At AbilityNet we are committed to providing information and support to higher education (HE) institutions and public sector organisations that are impacted by UK digital accessibility regulations. On a recent webinar Abi James of AbilityNet was joined by Richard Walker of the University of York who shared how his institution is meeting the new legislation head-on.

Plenty of questions came through from attendees on the live webinar, these in addition to those posed during the HE and Public Sector Regulations session held at TechShare Pro 2019 last month - the UK's leading accessibility and inclusive design conference. We did our best to answer as many questions as possible on the live webinar, and there are further typed responses included below.

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Did you miss the webinar?

Access the recording below, and download the webinar transcript and slidedeck from our website.

Your questions answered

Q: Where should the accessibility statement sit? How do we make sure users can find it?

A: Richard explains at the University of York they have placed their VLE (virtual learning environment) statement on an accessibility tab which is available pre-authentication, and this acts as an aggregate statement with links to accessibility guidance/statements for all related systems that students will be using. The plan is to have this also link up to their top-level institutional statement when that’s available.

Q: Do you think it's vital that third parties using University of York content, such as FutureLearn for example, where you run MOOCs (massive open online courses), strictly meet the public sector regulations? Or do they fall outside your immediate obligations or concerns?

A: "Absolutely yes - it’s a joint responsibility," says Richard. FutureLearn follow a rigorous QA process. "Most of the issues they flag on final review of MOOC materials pre-launch relate to accessibility and they pick up on very minor lapses or omissions, so it's something we know from experience that they take very seriously - not surprising given the variety of devices and countries learners engage from. FutureLearn are very particular with regard to full alt tag descriptions, as an example full explanations of graphs and charts are required, and transcripts for every video are mandatory, even third-party ones that we link to and don't host ourselves - where they insist we create our own transcripts and add to the course site."

Q: Do any HE institutions have a process for quality checking the accessibility of the content academics are providing? Whose responsibility is it?

A: Sharing how this works at the University of York, Richard explains that for fully online programmes they (the central elearning team and their commercial partner) do this. For blended courses it’s the academic’s responsibility, but they provide assistance (through Ally; internal support; guidance and review criteria support, etc).

Q: How can, or should, widening access outreach teams help to prepare students for a successful transition to higher education, particularly when considering active engagement on a digital platform?

A: The transitional skills sessions the University of York runs for schools engaged with Widening Participation and Student Recruitment projects don't cover digital skills - "perhaps this is something we can look into at some point," Richard comments. For confirmed, unconditional students making the transition to HE, they currently provide dedicated access to ’Preparing to Study’ transition sites (based on the student's department/discipline) prior to arrival at York. For fully online programmes, the student is encouraged to complete study skills modules before they begin their programme.

Q: We've heard about carrot and stick (referring to the offer of reward vs. the threat of punishment). I'm more in favour of using the carrot. However if the law isn't enforced do you feel that websites will become accessible?

A: "This is all about culture change through education and awareness," says Richard. "It will take time - and should be part of a general digital capabilities upskilling effort." Richard acknowledges the matter is complex and impacts on so many areas including staff recruitment, training, procurement, quality assurance, etc. 

Further resources

In anticipation of appearing on our webinar, Richard shared six steps to help you think about an approach to meeting accessibility regulations which you could adapt for your institution.

• Watch the recording of our September HE/Public Sector regulations webinar
• Need help identifying your accessibility issues? See our HE and Public Sector services
• 10 steps to comply with new accessibility regulations
• Listen to the TechShare Procast which includes interviews with the HE and Public Sector

TechShare Pro is the UK's leading accessibility and inclusive design conference, and this year's event was over two days, giving even more opportunities for connecting, sharing and learning.

Detailed below are 6 things we learned about accessibility at TechShare Pro 2019. Join our mailing list to be kept up-to-date with more of the latest news from TechShare Pro 2019. 

1. How to motivate 145,000 ‘nerds’ to care about accessibility

How does Microsoft’s Chief Accessibility Officer encourage the company’s staff to care about accessibility? “When I’ve got 145,000 nerds to motivate here at Microsoft, there’s no bigger motivator than innovation,” Jenny Lay-Flurrie told the Accessibility Leadership session at TechSharePro 2019 last week.

“We’re all a little bit magpie-ish. For non-Brits, that means we like bright, shiny objects. Whether that’s what we build ourselves, like Seeing AI or the Xbox Adaptive Controller or (innovations with partners). As an example of such innovation, she quickly added: "In fact, an exciting thing is that we’re announcing today some new hardware through an amazing partner Logitech (find the Logitech story here).

“They have actually built some gorgeous boxes of switches and all manner of brilliant stuff that’s going to empower folks using the adaptive controller (i.e. gamers with physical disabilities) to figure out how best to make that work for them."

Addressing the audience at Google's London headquarters in St Pancras via video presentation, she said: "How can you innovate and take the bar higher every single time? And that’s really the goal."

The captioned livestream of this session is below:

2. Accessibility leaders were wannabe historians, vets and racing car drivers

Many of the expert accessibility leaders at TechSharePro, the likes of Apple, Google and Barclays, never dreamed of working in accessibility. 

Christopher Patnoe, Head of Accessibility Programmes at Google, told delegates in the leadership session at TechShare Pro that he ended up in his role because he ‘screwed up’. “You learn by your mistakes; I got ‘button-holed’,” he says. “I was the lead TPM (Technical Programme Manager) on Google Play Music at the time before Google had made a commitment towards accessibility.

“One of our test engineers came into our meeting and she turned on VoiceOver and I heard ‘button, button, button, button’ (this is faulty labelling of page elements which means blind website users will be unable to use/understand/enjoy a web page or parts of it). I said, ‘What’s that?’ and she replied ‘This is Play music (the Google music app) for someone who’s blind’. I said ‘Well that’s stupid. How do they use it?’ to which she responded ‘That’s why I’m here’. That really affected me, I’d been in the industry for almost 20 years at the time… and I’d never heard the word accessibility.” 

This started Patnoe’s journey into becoming an accessibility specialist. For Sarah Herrlinger, Director of Global Accessibility at Apple, the interest came alive when she worked with children with special educational needs while in Apple’s education division. “I started going to schools and talking to teachers and kids and quickly realised that it was the most important work I was going to do. This led to going back to product marketing to be Product Manager for everything we make, and from there going into the role I’m in right now, which is more about holistic accessibility across everything Apple does." 

Did they ever think they’d end up working in accessibility? No. “I wanted to be a historian, and then a singer,” says Patnoe. Herrlinger says she always wanted to do a job which helped people. “I wanted to be a vet or something like that.”

For Paul Smyth, Head of Digital Accessibility at Barclays, a racing car driver was top of the list before he became an Accountant. As someone who is visually impaired, he started noticing ways that business could change to become more accessible to himself and others and kept progressing to his current role.  

3. We’re on the cusp of an era of ‘universal design’

In Norway, where businesses can be fined up to 15,000 euros a day for not meeting accessibility requirements, accessibility is not referred to as accessibility. Instead, it's referred to as ‘universal design’, Malin Rygg, head of authority for universal design of ICT in Norway - Difi, told delegates at TechSharePro 2019.

We at AbilityNet often talk about accessibility as simply designing better tech and digital service for everyone. Now, a European Standard has been launched with such design in mind and the concept is gaining pace. The Standard is officially titled EN 17161:2019 ‘Design for All - Accessibility following a Design for All approach in products, goods and services - Extending the range of users’.

“It’s like a management ISO, said Alejandro Moledo, policy coordinator at the European Disability Forum speaking at the conference. There are requirements for entities which are public or private to ensure they have a design for all approach. It states that they need to have leadership, staff training on accessibility and knowledge of different accessible requirements with the aim of addressing all users.”

Speaking on the first day of the two day conference in the session - Carrots v Sticks: A Global Perspective, Moledo also said that the upcoming European Accessibility Directive should encourage a universal design approach among businesses. He said the threat of losing business for those that didn’t practice universal design was huge. “We are talking about a market of 500 million people. If you don’t live up (to being accessible), the market authorities will be able to stop you selling your product.”

The captioned livestream of this session is below:

4. A wave of Freedom of Information requests is testing Public sector bodies and universities on accessibility

By September 2020, UK public sector websites are expected to comply with legal accessibility requirements (some are already required to do so). In the HE and public sector session at TechsharePro, we learned from George Rhodes, accessibility consultant at the home office, that the sector is already being questioned about its commitment to inclusive digital design for disabled people.  

Rhodes said: “I’ve already seen an increase in the number of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests emerging. I’ve been keeping an eye on the FOIs coming out and there’ve been many. Public sector bodies have started receiving questions about how they are moving towards becoming accessible,” he said. Anyone is entitled to submit a FOI request to a public sector body.

Find a captioned video of this session below:

5. Tech giants are gamifying accessibility for staff with challenges and rewards

First of all, don’t ask managers to nominate staff for your Accessibility Champions Network, advised Emanuela Gorla of Barclays in the session on Accessibility Champions at TechShare Pro '19. That doesn’t work. “People need to have a personal interest,” she said.  

Google’s solution has been to turn accessibility practice into something staff can eventually earn an equivalent version of martial arts style ‘black belts’ for. They go through a series of five belts, ie levels of progression on accessibility. This does seem to work, said Chris Patnoe, head of accessibility programmes for the company. He also advocated lots of praise, recognition and freebies. 

The companies speaking in this session run internal Accessibility Champions Networks which often consist of hundreds of staff.

Michael Vermeersch, chair of the Accessibility Employee Resource Group at Microsoft, announced that the tech company would be launching something similar to Google. He said there would be accessibility badges for staff with four basic levels to work through and the potential for more. Level one will be knowing basic methods of presenting and communicating in an inclusive way, level two is practical action around accessibility and encouraging others, three is knowing how to do accessibility within the job role and four is for those working fully in accessibility roles. 

Read our piece on the Accessibility Champions Network at the BBC to find out how such a network can operate.

Find the captioned livestream video of this session below:

6. What big companies think about AI, accessibility and ethics

To what extent are the big data sets which are being collected for AI and Machine Learning potentially invasive in disabled people’s lives? And to what extent are they helpful? Should there be more regulation around what companies do with such information? These were some of the many questions being pondered in a deep and varied discussion on Ethics, Machine Learning and Disabilities, at TechShare Pro 2019. 

One audience member asked whether machines should attempt to identify disabled people who are using assistive technology? Christopher Patnoe, head of accessibility programmes at Google said he could “See both sides” of the potential arguments for and against this.  

He explained: “If we were able to determine if someone had a need for assistive technology and one they don’t know about … it would be really helpful for us to disclose in real time - did you know that you could have a magnifier in your operating system? But we don’t want people to be sort of tracked and identified and create a situation where we’re targeting you because of a disability. So being able to understand what someone needs and doing that in a private way to allow them to learn more about the technology (could be a good thing). It gives an opportunity to have a better experience to use the technology that is useful. But you don’t want them to have a browser tag saying this is a person using a screenreader (ie categorising the person as disabled),” he suggested. 

The captioned livestream video of this session is below:

Further reading

Visit the TechShare Pro 2019 section of our website

Caroline Casey does not believe in à la carte inclusion - speaking at TechShare Pro 2019

Businesses are missing out on the purple pound, says Scope at TechShare Pro 2019

5 Inspiring Tweets from TechShare Pro 2019

This article is informed by Scope's session at TechShare Pro 2019 where it unveiled its Big Hack project to understand the role of Inclusive Design to meet the needs of disabled people.

Seventy-five per cent of disabled people think businesses are losing out due to poor inclusive design, according to research by Scope unveiled at TechShare Pro 2019. With 11 million of the 27 million households in the UK, or 40% of them, including at least one disabled member business is missing out on a potential £2.74bn.

“Disabled people in the UK, particularly those with mild to moderate disabilities, comprise a greater proportion of the population than ever before,” says Scope.

Under the umbrella of The Big Hack Scope’s research is part of a campaign to engage the tech community, and to bust through the barriers disabled people face.

Researchers surveyed almost 300 disabled people to find out how they spend their cash; and where they’re unable to spend it, why, and to establish the role of Inclusive Design.

• 1 in 5 people in the UK are disabled
• 13.3 million disabled people in the UK
• 40% of households have at least one disabled person
• 11 million households
• £274bn, the value of the ‘purple pound’

“This is a big moment, and businesses are asking themselves the questions why, when and how do we tackle this promising market,” said Craig Moss, Research Manager for Scope. “Business leaders and designers increasingly recognize that their customers occupy a common spectrum of abilities and aptitudes across various areas rather than existing in two separate camps.”

How do disabled people spend their purple pound?

The research shows that, on average, disabled households are overspending (as a proportion of income) on personal transport (+33%), and personal care products and services (+23%).

An overspend on personal transport is matched by an underspend on public transport. The Big Hack research found that on average disabled people spend 31% less on public transports, and experience significant problems when travelling.

One respondent commented “my worst experiences with accessibility have been with public transport, which is the most important thing to someone with a disability. I would be happiest to spend more money on it if it were more accessible.”

Scope found on average 22% of disabled people wanted to spend more on public transport but were unable to do so because of accessibility issues.

Bad design is bad for business

A key focus of the Big Hack is to “understand Inclusive Design’s role,” in enabling or stopping, disabled people from spending their money.

Scope found that 75% of survey respondents felt business was losing out due to poor inclusive design.

What’s more, when faced with problems using a website or app, or an in-store device such as a self-checkout machine 50% of respondents didn’t complete the purchase; while 48% found an alternative place to buy – taking their business elsewhere.

“Inclusive design should be a priority for businesses of all sizes,” said Moss. “In a society where our differences are increasingly recognised and celebrated - and not to mention a society that is getting older - it is vital from both an economic and an ethical perspective that marketers respond to the changing design priorities that come with this."

The onus is on designers of products and customer journeys to include disabled people in their business strategies, and that doing so will create a better product for everyone.

“This shift in emphasis has put onus on designers of products [to include] disabled people in their business strategies at the earliest possible point in the design process. It has also led to a greater sense of identification for disabled people, and a breakdown in boundaries between disabled and non-disabled consumers,” said Moss. 

“Business leaders and designers increasingly recognize that their customers occupy a common spectrum of abilities and aptitudes across various areas rather than existing in two separate camps,” he added.

Put simply, Inclusive Design is good for business. “The business case is rooted in both economics, and in ethics. Users with a range of impairments will constitute a greater proportion of the market and various products and services,” said Moss.

Moss added: “Companies have a duty to respond to a changing world. They must prevent their customers from facing indirect discrimination through markets that isolate and exclude them. In fact, markets can play a significant role in the cost of living to a disabled person and that household, creating unnecessary extra costs and limitation on spending.”

Underspends among disabled people

Poor design means disabled people are underspending in key areas including education, and recreation. The survey found that households with disabled people spend, on average, 65% less on education and as a proportion of income. However, 33% said they’d like to spend more on education but are prevented from doing so because of accessibility issues.

Disabled people are also spending less (-25%) on entertainment and again would like to spend more.

How can Business embrace Inclusive Design?

Scope’s Big Hack resources offer guidance for business including 7 principles for inclusive design.

AbilityNet Accessibility services: AbilityNet offers a range of accessibility services, for support speak to our experts.

Top spending categories for disabled households

1. Food and drink

2. Personal transport

3. Recreation and culture

4. Finance and insurance

5. Clothing and Footwear

6. Entertainment

7. Personal care products/services

8. Public transport and taxis

9. Home and garden

10. Energy

Update 2023: Data about The Purple Pound

The Purple Goat specialist disability marketing agency has created a useful infographic to outline the latest data (2023) about disabled people and business interactions.

The infographic shows the following statistics: 

• 1-5: 22% or 1-5 of the UK are disabled
• 2 Billion: Businesses lose approximately £2 billion a month by ignoring the needs of disabled people. 
• 13 trillion: Families of disabled people in the UK spend an estimated £274 billion a year. Globally they spend $13 trillion.
• 16 billion: taking average per head, the online spending power of disabled people is estimated at over £16 billion.
• 73% - 73% of potential disabled customers experience barriers on more than a quarter of the websites they visited. 
• 75% - 75% of disabled people and their families have walked away from a UK business because of poor accessibility or customer service. 
• 3% - Only 3% of the internet is accessible to people with disabilities. 

Research has shown that various sectors lose money each month by not being accessible: 

• High street shops - £267 million
• Restaurants/Pubs/Clubs - £163 million
• Supermarkets - £501 million
• Energy companies - £44 million
• Phone/Internet providers - £49 million
• Transport providers - £42 million
• Banks or building societies - £935 million

About TechShare Pro

Now in its third year, TechShare Pro 2019 is hosted by Google and supported by some of the biggest technology names on the planet. The conference offers two days to connect, learn and share with people from all over the world who are building a more accessible and inclusive digital world.

Panelists and workshop hosts include Apple, Google, the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, Barclays, RNIB, Uber, Disability Rights Advocate (USA), Disability Rights UK, European Disability Forum, Aira, BBC, Sony, Scope, Fraunhofer, Verizon Media, Amazon, Netflix and Channel 4.

Subscribe to The TechShare Procast - your audio guide to the conference, including highlights and interviews with some of the speakers at the event.

Request the livestream from TechShare Pro 2019 to watch the main conference sessions online.

Join our mailing list to be kept up-to-date with the latest disability and technology news, plus more from TechShare Pro 2019 post-event.

TechShare Pro 2019 brought together some of the most inspiring leaders in the accessibility field. Networking was a key element of the event. Here are some Tweets from the conference floor.

Community is a key element of TechShare Pro. The event brings together key leaders in the field of accessibility.

This year's event held at Google's St Pancras offices convened speakers from tech giants Apple, Lenovo, Microsoft and of course hosts Google; charities including RNIB and Scope, and media giant Verizon Media as well as Barclays, and many more.

Twitter was ablaze with people talking about TechShare Pro 2019, and we're delighted so many joined our conversation.

In total there were 892 Tweets across the conference, which included 634 retweets, from 285 contributors. That means we've reached 1,713,394 people we can infuence to create a digital world that's accesible to all, which is AbilityNet's vision.

The 285 contributors included Lenovo (@Lenovo), Scope (@Scope) and accessibility strategist Eduardo Meza-Etienne (@edaccessible).

Check out more accessibility leaders to follow and continue the conversation beyond TechShare Pro.

Top Tweets from TechShare Pro

1. Groovy tech: praise for Digit Music

Digit Music performed at TechShare Pro's first Gala dinner. Digit Music works with young disabled people to enable them to compose and perform music using the innovative interface Control One. Digit Music was winner of this year's Tech4Good Awards. 

“Really groovy tech to help disabled people become popstars” - AbilityNet’s Robin Christopherson @USA2DAY describes @MusicDigit’s adaptive controller for composing music, performed this eve for the lucky #TechSharePro2019 audience. Isn't it brilliant? pic.twitter.com/3u6NYACTXz

— AbilityNet (@AbilityNet) 20 November 2019

2. Haben Girma: we are talented

A key trend of 2019's TechShare Pro was that of Inclusive Design. Speakers including Haben Girma, Lenovo's first Accessibility and Inclusion Advisor, spoke about the need for more companies to hire disabled people, and their talent for innovation. 

How can organisations become more accessible? "Start by hiring more disabled people. We're talented!" says @Lenovo's @HabenGirma "the deafblind woman who conquered #Harvard Law". She's chatting here at #TechSharePro2019 with @PaulJ_Walsh. Join us!https://t.co/VngUL0Gp6d pic.twitter.com/IqOE9lEjfw

— AbilityNet (@AbilityNet) November 20, 2019

3. TechShare Pro: next generation accessibility

Siblings Arnav and Mihika Sharma are inspiring accessibility entrepreneurs.

They are former Tech4Good winners and closed the conference speaking about their accessible tech. 

And more amazing tech ideas from the young #TechForGood winners! Apps to support Asthma and Dementia, and smart sticks for blind people.
#TechSharePro pic.twitter.com/LOiNYmFn8V

— Emma Pratt Richens (@EmmaJ_PR) November 21, 2019

4. Inclusive design: just design for all

Norway's Malin Rygg captured a key theme of TechShare Pro 2019, namely that inclusive design is simply good design for everyone. 

“In Norway we don’t call it accessibility, we call it universal design.” @malinrygg Malin Rygg, Head of Authority for Universal Design of ICT in Norway #TechSharePro2019 #ICT #A11y #accessibility pic.twitter.com/jvGI5UAvlX

— Margaux @ #TechSharePro2019 London (@MargauxJoffe) November 20, 2019

5. Caroline Casey: Infectious energy

Passion that lit up the room from Caroline Casey of the Valuable 500, talking about the power of tech to remove barriers. 

#TechSharePro2019 this is REAL! Caroline Casey your passion is infectious.. “it’s about everyone feeling welcome and technology being an equaliser” and love that you quoted Maya Angelou!

— Sonali D'Souza (@sonalidsouza) November 20, 2019

About TechShare Pro

Now in its third year, TechShare Pro 2019 is hosted by Google and supported by some of the biggest technology names on the planet. The conference offers two days to connect, learn and share with people from all over the world who are building a more accessible and inclusive digital world.

Panelists and workshop hosts include Apple, Google, the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, Barclays, RNIB, Uber, Disability Rights Advocate (USA), Disability Rights UK, European Disability Forum, Aira, BBC, Sony, Scope, Fraunhofer, Verizon Media, Amazon, Netflix and Channel 4.

• Subscribe to The TechShare Procast - your audio guide to the conference, including highlights and interviews with some of the speakers at the event.
• Request the livestream from TechShare Pro 2019 to watch the main conference sessions online.
• Join our mailing list to be kept up-to-date with the latest disability and technology news, plus more from TechShare Pro 2019 post-event.

Opening TechShare Pro 2019, The Valuable 500's Caroline Casey said we need to move beyond token gestures on inclusion. 

"I do not believe in à la carte inclusion' she said, 'I fundamentally believe in a world where we are all unique and valuable." Caroline is leading The Valuable 500 campaign and started by playing the DIVERSish video - below - which dramatises the astonishing statistic that 90% of companies prioritise diversity, but only 4% prioritise disability.

Caroline implored leaders to take action and join her movement, "I don’t want anymore for disability to be on the sideline… particularly when there’s a solution." The campaign asks business leaders to make the choice to put disability on the business leadership agenda - we need their heads and their hearts. Caroline ended her talk with the message, "Let's get those leaders on board now."

'We need to move beyond Diverse-ish'

We were delighted to hear from Caroline Casey as a keynote speaker at TechShare Pro 2019 - the UK's leading accessibility and inclusive design event. 

On The Valuable 500 website the adjective 'diversish' receives a dictionary description: 

'Selectively inclusive of some types of people within a company, group or business, depending on which type suits the company best.' 

The video generates emotions from sadness to anger and ends with a stark message: 'If disability is not on your agenda, neither is diversity.' The message from Caroline at TechShare Pro was clear, "Let's use all of our intelligence, all of our hearts, and let's collaborate to break the glass ceiling."

Speaking on stage at TechShare Pro Caroline said, "I do not believe in à la carte inclusion… I fundamentally believe in a world where we are all unique and valuable."

Caroline implored leaders to take action and join her movement, "I don’t want anymore for disability to be on the sideline… particularly when there’s a solution." With great passion Caroline asked business leaders to make the choice to put disability on the business leadership agenda - we need their heads and their hearts. Caroline ended her talk with the message, "Let's get those leaders."

The Valuable 500 initiative

The goal of The Valuable 500 global movement is to put disability on the business leadership agenda of 500 national and multinational, private sector corportations - and in that way to be the tipping-point to unlock the business, social and economic value of people living with disabilities across the world. At the time of writing this there are 320 sign-ups in progress and 65 days remaining.

Strategic partners of the initiative include the OmnicomGroup, Virgin Media, and One Young World. Those who sign up are committing to table disability performance on their board agenda, make one commitment to action and share the action within their organisation. 

Find out more about signing up to join The Valuable 500 movement

About TechShare Pro

Now in its third year, TechShare Pro 2019 is hosted by Google and supported by some of the biggest technology names on the planet. The conference offers two days to connect, learn and share with people from all over the world who are building a more accessible and inclusive digital world.

Panelists and workshop hosts include Apple, Google, the International Association of Accessibility Professionals, Barclays, RNIB, Uber, Disability Rights Advocate (USA), Disability Rights UK, European Disability Forum, Aira, BBC, Sony, Scope, Fraunhofer, Verizon Media, Amazon, Netflix and Channel 4.

Learn more

• Subscribe to The TechShare Procast - your audio guide to the conference, including highlights and interviews with some of the speakers at the event.
• Request the livestream from TechShare Pro 2019 to watch the main conference sessions online.
• Join our mailing list to be kept up-to-date with the latest disability and technology news, plus more from TechShare Pro 2019 post-event.

Guest blog by John Paton, Innovations and Technology Officer at RNIB

The use of immersive sound technology has revolutionised the cinema experience making films feel more real than ever before. Immersive sound brings audio to life with a soundtrack that surrounds and envelops the user for better realism and a more powerful entertainment experience. Dolby Atmos is just one form of NGA (Next Generation Audio) doing this, and the possibilities extend far beyond better sound at the cinema.

From channels to objects

The channel-based audio we are all familiar with (mono, stereo, 5.1 sound, etc) divides the sound between the speakers, as long as you have the right number of speakers for the channels. 

Object based audio, such as Dolby Atmos, separates the various sounds you should be hearing into chunks, called objects, and says when and where you should hear them. If you hear a car horn in the street-scene of a movie, object based audio delivers the sound of a car horn, the 3D coordinates where and when it should be heard and your sound system delivers it using the speaker system - so you hear the car horn in the right time and place.

Object based audio can even be used to create a 3D effect using headphones. When a sound comes into your ears the crinkles of your outer ears create “echoes” and “fades” to work out the direction the sound is coming from. These echoes and fades can be synthesised in software to deliver a 3D sound through your headphones. 

This creates some interesting questions. If you could place the audio description anywhere around the user where do you put it? Should it come from the direction of the action it’s describing, almost as if a friend is describing the program or should it appear to come from everywhere at once, like a narrator outside the story. 

Personalised audio

Object Based Audio can increase the choice for the user too.  Labels called metadata are added to chunks of audio allowing sounds to be treated more individually. This means you can decide which ones to hear. So instead of sending two full soundtracks for a program; one version with and one without audio description, you can simply just send one stream and decide whether to play the objects with audio description or not. For people who struggle to hear dialogue amid sound effects and background music, the speech volume could also be boosted separately and everything else faded. This is often referred to as ‘clear speech’.

The possibilities extend beyond improving accessibility too, such as alternative languages could be delivered together or even home or away team commentary on football matches. The user can then just choose which to listen to. It could even turn any music video into a karaoke opportunity by letting you mute the singer or any of the instruments.

Simply better sound

Improved surround sound could bring benefits to blind and partially sighted people just on the virtue of sounding better. Television technology has been getting bigger screens, sharper pictures, blacker blacks and more colourful colours but often users are stuck with just standard stereo sound. By upgrading the listening experience blind and partially sighted people can share in the technology revolution happening. By using well placed audio cues there may even be a reduced need for audio description. TV drama could be more like radio plays that just happen to have video accompanying them. 

What’s next?

From personalised audio, clear speech and better integrated audio description to just better sounding audio it’s clear that next generation audio will make a huge difference. The technology is still developing and  so it will take a while for this to find its way into TVs. In the meantime, RNIB is exploring the different ways next generation audio could help blind and partially sighted people through projects such as ImAc. When broadcasters are ready to take advantage of next generation audio we’ll be there to advise them on behalf of our members.
 

RNIB at TechShare Pro

Don't miss the Audio Description and Video On Demand session at TechShare Pro, chaired by RNIB's Sonali Rai on Thursday 21st November at 12.45PM on our Day 2 Live Stream.

Technology has the power to transform lives, which is why charities are embracing tech. AbilityNet spoke at the Charity Technology Conference 2019. 

AbilityNet's Adi Latif closed CivilSociety’s Charity Technology Conference 2019 in early November, a CPD-accredited conference with speakers and delegates from leading charities including Cancer Research UK (CRUK), Parkinson’s UK and the RSPB as well as AbilityNet.

Here are five things we learned while we were there including what to expect from tech in 2020, how the RSPB is using the power of birdsong to promote its cause, why accessibility is critical for charities, How CRUK learned lessons from failure and how the RNIB is embracing partnerships to promote accessible design. 

1. Virtual wives, 3d printing, and getting the basics right

The opening keynote saw Julie Dodd, director of digital transformation and communications, at Parkinson’s UK, looking at emerging trends for 2020. For Dodd, it’s less about technology and “more about society”. In Japan, as she showed us, lonely young men are turning to a holographic wife who answers to Alexa for company. 

Closer to home, Leeds City Council has launched Careview a mobile app that can be installed on the phones of frontline council workers. 

Council workers simply tap the app if they see signs of loneliness when they’re out in the community such as closed curtains or the build-up of rubbish. The app builds a map of where loneliness seems more prevalent enabling the council to target social isolation. 

Others says Dodd, are exploring the role of 3D printing. For example, Open Bionics, which is using 3D printers to make prosthetics at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods. “An adult leg costs around £30,000 [but] these things can be printed for 30-40 quid,” said Dodd.

The Bristol-based company has also teamed up with Disney so children can have hero arms.

Elsewhere, companies are using 3D printers to create homes for refugees. 

Dodd also mentioned the role of technology in enabling people to live at home for longer. Howz, for example, is working with EDF energy to distribute its home care kit.

The kit builds a pattern of how people interact in their homes; have they turned the kettle on, have they left the house? Is there anything different? 

It can raise an alert in the event of unusual activity. “It’s creating a care network without it being overwhelming, and can even look at energy and water use,” said Dodd. 

While the potential is exciting, Dodd warned about not overlooking basics such as getting the infrastructure right, which means “exploring the data mess [and] the plumbing not keeping up with the ambition.”

2. The power of Birdsong

The RSPB shared details of an innovative campaign to raise awareness of the environmental pressures facing birds, and other wildlife in the UK. 

The organisation made it its mission to get a single into the UK charts compiled only of birdsong. The resulting single Let Nature Sing was recorded with the help of a parabolic microphone. The RSPB spent three years recording birdsong from across the UK and then worked with artists to turn it into a single. 

The charity also recreated famous album covers featuring birds.

It made the single available on a variety of tech platforms as well as creating a CD. It came to the attention of Radio 1 DJ Nick Grimshaw who encouraged Diplo to ‘put a donk on it’.

Let Nature Sing charted at number 18 in the UK charts. 

3. Bringing accessibility to the fore

Accessibility was a hot topic throughout the day. 

The highlight was Accessibility and Usability Consultant Adi Latif’s closing plenary where he shared his personal journey and explained how bad design disables.

Adi spoke with trademark humour and passion and gave a number of demonstrations including using VoiceOver to use his mobile phone.

Yvonne Anderson, director, Mind Of My Own (winner of Tech4Good award 2018) credited AbilityNet with teaching her about the importance of accessibility. "Just as we have privacy by design so we should do this with accessibility. We should consider it [as if] we all have accessibility issues [and] build accessibility by design,” she said. 

4. Learning lessons from failure: a case of Ben and the beanstalk

Ben Holt co-founded Beanstalk Ventures, a social impact innovation programme with backing from CRUK. Its aim was to “be disruptive” and to innovate faster to bridge “the gap between doing good, and being good at doing good.”

“We figured we could be quicker,” he said, explaining that the aim was to take a year setting up and within 5 years to be self-sustainable. In reality, Beanstalk lasted only a year. 

“We were running lo-Fi prototypes, and wanted to do it without asking permission.”

Beanstalk wanted to “play a convening role” and bring people together.

While the project arguably ‘failed’ he learned from it, and built valuable connections. “I have benefitted, and CRUK has benefitted, and I have connected with people I wouldn’t have otherwise,” he added. 

Another learning was not to go too fast for others within the organisation. “Every six weeks we went in talking [to CRUK] about something different, and it was overwhelming,” he said. 

Ultimately, he says it was the right thing for CRUK to kill it quickly’ “It [CRUK] had a choice, go all in or kill it, and they went for killing it; couldn’t absorb level of disruption. It was the right thing to do.” 

5. RNIB: building inclusivity through partnerships

The RNIB's Robin Spinks talked about how the charity has been working in partnership with technology companies and users. The charity recently attended a meeting with Google in the US. Google's keen to embrace inclusive design; so much so it has invesnted a new word 'includivating'. It is also working with a British company to ensure airport terminals are accessible, as this isn't mandated by UK law.

Read an interview with RNIB's Chair Eleanor Southwood, who is speaking at AbilityNet's TechShare Pro

It's also talking to Lego to create special bricks with braille.

The concept behind the LEGO Braille Bricks began in 2011, and the first p[rototypes are now being tested. The final LEGO Braille Bricks kit is expected to launch in 2020 and will contain approximately 250 bricks covering the alphabet, numbers 0-9, select maths symbols and inspiration for teaching and interactive games. 

The studs on the bricks represent the dots in braille and will also be fully compatible with other types of LEGO bricks. They will also have the letters and numbers printed on them so they're inclusive to sighted teachers, students and family members. 

Discover the world's first braille e-book reader, a former Tech4Good Winner

Elsewhere, a German manufacturer is working on delivering a washing machine that's accessible to blind people, while Amazon is working on a smart oven where you scan a barcode and it sets the oven for you. Speaking of Amazon, Spinks shared an anecdote about how the voice for Alexa was originally found by the RNIB. The RNIB was trying to find the best voice for text to speech and found a company in Poland and told amazon about it; amazon then acquired the company.

Amazon later invited RNIB to its HQ and unveiled the amazon Echo which happens to have that voice they had found.

How AbilityNet can help 

AbilityNet has a range of products and services that can help you make tech more accessible including consultancy, design reviews, auditing and user testing. 

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people.

Call our free Helpline. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution. We’re open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm on 0800 269 545.

Arrange a home visit. We have a network of AbilityNet ITCanHelp volunteers who can help if you have technical issues with your computer systems. They can come to your home, or help you over the phone.

We have a range of factsheets which talk in detail about technology that might help you, which can be downloaded for free. You may find our factsheets talking about voice recognition and keyboard alternatives useful.

My Computer My Way. A free interactive guide to all the accessibility features built into current desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.

AbilityNet took our stand to the MS Trust's annual conference as part of our campaign to raise awareness of how we can help people living with the neurological condition. Here are five things we discovered while we were there. 

The MS Trust conference (3-5 November 2019) brought together healthcare professionals including Occupational Therapists (OTs), physiotherapists and MS Trust Nurses. Over 300 people pre-registered to attend the event held at Jury's Inn, Hinckley Island including 60 first-timers. AbilityNet had a stand in one of two Expo areas to promote awareness of how a computer can benefit people living with MS, and how our nationwide network of disclosure-checked volunteers can help people living with MS.

It was great to meet people at the stand, including MS nurses and other healthcare professionals and to see their genuine excitement about how we can become a part of their multi-disciplinary teams. 

The conference had a number of break-out sessions and a poster 'speed dating' where researchers and healthcare professionals showcased some of the innovative work they are doing to improve diagnosis, treatment and care for people living with MS. 

We attended the afternoon sessions and learned more about MS and how it affects individuals. Here are five things we discovered to give a flavour of the event. 

5 things we discovered at the MS Trust annual conference

1. Links between Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis

The link between Vitamin D and Multiple Sclerosis (MS) "remains a controversial issue," said Dr Joost Smolders, a neurology resident at Nijmegen. Confessing he's been "indoctrinated to believe vitamins are good for us", Dr Smolder gave a whistlestop overview of relevant research including his work, which has discovered that people with relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS)  with lower levels of Vitamin D may be more prone to relapses. He has also discovered that people with secondary progressive MS tend to have lower levels of Vitamin D. 

More Vitamin D is absorbed through exposure to sunlight than is absorbed through food, he explained.

In Australia, there is a lower risk of attacks for people with progressive MS, which may be due to exposure to sunlight although other studies have explored how MS prevalence differs depending on where you live.

Opinion varies as to the extent to which people with MS should supplement Vitamin D. 

• Read our free multiple sclerosis factsheet for more about the different types of MS, and how computers can help you.
• Read more research into Vitamin D from the MS Society

2. Food coma and MS

We've all experienced that feeling after a big meal of wanting to have a long nap. This so-called food coma may be more prevalent in people living with MS, explained Professor Gavin Giovannoni, Professor of Neurology, London speaking to conference attendees. 

Professor Giovannoni and colleagues conducted an online survey of people with MS about the phenomenon of 'postprandial somnolence' (drowsiness following a meal). The survey found that 84.9% of respondents felt excessively sleepy after eating. He found it is more common than in people who don't have MS. Future research could explore specific food types that produce the drowsiness although the study would require more involvement from more people. 

3. Gut bacteria and MS

There are trillions of bugs living inside of us weighing 2Kg, which is heavier than the human brain, according to Dr Peter Connick, Honorary Consultant Neurologist and Senior Research Fellow in Regenerative Neurology, Edinburgh. It's for these reasons that these microbes are often called "the forgotten organ". 

Dr Connick is studying microbes in the gut and how these communicate with the brain, with a view to understanding what causes MS.

He believes it's possible that the gut microbiome might have a role in triggering or ramping up the body's immune system's faulty response in MS. He is interested in a westernisation, which has led to a reduction in the types of microbiomes in the gut, and in discovering if there's an ideal MS diet. 

4. Continuing sport with MS

Arguably, the most inspiring talk of the afternoon was from Spencer Bull. Spencer is a former infantry soldier who served between 1989 and 2017 when he was discharged from the army on medical grounds because of his MS.

Spencer was first diagnosed with MS in 2005 after experiencing pins and needles while with his wife in Kuwait. 

He spoke about how "we, and not 'I' live with MS," particularly after his discharge when they lost their house, and their support network. 

Read AbilityNet's article on where to find online support groups for people living with MS and their carers

He struggled with the diagnosis and says it took him six years to accept it. "I wrestled with the concept of MS and the fact I could no longer kick a ball around with my family. I wasn't able to cut the grass on a Sunday," he said. 

With help from his family and from Help for Heroes, Spencer learned to adapt and in 2017 competed in the Invictus Games. He's also acquired a hand bike and been on a bike ride with his family, which he says "put a bigger smile on my face than if I had come first [in the games]."

Spencer advises others living with MS to set personal goals; by achieving them you have won gold. 

5. Support from AbilityNet

AbilityNet designed a bespoke leaflet to inform people living with MS, and the professionals who support them, as to how AbilityNet can help them. OK, so technically we knew that already but here are some ways AbilityNet can help people living with MS:

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people.

Call our free Helpline. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution. We’re open Monday to Friday from 9 am to 5 pm on 0800 269 545.

Arrange a home visit. We have a network of AbilityNet ITCanHelp volunteers who can help if you have technical issues with your computer systems. They can come to your home, or help you over the phone.

We have a range of factsheets which talk in detail about technology that might help you, which can be downloaded for free. You may find our factsheets talking about voice recognition and keyboard alternatives useful.

My Computer My Way. A free interactive guide to all the accessibility features built into current desktops, laptops, tablets and smartphones.

MS Trust specialist nurses provide support in the community, and in a clinic, to people living with MS. We spoke to one nurse and her patient about their relationship

The MS Trust has a network of MS nurses that act as the main point of contact for people living with Multiple Sclerosis. 

Often, you’ll find them through a referral from a GP or your neurologist. When you do, these nurses become pivotal in coordinating care, and managing referrals to occupational therapists, wellbeing courses and more.

AbilityNet spoke to Nikki Embrey, a former MS Specialist nurse at Royal Stoke MS Centre and Nurse Consultant at the MS Trust, and her patient Liz Gumbley to find out more.

“I was diagnosed in 1998,” says Liz. “I was on the ward on my own - the consultant just came and said, 'you've got MS'. It was a bit of a shock. There was nobody with me except the cleaner and I just started crying. Nikki was a part-time MS nurse. 

I met her on the ward. One thing always sticks in my mind is my daughter said to Nikki will my mum end up in a wheelchair [and] Nikki said not necessarily. We're talking 20 years hence, and she [my daughter] has always said she felt so positive when Nikki said that to me. From then on, Nikki's been a big supporter.”

Visit the MS Trust’s map of local services to find a specialist nurse near you

“I was one of the first MS nurses in the country. I think when I started, there were around about 30 [of us],” says Nikki. 

Her role included setting up MS services from scratch. “We received funding to provide treatment to people living with MS for around 10 patients in the Stoke area. Fortunately, more funding came through and so the role became about finding the right patients to go on to treatment, initiating their treatment, and monitoring them”.

“Once the services were set up, we looked at pathways where the blockages were [and] where patients couldn't access.”

Managing MS in partnership with healthcare professionals

For Liz, Nikki has been there for the whole of her MS journey.

“Nikki has been there from the beginning. I was fortunate because when I was diagnosed, there were no drugs on the scene then. It was five years later before I got any.

“She [Nikki] was there for talking about having steroids, keeping in touch with my GP. She was always at the end of the phone line if there were any questions,” says Liz. 

Nikki delivered a ‘getting to grips [with MS]’ course, which Liz attended as a newly-diagnosed patient, and has been supporting her ever since.

“She recommended me for physio - and the physio said if I hadn't have got you when I got you, you'd have been in a wheelchair by now,” says Liz. “I recently had an eight-week course of physio at the hospital. They [MS Nurses] directed me straight there. My core stability had gone, and she helped me to improve that again,” she adds. 

Read our FAQs on adapting your tech if you’re living with MS

“To me, MS nurses are the first call for anything because they’ve got it all at their fingertips.  I go to rehab consultants every year to keep a check on my progress, and an MS nurse implemented that. 

Nurses also referred Liz to courses to help with her wellbeing, which has been affected by MS.

“The MS Nurses directed me to a wellbeing course that looked at anxiety and depression. They know where to direct you to; they were the centre of the map if you like.” 

Providing local support to people living with MS

Nikki and Liz provided local services for others living with MS. “I went to my first getting to grips with MS, which Nikki led, and then I went on to run the courses with Nikki, and with other people.

"We opened a unit for people with MS in the local area. Nikki would often come. One time, she was able to come and have appointments in our centre with people rather than going to the hospital.”

“We were fortunate in that we could provide home visits to our patients who either couldn't get into the clinic because they couldn't really get out of the home,” says Nikki.

Over 20 years, Nikki has seen significant changes. The service grew quickly, and Nikki ended up with a caseload of some 800 patients. Colleagues joined her, and between the five of them, they looked after 3,000 people in the region living with a diagnosis of MS.

"I probably did about five home visits a month, as did the other nurses. Once we were out in the patient's homes, our role was looking at what other services we could bring in to help them. These services included community rehabilitation teams, social services O.Ts [Occupational Therapists] and physios or a speech and language therapist for swallow assessments and all the rest of it," says Nikki. 

AbilityNet’s network of disclosure-checked volunteers offer free advice in your home about adapting technology for a range of disabilities, and long-term conditions including MS

“I used to go out and see the newly diagnosed patients at home, which was brilliant because you've got a lot more time to spend with them. Whereas if you're in clinic you are quite rushed. In their environment, it's much more relaxed.”

Nowadays, Nikki is Nurse Consultant at the MS Trust providing support to the MS Trust’s educational and professional teams. The role includes mentoring other MS nurses. The nurses she mentors cover large distances seeing people in urban and rural areas, as well as seeing people in a clinic to monitor Disease Modifying Therapies. 

“I went to see a nurse on Wednesday who we're mentoring. She's fairly new in post, and she's got miles, and miles, and miles to cover. In some cases it could be an hour and a half for patients to get to the clinic, or if she's got to visit them at home," says Nikki.

Supporting MS patients: a rewarding role

Nikki trained as a general nurse but was inspired to specialize in MS after discovering a passion for neurological conditions. “I studied neurology at the National [National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery]," she says.

“It was there that I met the most delightful MS patients. They were on a cyclosporine [an immunosuppressant drug] trial. Through my neuro course, I needed some case studies. One of my MS patients was on the trial. I found it so interesting [as well as] very complicated. I just knew that I wanted to work with people with MS.”

“The majority of patients that I come across who've got MS have really quite a good sense of humour. For me, it's developing that relationship with your patient [and] knowing what really makes them tick. What makes them satisfied, and that I'd say that's absolutely the best thing about the role. Every patient is completely different.”

Using technology to support people living with MS

As a specialist MS nurse, Nikki has also helped set up closed Facebook groups for people living with MS. She worked alongside Ruth Chambers (OBE). Ruth is a Stoke-based GP and clinical lead for the West Midlands Academic Health Science Network's Long Term Conditions Network.

At the Royal Stoke University Hospital, clinicians have developed closed Facebook patient groups for invited patients with multiple sclerosis, atrial fibrillation and cardiac rehab.

“We are also in the process of developing apps for patients. We have one specifically on fatigue management, in MS and one on depression and psychological problems,” Nikki told us. 

Read about the SymTrack App developed in partnership with the MS Trust

“We are in the process of setting up a Skype link so that patients who didn't want to travel great distances can have their appointments via a Skype,” she adds.

Liz recommends the MS Trust and MS Society websites, and says she and others would welcome support from AbilityNet. 

“People are struggling with technology. It’s not always a permanent thing [with sight problems] but it can be very frustrating. People say that they’re out of contact with people on Facebook or whatever," says Liz.

She adds, "In this world, you are at a loss if you can’t use your technology."

Further information on Multiple Sclerosis

MS Society: www.mssociety.org.uk

MS Trust: www.mstrust.org.uk 

How AbilityNet can help

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people.

Call our free Helpline. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution. We’re open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm on 0800 269 545.

Arrange a home visit. We have a network of AbilityNet ITCanHelp volunteers who can help if you have technical issues with your computer systems. They can come to your home, or help you over the phone.

We have a range of factsheets which talk in detail about technology that might help you, which can be downloaded for free. You may find our factsheets talking about voice recognition and keyboard alternatives useful.

My Computer My Way. A free interactive guide to all the accessibility features built into current desktops, laptops, tables and smartphones.