we do that for a lot of different fields, and then, we were early on, approached by, some experts in the field of accessibility who saw our technology and recognize that there are some fantastic use cases for our technology in this field.”
“Today, accessibility is the largest part of our business, and it is a truly amazing opportunity to build products that have a positive impact."
Be My Eyes: Driven by Purpose
Conversely, social purpose was the driving force behind Be My Eyes, the app that connects blind and low-vision individuals with sighted volunteers.
“We started out with accessibility as the core of what we're doing," said Alexander Hauerslev Jensen, Chief Commercial Officer for Be My Eyes.
He added, "The purpose was at the core to offer this free service that allows people who are blind or low vision to lead more independent lives by connecting them to volunteers, and with companies,”
The two leaders were speaking to Emma Lawton, Co-Founder, of start-up More Human, a platform designed to help build digital communities.
“As someone who’s building a start-up with social good at the heart of it, and with massive commercial potential we're finding it difficult to balance the commercial and the sort of the good it will do for people, and how-to get it out into the market,” said Lawton who has Parkinson’s Disease.
How to Turn Purpose into Profit
The app Be My Eyes brings connects low-vision and blind users to over 4 million volunteers, in 180 languages. The large reach is key to the company's purpose, but it faced a challenge in turning that purpose into a sustainable business model.
“When we started, we had no idea how to make BeMyEyes into a sustainable thing," said Hauerslev Jensen.
"We launched this, mobile app connecting blind users with volunteers. We don't want to put up any barriers to using the application. It has to be free, and it's our responsibility to figure out how to make it sustainable?”
“There was such a difference between purpose and profit, and we wanted to change that perspective to make it about the ‘interplay’ between purpose and profit; factors that accelerate each other and not slow each other down.”
How Be My Eyes monetised its service
The solution Be My Eyes developed was what it calls 'specialised help', a service that allows companies and organisations to talk to “connect to the low vision community.”
“It's like accessible customer support through live video,” said Hauerslev Jensen.
Microsoft was the first company to join, followed by Google, Proctor & Gamble and a variety of banks. These companies pay to provide the service to the community allowing Be My Eyes to continue offering the app and the service free to its users.
“We're really excited about that because it really follows our mantra that no one is losing here; the user is able to get the support that they need; the companies are able to provide accessible support to this community of millions and millions of people. And we're able to provide as a free service and build a sustainable business. So that's kind of how we have gotten to monetisation,” said Hauerslev Jensen.
Tobii’s Eskilsson says business is increasingly recognising that purpose is a solid foundation for a sustainable business.
“The line-up of this year’s TechShare Pro [2020] with industry leaders from huge companies where accessibility is such a high priority shows that accessibility, purpose, and doing the right thing goes hand-in-hand with creating a sustainable big business,” he said.
Technology has a role to play, but only by serving people, reflected Lawton.
“Something we have in common between our three businesses is that humans are at the heart, and technology is in supporting role,” she said. “More Human is using technology to bring groups of people; Tobii is about humans having the basic world of communication with other humans by using technology, Be My Eyes is humans helping humans through technology.
So, there's an interesting balance between what role the human takes and what role the technology takes in any relationship.”
Eskilsson agrees that successful businesses will be the ones where technology bends to people and not vice versa.
“If you go back 20, 30 years technology was kind of clunky and it was expected that we human beings figured out how to use the technology, and if we couldn't do it right, we were kind of stupid or something.
“Today when you're in big corporations that provide products or services based on technology the one who's winning is actually the one who can develop the best user experience and the most human user experience.”
A user-focussed approach
Designing inclusively, means listening to all your customers.
“I'm the perfect user test because I have so many symptoms that I can kind of test for many things and be quite useful in that sense,” said Lawton. She added “Businesses have realized if you're not designing for the people with the biggest challenges, you're not really designing for a massive group, which is great,”.
Hauerslev Jensen agrees: “We will all need these technologies at some point. Even if we strip away all of the compassionate arguments for investing in accessibility, if it's only like a super selfish decision, I don't see why that's not the easiest decision to make, to make it accessible and inclusive.”
“If I was an investor, I would go for the companies that invest in building technologies and solutions for the future. And that's why I think accessibility is becoming more than the right thing to do. It's the right thing to do also for, from a business standpoint.”
Submitted by Sarah Botterill on Thu, 18/03/2021 - 15:01
Getting accessibility right demands an individual, human approach. So argued Christina Mallon, head of inclusive design and accessibility for global advertising firm Wunderman Thompson, at a fascinating session at TechShare Pro 2020.
“Everybody deserves the right to express themselves. That is a human right. I believe so,” said Mallon. "A lot of the time, we [disabled people] have been othered. As long as they have just their basic needs, they’re fine. But that’s not true, and that’s not true for anybody.”
Speaking to Rama Gheerawo from the Helen Hamlyn Centre for Inclusive Design, Mallon explained why a more human approach is key.
“What ties us all together is we’re human beings, and we all live on this gorgeous little planet of ours. The same sun rises and sets on us every day. But that day can be radically different depending on ability,” Mallon added.
Driving change means engendering empathy at the top. “Many times, executives don’t recognise they’ll be disabled at some point in their lives. It shocks them."
When they think of disabilities, they think of someone in a wheelchair or has dual-arm paralysis. It takes a lot of education because people don’t want to think about the challenges they might have in their lives when it comes to accessibility and inclusion.”
Gheerawo agrees. “We talk about designing for ability, not disability. It’s not just about disability. It’s an inability. A designed world that actually makes it unable for people to use,” he said.
So how do you convince executives to embrace inclusive design? Mallon describes a “three-pronged approach”.
“It is about personal stories. Show that there are people with disabilities right in front of your face. And they are a huge community.”
“And then I talk about, you know, the stats. The disability community has $8 trillion of disposable impact…similar to the disposable income of China. And then, you know, I dropped that legal compliance bomb on them, especially in the United States when it comes to digital accessibility,” she said.
“Give them reasons why it affects their role if they’re the legal counsel, the CFO, or you’re the chief brand officer. This is not just moral, ethical. This is the right business thing to do, but it takes a lot of conversations,” Mallon said.
1. Use personal stories 2. Use statistics about the business potential 3. Highlight the need for legal compliance
Christina Mallon, head of inclusive design and accessibility for Wunderman Thompson
Inclusive design: the power of personal stories
Personal stories can influence and inspire, said Mallon. “What is so great being at Wunderman Thompson is we're good storytellers. Great stories around accessibility and inclusive design get people excited.
"So, I've made sure to arm myself with really great case studies to show kind of the impact that investing inclusive design and accessibility has on an organisation.”
“We helped it launch an adaptive clothing line brand and adaptive clothing. Why can't buttons be magnets? Why aren't we looking at better design?"
Just telling those stories about these kinds of aha moments that people have when they're rethinking why things are right about design and challenging that. Telling that via storytelling is so important,” Mallon said.
“I think that's where I've been able to get CEOs and CMOs excited," added Mallon.
Raising the bar on inclusivity
By listening, you create a better product for all, said Mallon and Gheerawo.
Gheerawo cited an example that is part of the Heen Hamly Centre's origin story. The story involved Helen Hamlyn Centre founder, Roger Coleman. Coleman's twenty-year-old friend has MS and needed to refurbish her flat, so the council would approve for her to stay there.
"They spent the whole day getting things together and making sure it was functional. Suddenly, they realised they needed to ask her what she wanted. She said these immortal words pressed on my brain; she said, 'I want to make the neighbours jealous.' And that was a lightbulb moment."
Mallon agrees. "One thing that is so important in design is co-design, and that's not just what people with disabilities. If you're trying to design something, it can't just be, you know, your personal beliefs or preferences.”
Mallon believes in talking about people "with a range of ability" and has a focus on extreme users.
For example, she said, in looking at a redesign for Heathrow Terminal 5 they collaborated with an eight-year-old Japanese tourist who didn't speak English, a visually-impaired gentleman and a couple in their eighties with minor impairments but who couldn't lift their own suitcases.
"Some of my biggest successes come from getting the people in charge to focus on extreme users," she said.
Wrapping up Gheerawo said: "We need to start talking about people. A phrase I like to use is that consumers consume but people live and that's people of all ages, abilities, needs, gender, races..."
It's another reminder of Mallon's assertion that what makes for good inclusive design is a focus on human beings.
On its 32nd birthday we ask “is the web accessible to all?”
Submitted by Robin Christopherson on Thu, 11/03/2021 - 19:51
On the anniversary of its birth, we ask “is the web accessible to all?”
The “power of the web is in its universality,” said Tim Berners-Lee, who submitted the original proposal that would ultimately become the worldwide web on 12 March 1989. Thirty-two years later AbilityNet's Head of Digital Inclusion Robin Christopherson, MBE, looks back at key milestones in its development and asks how accessible the web is now.
CERN would later publish Berners-Lee’s source code for free. Without that there would have been no ‘world-wide’ internet and the risk of competing systems vying for popularity and profit.
What’s the difference between the internet and the worldwide web?
The internet is the physical global network (or networks) of computers and servers that supply us with the content we access on our screens.
The web is what we see; the content.
The internet is the infrastructure and the world wide web is what we see and interact with. So we go on the internet (online) to access the world wide web.
If you have a disability, it’s that content that we access every day that can present either challenges or opportunities.
The web may be ubiquitous but, as the volume of content increased, not all of it was universally accessible to disabled people. Here, I’d like to take a personal look back at some key milestones and their impact in terms of digital accessibility.
Pre-1992 a text-based, accessible web
The early networked computers mainly used text to communicate.
It was only as internet use became more mainstream that the occasional image began to appear on web pages. WebbIE, one of the early browsers, was largely text-based.
In many ways, this text-based approach was super-accessible - a simple document where you can change colours, fonts, and text. It was quick to load and straightforward and easy to interpret for anyone with a disability or impairment.
1992: Things get gooey with a graphical approach
The text-based internet was a good marriage for the hefty text-only laptop I was lugging around, as a blind student at University.
With complexity came a need to set standards. In 1995, Dr Cynthia Waddell published a web design accessibility standard for the City of San Jose’s Office of Equality Assurance.
It comprised a comprehensive list of specifications for the city’s website designers and developers and included, among many other things, a requirement that all images be accompanied by an alternative text description (visible to blind users' screen reading software) and that all video and audio elements have accompanying text transcriptions.
Waddell, sadly now deceased, was a pioneer who became Executive Director of the International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet (ICDRI) and co-authored books on building accessible websites.
1999: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG)
Fast-forward to today and WCAG guidelines are internationally-recognised as the basis for website accessibility.
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) published version 1.0 of WCAG in 1999. WAI is the working party of the de facto world governing body for all things technical to do with the web; the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) of which Berners-Lee is Director.
That’s a lot of acronym spaghetti.
Version 1.0 of WCAG had 14 guidelines to help developers create inclusive, accessible websites. These included the all-important requirement to label images; the no. 1 prerequisite for blind users everywhere.
WCAG has been the go-to guidelines ever since. The current iteration is WCAG 2.1 but versions 2.2 and 3.0 are on the horizon. Version 3.0 promises a stronger emphasis on disabled user involvement – something we’ve championed for years.
1998: A legal right to accessibility
The US followed through with legislation designed to nudge developers and content creators to ensure they didn’t exclude people using assistive technology, specialist software and settings designed to make things easier to use.
In 1998, President Clinton signed into law the Rehabilitation Act Amendments, including a revised Section 508 which was expanded to include the worldwide web.
It mandated that any websites published by or used by the government or federal agencies be completely accessible to those with disabilities.
Here in the UK, we had the Disability Discrimination Act of 1995, but it wasn’t until 2003 that an accompanying code of practice ensured that it covered the digital world.
The newly-minted European Accessibility Act (EAA) brings together the updated web accessibility guidelines with others relating to smartphones, public terminals like ATMs and ticketing machines, telecoms and broadcasting and all flavours of public transport, and require that member states comply (the final milestone is June 2025).
Crucially, the EAA mandates that member countries take the vital step of identifying and resourcing bodies to monitor and report on inaccessible websites and other products and services. That’s the key; actually enforcing the law. There’s nothing like the threat of hefty fines to focus the mind, and boardroom agenda, on creating inclusive products.
Whilst there are moral and business cases for compliance, money talks loudest of all. The Norwegian government proactively monitors and fines companies that don’t comply. SAS, their national airline, dragged their wheels for a year before being threatened with the equivalent of a €15,000 daily fine. It fixed the issues in ten days.
The future needs to go beyond the accessible and to be fully inclusive. That means designing so that digital products are easier to use by those with impairments, or disabled by environment.
The tide is turning and last year’s TechShare Pro conference saw over 900 attendees, was hosted online on Microsoft Teams and was fully accessible. What’s more, all of our headline sponsors belong to The Valuable 500 and so are driving accessibility from the top.
Diversity and Inclusion is rising up the corporate agenda and a greater focus on disabled people as valuable ‘extreme testers’ is a huge step forward.
As today’s anniversary passes, the real legacy that I hope will stay with you should be the transformative power of the internet.
That has to be for everyone - including me as a blind person and millions of other individuals who are entirely reliant on accessibility to use the internet for work, shopping, keeping in touch with friends and loved ones.
Imagine, on finishing reading this, not being able to read the next article that catches your eye.
Mairead Comerford, AbilityNet's Head of HR, and Amy Low, AbilityNet's Services Delivery Director also shared their best practice tips about inclusive recruitment, including about avoiding discrimination and unconscious bias. We outlined AbilityNet's own recognition as an approved Disability Confident Leader with inclusive recruitment practices.
What did we learn during the webinar?
Here are our key takeaways from the session:
1. Only 8% of attendees said they are "very confident" their organisation has fully inclusive accessible policies and procedures.
As part of the webinar, we held an interactive session including a few of the questions from AbilityNet's workplace inclusion GAP Analysis service, which is designed to take people through a range of questions and have them provide their experience as employees or managers. We polled attendees to get a feel for where organisations are with inclusive by design recruitment considerations.
Responding to the poll Q: 'Can you tell us how confident are you that your organisation (if applicable) is doing recruitment in an inclusive, accessible way?' attendees responded with the following:
8% said they are very confident that their organisation has fully inclusive accessible policies and procedures.
A further 47% reported they are quite confident - 'there may be some things we could do better but generally we get things right'.
38% said they are 'not very confident, we still have a lot to learn'. And finally, 3% were not at all confident - 'My organisation needs to make major improvements'.
4% of respondents did not belong to an organisation.
In addition to questions about recruitment, there are other sections in AbilityNet's GAP analysis that relate to onboarding and ways of working, and the overall employee journey. We will share those in future webinars later in the year - sign up to our enewsletter for announcements.
2. 17% of job applicants that applied for a job in the last five years had a job offer withdrawn as a result of their disability.*
This is according to a 2019 report by Leonard Cheshire charity. Furthermore, 24% of employers are reportedly less likely to hire a disabled person and 6 out of 10 questioned thought disability would adversely affect someone’s ability to do a job.
And why might organisations fail or refuse to make a reasonable adjustment? According to the same report, 66% cited cost of reasonable adjustments and 38% cited designing accessible recruitment process as barriers to employing disabled people.
Knowing what disability discrimination is and how easily it can occur is really important for all participants in the recruitment process including applicants, interviewers, and those in marketing roles advertising the job opportunity.
3. Microsoft: Not a 'know-it-all company, but a learn-it-all company'
Michael Vermeersch of Microsoft: "We kind of became an organisation that, you know, rather than being a know-it-all we want to be a learn it all. That in itself drives that curiosity... how do we connect? How do we become a better organisation? People start really getting engaged in this because they would like to be treated like this as well. So it almost becomes part of our DNA.... Finally, we also publish our results. That keeps us honest and keeps us driving as well. Very recently we published our disability representation stats."
4. Only 24% of attendees said their organisations' job application processes signpost help with completing an application form/cover letter
When polled on the question 'In your organisation's job application process do you signpost help with completing an application form/cover letter if required?' answers were as follows:
24% said yes
34% said no
12% said not consistently
25% said they didn't know
5% said the question was not applicable to them
5. Key advice from Microsoft: Listen to your employees
We asked Michael 'If you had to choose one piece of advice to give to people that is going to make the biggest difference [regarding inclusive, accessible recruitment], what would that be?'
Michael Vermeersch, Microsoft: "It's really key to listen to your employees and listen to your employee resource group if you have one. If you are sizeable enough to set one up, do do that. They will give you feedback on your experiences on your processes. It will make you a better employer both internally and externally..."
6. Allow candidates to request changes to the recruitment stages
During the webinar, attendees had the opportunity to pose questions to the panel. One question answered after the session was, 'Do you break inclusive recruitment into stages - are there any steps that should be prioritised?'
Mairead Comerford, Head of HR at AbilityNet: "At AbilityNet we do state the process of each stage of recruitment and allow for this to be changed to suit the candidate.
Ensure your recruitment process is inclusive - provide training to hiring staff is really important so everyone understands ‘The Why’.
Have a process in place to ensure job descriptions are checked for relevance to the role (and for any bias – using Gender decoder or Textio).
Check that interview questions are strongly linked to the job requirements (if not then take them out).
Strong communication with candidates welcoming them to ask questions and give feedback to help you to design the interview process to be inclusive to the widest audience (considering all potential barriers)."
Feedback about the session was really positive, including from Sky Randall, recruitment specialist, via LinkedIn:
"I've just attended a really insightful webinar by AbilityNet where Michael Vermeersch from Microsoft explained their approach inclusive and accessible recruitment, and how we could all do more."
Promoting an accessibility agenda within a university
Submitted by Sophie Stevens on Wed, 10/03/2021 - 17:45
Join us in our free webinar on Tuesday 13th April to learn how University of Derby works with senior leaders to promote accessibility and place it high on their institution's agenda.
Claire Gardener from University of Derby will discuss her accessibility programme at the Higher Education provider. Claire is Senior Learning Technologist, and lead contact for Digital Accessibility at University of Derby, and is also co-chair of the Blackboard A11y User Group which provides accessibility advice for those within the education sector.
As well as sharing insights into her university's accessibility programme, Claire will also share her experience as a participant in AbilityNet's Accessibility Maturity Evaluation pilot badging project, which is a service that enables you to judge the maturity of your organisation's digital accessibility.
In the session, the University of Derby will discuss how it worked with AbilityNet to create an elearning module for its staff to ensure all the requirements for accessibility were understood and met, with practical advice and resources provided to all the team.
AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people. If you can afford it, please donate to help us support older and disabled people through technology.
Supporting the Basildon BAME community during the pandemic
Submitted by Sarah Botterill on Wed, 10/03/2021 - 15:22
AbilityNet volunteers have given tech help as part of a digital support initiative for BAME households in Basildon, Essex to help learning from home during Covid-19.
Uche Amechi from Ngi Igbo first contacted AbilityNet. Ngi Igbo is a charity that represents a particular community from South-eastern Nigeria.
“We are mainly of the Igbo tribe, and we have a little community here in Basildon. We secured funding to help residents around Basildon,” said Uche.
“The BAME community are reported to suffer the impacts of COVID, three and a half times more than their white counterparts,” he added.
One of our objectives was to secure a number of tablets to help people from the community who had primary age children learning from home.
For support from AbilityNet, call our FREE helpline 0800 048 7642
Configuring the tablets for children
Through a local charity referral, Uche contacted AbilityNet to see if we could help set the tablets up so they’d be safe but meet the children’s needs.
AbilityNet volunteer Dave Tolson from Essex received the request and was delighted to help.
“It wasn’t our usual request,” said Dave. “It wasn't a project for the elderly or disabled, but it had we had the right skills to support Uche. I met Uche outside at his house, and we stood with our masks on and had a chat about what he was looking for and a little bit about what they were doing,” added Dave.
“Uche wanted to provide support via tablets to underprivileged children that might not have enough access to educational software,” said Dave.
He discussed the requirements with Uche, and they agreed on a set of requirements, including personalising the tablets to show they belonged to Ngi Igbo. “We used the logo and the lottery funding and gave it a specific design and wallpaper, and then we grouped some educational software.”
The software included Google Classroom and links to the BBC Bitesize modules, including spelling, Math, and English.
Uche is currently triaging requests for the tablets, which will be with recipients soon. “It will help households who don’t have access to devices,” he said.
He added,” “We have done it in a way that’s as beneficial as can be. The volunteers I have met from AbilityNet, are people who worked in the IT industry and then retired and are just doing things to help humanity out of compassion and the love to see other people progress. That was quite a breath of fresh air, actually.”
For AbilityNet volunteer Dave the hours are well spent. “I can imagine the kids' faces when they get hold of the tablets because it should be really, really helpful to them,” said Dave.
How AbilityNet can Help
For support with devices, call our FREE Helpline on 0800 048 7642
10 tips for avoiding RSI in the workplace and at home
Submitted by Claudia.Cahalane on Thu, 25/02/2021 - 12:13
Covid-19 has forced us out of our work and home comfort zones.
It’s perhaps okay for the short-term, but Repetitive Strain Injuries (RSI) are common in office workers due to sitting at desks doing repetitive tasks, sitting at a desk and using a keyboard and mouse, for example.
According to the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy, over 450,000 UK workers have upper limb RSI.
Similarly, RSI.org reports that 1 in 50 of all UK workers has reported an RSI condition.
An estimated 5 million working days are lost in sick leave due to RSI each year.
In the office, employers may have made reasonable adjustments to support employees with RSI, but increasingly people are working from home; 46.6% of people did some work at home (April 2020), with 86% of them citing Covid-19 as the reason why.
Many have makeshift workspaces such as kitchen tables and even laps.
On February 28, 2021, it is International Repetitive Strain Injury Awareness Day, so we're sharing our tops tips to help with RSI.
How AbilityNet can help people with RSI?
AbilityNet supports older and disabled people to adjust their technology to meet their needs. You can call our free Helpline or request help from an AbilityNet volunteer.
In terms of RSI, we can advise on speech recognition software, communications aids or alternative input devices (keyboard and mice) to minimise repetitive keyboarding.
Below are some specific links providing support and advice.
Call our FREE helpline 0800 048 7642
10 tips for avoiding RSI at your computer
1. Ergonomic and desk considerations
There are challenges working from home especially if you're sharing that space with others doing the same, or children who are homeschooling. Ideally, you'll have a dedicated workspace, which is adapted to your specific needs including your height. Specifically, your workspace should enable you to:
Rest your feet flat on the floor. Invest in a footrest if you can't.
If you have a curved desk, sit central to the curve.
Place your screen at eye level and directly in front of you.
Position your keyboard directly in front of you, with a space at the front of the desk to rest your wrists when you are not typing.
Position your mouse as close to you as possible so you can use it with your wrist straight, avoiding awkward bending.
If possible, use a compact keyboard, so the mouse can be brought in closer still.
2. Use voice dictation to reduce the volume of typing
There are many ways you can reduce the amount that you type. Operating systems now include voice dictation capabilities.
For more information on voice recognition including specialist packages such as Dragon, view our FREE factsheet.
For more tips on using voice control across a range of devices visit My Computer My Way.
3. Adjusting your keyboard and mouse
There are things you can do with your existing peripherals (such as a keyboard and mouse) to reduce the amount that you type. One suggestion is to learn shortcuts or use autocorrect features to reduce the number of keystrokes.
There's been an explosion in the number of people working from home as a result of Covid-19 and experts say a blended approach to working is likely to be here to stay.
With the flexibility of home working, comes an increased risk of RSI resulting from poor posture.
Many people will be using laptops and it's important to ensure that these are set up to minimise strain or neck, back and arm pain. When working with a laptop for sustained periods it's good practice to:
Use a separate keyboard, screen and mouse (if you can afford it, your employer can provide it)
Place your laptop on a raiser (to bring the screen closer towards eye-level). If you don't have a specific laptop stand you could try using a few thick books to make your own.
Take regular short breaks to relieve upper body tension
Employers have a legal responsibility to provide Reasonable Adjustments that help avoid RSI and other conditions, but many people aren't clear how what adjustments are required.
There is also a wide range of tips included in our FREE factsheet on RSI and computers.
We also recommend that employees uses Clear Talents On Demand - a free tool developed with ABilityNet that provides a detailed report about adjustments that will help employees be more productive when dealing with RSI.
You may find that investing in a sit/stand desk can help to reduce the strain that comes from sitting at a desk all day. One option is to invest in a sit/stand desk but this is a pricey route. Others offer a solution that sits on top of your existing desk and allows you to lower a laptop up and down.
For a makeshift solution, you could use an ironing board as a desk, which is height adjustable but for occasional rather than prolonged use.
7. Free and paid-for support from AbilityNet
Call our FREE helpline on 0800 048 7642 for support from an AbilityNet volunteer who can advise on making adjustments to the technology you use or additional tech that may help, such as voice dictation, for example.
We also offer a paid-for tech tutorial (£99). The tutorial offers 1-2-1 training and advice to customise your device.
Training is also the most efficient way to improve confidence and encourage further independent learning. Many people are unaware of the accessibility and productivity tools built into mainstream packages such as Office 365 and Google Suite.
8. Support for employees and employers
Reacting to the pandemic, we have launched a working from home review for employers to help you make sure employees are well supported as their home doubles up as the office.
We offer a range of FREE factsheets you can view online or print. A number are specifically useful for people who have RSI or musculoskeletal conditions. We have a factsheet about RSI in the workplace and another that explores alternative keyboards and mice and adaptations, some of which may help with RSI.
Submitted by Sarah Botterill on Tue, 23/02/2021 - 08:40
Disabled people feel lonelier and more isolated than others both before and during Covid-19*.
Office of National Statistics (ONS) figures found that around 41% of disabled people feel anxious. One in ten disabled people is scared to go out, compared to 29% and one in 25 of non-disabled people*.
Supporting Isobel who has a learning difficulty
Isobel, 31, from Alness, has a learning difficulty and lives with her dog (Ollie, pictured) but was feeling very isolated.
However, in a time of physical distancing, she's embraced technology to keep in touch with family and friends, with the help of UK charity AbilityNet.
The pan-disability charity believes in a digital world accessible to all. When Isobel got in touch with volunteer Chris Grant, he pulled out all the stops to get her a tablet.
“Chris linked me in with a local charity to obtain a tablet,” said Isobel. “And AbilityNet’s team of volunteers showed me the best way to use it, and how to use it safely,” she added.
Keeping in touch with family and friends
While she's apart from family and friends, she has been able to stay in touch using the tablet.
“The best thing about tech is keeping in touch with friends and family via messenger and Facebook. It also keeps me entertained by looking at things such as Instagram,” said Isobel.
She’s still learning but also hopes to use the device to access activities online. “However, I really enjoy taking part in a local DJ’s Karaoke stream and engaging with the community,” she said.
Isobel says her confidence has improved with help from AbilityNet, which has over 300 volunteers providing FREE tech help to disabled and older people.
Please note: calls to our helpline number cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and count towards any inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls, and AbilityNet does not receive any money from these calls
Internet banking increases disabled access: An Insider's View
Submitted by Sarah Botterill on Mon, 22/02/2021 - 18:42
Twenty-two years after the launch of the first full-service, internet-only bank an industry insider and a user reflect on the beginning of a sector-wide transformation that improved disabled people's lives.
The First Internet Bank of Indiana launched on February 22, 1999.
Industry perspective: reflections from Barclays’ Paul Smyth
Internet banking enables customers to the bank where, when and how they want.
It also brings a new level of convenience. Online banking transforms lives for some of us with disabilities who'd historically struggled to navigate the physical world.
Barclays’s ambition is to be accessible and inclusive.
However, the early version of our internet banking website wasn’t born accessible.
Listening to disabled customers
Early on, I remember many complaints which led to disabled customers invited in and spending time with our Head of Digital, educating them on accessibility.
This customer feedback helped drive our accessibility programme, as we listened and learned from the disability community.
It's helped us be proactive and deliver digital services accessible by design to ensure our digital services don't unintentionally exclude anyone.
Digital banking enables Deaf customers to connect via virtual sign language interpreters to communicate with their bank. Those with learning or literacy difficulties can use fingerprint or face recognition to pass security in our mobile banking app.
A customer struggling to get to a bank branch can take a snapshot of a cheque on their smartphone and have it processed seamlessly.
Meanwhile, a vision-impaired customer using a screen reader can manage their money independently and barrier-free via their computer or mobile device.
Accessible digital services also offer greater flexibility, choice and personalisation.
The investment Barclays has made in accessibility has significantly helped during the Covid-19 pandemic with the rapid acceleration of digital adoption.
We know there's always more we can do to ensure that our digital services are designed for each of us so that they work for all of us.
We therefore strongly encourage disabled customers with accessibility feedback or suggestions to get in touch via telephone banking, secure chat, social media [@BarclaysAccess on Twitter] or via our complaints process) so that we can continue to remove barriers.
An individual’s view: reflections from AbilityNet’s Robin Christopherson
Being able to manage your finances independently is essential.
With the advent of online banking (and in particular mobile banking), I no longer had to deal with paper or time-consuming interactions on the phone or in-branch.
The simplicity of a banking app makes it straightforward to look at different accounts and individual transactions to stay on top of our finances.
Using biometric authentication such as Touch or Face ID means that the frequent entering account numbers, codes, or passwords are thankfully over.
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Overcoming logistical challenges
Travelling to and navigating around physical branches is often problematic.
There are far fewer branches - and many that remain are inaccessible for those in a wheelchair or with mobility issues.
Phone banking is useful but can challenge older customers or those with hearing loss.
Being blind, access to cash used to present multiple challenges. Without talking ATMs like the ones Barclays provides) I had to ask strangers to push the buttons at the hole-in-the-wall on my behalf.
This is not a recommended approach.
Quick payments using your mobile and tap-to-pay, reduce such barriers.
This is why ensuring that your bank prioritises accessibility and inclusive design in all their digital services is so vital.
Without it, you're just as excluded from financial independence as someone in a wheelchair is when faced with steps into a physical branch - or as we all would be without internet banking during this time of Covid-19.
Many people are unaware of the accessibility and productivity tools built into mainstream packages such as Office 365 and Google Suite.
AbilityNet can provide 1:1 training on most assistive technologies (AT). Find out more about our Assistive technology training.
The first talking computers
Text-to-speech on computers is well-established.
Since the 1950s, computers have been conversing with computer scientists – albeit almost entirely unintelligibly (the speech recognition programme was known as Wreck a Nice Beach – a play on 'recognise speech').
The ability to report what’s on a screen for those who can't see ( 'screen reading software or a 'screen reader') came along a little while later.
The advent of the Graphical User Interface (GUI, or goo-ey) caused uncertainty and anxiety for blind users when it arrived in the late 80s and early 90s.
The writing was on the wall for text-based computing.
Straightforward lines of on-screen text were replaced by a canvas of pixels on which everything – words, windows, images and buttons – were drawn with random abandon and no regard for us blind users at all (or so it seemed).
Worse still you needed something called, a mouse to move and click an on-screen arrow. DOS screen readers and trusty keyboard hotkeys wouldn’t work here.
We were worried.
Imagine if someone told you that you were no longer allowed to look at your computer or phone screen and had to perform impossible gestures (without seeing the results) to be able to continue to use your favourite tech.
To top it all, being blind we didn’t have the option of returning to paper and pen, of course.
We needed innovation to ensure visually-impaired users were included in the new age of graphical computing.
Screen readers were forced to employ cunning, low-level techniques, gathering messages from the operating system and using these to build up an 'off-screen model' (OSM).
An OSM is an entirely separate version of the display's content. Only the required text and other necessary bits of information (that this bit of text is sitting on a button or within a weblink etc.) - is stored.
Tech giants behind leading operating systems needed to cooperate: Microsoft Windows, Mac OS and IBM OS2 – may it rest in peace).
Thankfully, this cooperation was relatively quickly forthcoming.
Bring apps into the equation. They also become accessible, given the all-important proviso that they respect the need to make information visible to this OSM by following the steps outlined by Microsoft etc. Many app developers did. Many have not - even to this day.
The first screen reader for Windows was released in early 1995.
It was called Jaws (great name), standing for ‘Job Access With Speech’ and it soon became apparent that working with these 'Window' things, as a blind person, wouldn't be impossible after all.
Challenging and far more complicated than DOS, undoubtedly, but definitely doable.
Jaws has enjoyed consistent development ever since. It remains the go-to screen reader in the workplace in most countries across the globe. However, it isn't inexpensive, often costing as much as the computer it runs on and with an annual licence of around £100 to boot.
Many other screen readers exist – and competition is a good thing in any market. Until relatively recently, however, they were all relatively expensive.
You get what you pay for with a quality screen reader (and these companies need to cover costs like any other), but the price tag did mean that many blind users were left behind.
We now have an excellent, free screen reader called NVDA which has much of Jaws' functionality, so finally, there are options for those living with no vision on a budget.
What makes a good screen reader?
Creating an effective screen reader is more complicated than you might think.
Think of it as a means to ‘drive’ your computer with the appreciation that not all cars, for example, aren’t created equal’.
You definitely need four wheels, a fifth to steer and at least one seat.
To get there with efficiency and comfort, however, you’ll also need a gearbox, power steering, an array of instrumentation and a myriad of other helpful modern augmentations.
The same is true for a screen reader.
A blind user's focus is only ever in one place at a time; on a single character in a document, on a given item in a menu, on a certain link or image in a web page. We can’t take in the screen as a whole or ‘glance’ around without some help.
That myopic view of the screen means that a lot more smarts need to be applied to speed up the process.
Layers of sophistication within screen readers
All screen readers have keystrokes to help read that focus (a button or link) button, others to speak a line of text, or the title of the app you’re using and so on.
However, it would help if you had several sophistication levels above that to really be efficient – especially in the workplace.
You’ll want a broader range of hotkeys to quickly glance’ at key points on your screen without tabbing multiple times to get your focus there and back, smart regions on the screen that monitor changes and report notifications (“This document has been opened in ‘Protected view’ – click here to enable editing,”).
You’ll also appreciate its ability to analyse a web page and give you the option of handy lists for links, headings and form controls, etc.
In fact, driving a computer using a screen reader often feels more like piloting a plane than tootling along in an automobile.
Screen Readers, adapting to change
Along the way were other challenges.
Operating systems kept updating. Simple websites became more and more like applications in their own right.
New devices like mobile phones needed attention too.
The pace of such changes has only increased over the years.
Thus creating and continually updating a powerful screen reader takes significant resource and budget – and hence the high price tag of high-quality screen readers like Jaws.
It’s worth every penny if you can afford it – but many can’t, so thank goodness for the dedicated community behind free solutions such as NVDA which is well and truly nipping at its fins.
Narrator secures its place in screen reader history
So where was Narrator during this long period of challenges and achievements?
Narrator was once disparagingly referred to in the blind community as the screen reader that you used to download and install the ‘proper’ screen reader.
Yet, Microsoft has become a tour de force in delivering accessibility.
It displayed unfailing cooperation in creating a solid off-screen model for other screen reader developers, and commitment in ensuring all its apps provide OSM-friendly information.
I know for a fact that I owe both my education and my career to Microsoft. Isn’t it amazing that the default operating system and a core suite of business apps in almost every workplace worldwide are accessible? Truly.
In the last two years, the narrator has transformed into a viable competitor in the screen reader arena.
No longer is it a tool whose primary use is to open the lid on a bigger, better version of itself.
It now has much of the features that the likes of Jaws and NVDA offer - including many of those valuable hotkeys to do much of the heavy lifting of screen review and far more intelligent handling of more complex applications (like Microsoft’s own Ofice suite).
For blind users who have for so long been unable to imagine a built-in screen reader for Windows that compared favourably to its counterpart on the Mac, now discovering that it’s undergone a major maturing process in a few short months is a delight indeed.
Options are amazing.
When disability so often reduces them to a handful or even none, we now have a powerful option that requires no financial outlay, no downloads (simply press Ctrl+Win+Enter – give it a go yourself) and reliable access to Windows and all our most-used applications.
Conversely, social purpose was the driving force behind
The app 
“Everybody deserves the right to express themselves. That is a human right. I believe so,” said Mallon. "A lot of the time, we [disabled people] have been othered. As long as they have just their basic needs, they’re fine. But that’s not true, and that’s not true for anybody.”
1. Use personal stories
Personal stories can influence and inspire, said Mallon. “What is so great being at Wunderman Thompson is we're good storytellers. Great stories around accessibility and inclusive design get people excited.
CERN would later publish Berners-Lee’s source code for free. Without that there would have been no ‘world-wide’ internet and the risk of competing systems vying for popularity and profit.
The early networked computers mainly used text to communicate. 
The text-based internet was a good marriage for the hefty text-only laptop I was lugging around, as a blind student at University.
Tim Berners-Lee publishes the first photo on the web in 1992 – a picture of pop parody group Les Horribles Cernettes.
AbilityNet volunteers have given tech help as part of a digital support initiative for BAME households in Basildon, Essex to help learning from home during Covid-19. 
AbilityNet supports older and disabled people to adjust their technology to meet their needs. You can call our free Helpline or request help from an AbilityNet volunteer. 
There are things you can do with your existing peripherals (such as a keyboard and mouse) to reduce the amount that you type. One suggestion is to
There's been an explosion in the number of people working from home as a result of Covid-19 and experts say a blended approach to working is likely to be here to stay.
You may find that investing in a sit/stand desk can help to reduce the strain that comes from sitting at a desk all day. One option is to invest in a sit/stand desk but this is a pricey route. Others offer a solution that sits on top of your existing desk and allows you to lower a laptop up and down.
Isobel, 31, from Alness, has a learning difficulty and lives with her dog (Ollie, pictured) but was feeling very isolated.
Internet banking enables customers to the bank where, when and how they want. 
Being able to manage your finances independently is essential. 
Robin Christopherson, AbilityNet's Head of Digital Inclusion celebrates Narrator screen reader's coming of age
The ability to report what’s on a screen for those who can't see ( 'screen reading software or a 'screen reader') came along a little while later.
The advent of the Graphical User Interface (GUI, or goo-ey) caused uncertainty and anxiety for blind users when it arrived in the late 80s and early 90s.
We needed innovation to ensure visually-impaired users were included in the new age of graphical computing. 
Creating an effective screen reader is more complicated than you might think. 
All screen readers have keystrokes to help read that focus (a button or link) button, others to speak a line of text, or the title of the app you’re using and so on.