How do I encourage my organisation to create accessible content?
Submitted by Annie Mannion on Thu, 20/07/2023 - 12:26
Your organisation's accessibility skills will always benefit from a boost, and ensuring your content is accessible will generate major business benefits for you too. Check out eight resources to help you create accessible content.
What do we mean by 'content'?
It's everything from the words on your website, your internal comms, videos and podcasts you produce, posts you share on social media, presentations to your team and downloadable PDFs.
So, are you and your organisation creating and sharing content accessible to all?
If the answer is "I'm not sure" instead of a resounding "Yes!", then our free resources and low-cost training services will help you to improve how you generate content to ensure it's accessible.
What are the benefits of accessible content?
Not only does providing content in multiple formats help disabled people access different options to consume information in the way they need it, accessible content is also one of the key metrics measured by Google, so by following best practices for providing accessible content, you boost your search engine optimisation and thus your brand awareness and reputation.
So, this summer, take some time to learn where you can make small steps or big strides in building your accessible content expertise.
1. Download our free factsheets, including Easy Read versions
To be truly accessible, to be read and understood by as wide an audience as possible – including, for example, people with visual impairments, dyslexia or learning difficulties – your document also has to work well with screen reading software. Read our factsheet Creating Accessible Documents to learn about the basics to remember for creating and editing documents.
2. Watch our webinar playback: How to do accessible social media
You may spend ages crafting perfect social media messages, but are your posts accessible to all? Learn how to make your social media channels work harder and meet the needs of all users.
Watch this webinar recording to learn some simple things to remember when using social channels including Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and more, so you can share information accessible to all.
3. Attend our Creating Accessible Documents training course
In this online course you will learn about styles and templates, and how to fix common issues to create accessible documents. It's perfect for designers, editorial staff and content creators, trainers and academics.
4. Highlight the need for content training to your managers
You may already be aware of the numerous benefits of ensuring accessible content, but are your managers listening? If you need buy-in for rolling out training for staff across your organisation, then the highlighted results from our Attitudes to Digital Accessibility report will help you emphasise to your senior managers the need for developing accessibility skills.
Written by our expert consultants, these guidelines are perfect for anyone who creates content for your website or digital platforms. Get access to the guidelines on topics including Accessible Social Media, Content Creation, Documents, and PDFs.
Use personas when creating content to give you an insight into how people with a range of access needs use products and services, and shape your content accordingly. Check out our broad range of personas.
Save on the year ahead by purchasing 10 accessibility and inclusion training courses for the price of 8, with our bundle deal.
You don’t have to book them all right now – you have until the end of 2023 to book all 10. You can also download a training brochure to browse what’s available and share with your team.
Submitted by Paul Speller on Tue, 18/07/2023 - 11:42
With over 100 million users signed up in its first five days, Threads is the fastest-growing social network ever launched – but is why is Meta excluding millions of possible users by repeating the accessibility mistakes of the past?
When Meta’s Instagram team launched Threads this month, millions of users flocked to the new Twitter competitor, to see if it lived up to founder Mark Zuckerberg’s claim that they would be “focusing on kindness and making this a friendly place”.
But, however friendly the tone of the content shared on the site may be, Threads is excluding disabled users as the new mobile-only app has launched with many accessibility issues.
Meta’s Threads launch announcement, claimed that “The core accessibility features available on Instagram today, such as screen reader support and AI-generated image descriptions, are also enabled on Threads” – but our testing suggests otherwise.
AbilityNet’s expert accessibility and usability consultant, Paul Speller carried out a brief accessibility audit of just one page – the main Threads home timeline – on an Android device, against WCAG 2.1 Level AA. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) define a set of standards for how websites and apps can be built more inclusively, breaking down barriers for all disabled users.
The results are not very kind or friendly.
Of around 30 relevant WCAG Success Criteria he tested, he found multiple failures on around half the criteria, creating access barriers for millions of potential Threads users.
These are the key usability features tested:
Images
Headings
Navigation
Buttons
Reloading the timeline
Colour contrast
Media
Orientation
Threads presents issues for screen reader users
A screen reader allows people who are blind or visually impaired to use their computer and mobile phones and the Threads app presents many issues for these users.
Inaccessible images
Most obviously, there is no way for users to provide alternative text descriptions (alt text) for their images when creating a post or reply.
This is a basic battle that users have had with all the older social networks and eventually had this feature added to most of them.
Meta claims their artificial intelligence (AI) engine can describe images automatically, but in our testing, the results were generally poor: it’s difficult or impossible for an AI engine to understand the intention an author has when they include an image.
Figure 1: Photo of framed certificate has unhelpful AI-generated alt text
The worst AI-generated description we encountered simply said “May be an image of text”. Even if the photo hadn’t shown a framed certificate with text on it, the text within the image would have been needed to understand it, not just the fact it was some text.
It’s not just the images users provide that need alt text.
Meta provides a ‘verified’ blue tick badge next to some users’ names, for sighted users to be assured they are who they say they are. These badges have no text alternative provided and are not announced by a screen reader at all, so visually impaired users will not get that same reassurance.
Other problems our screen reader testing encountered included:
No headings
No text anywhere in Threads that we’ve seen is marked up as a heading.
This removes one of the key ways assistive technology users can navigate within the pages of an app (failing the Info And Relationships WCAG Success Criterion).
Navigation issues
When the user opens and then closes a pop-up menu, they are thrown onto an irrelevant element somewhere else on the page.
This is likely to cause confusion and difficulty navigating the app (failing the Meaningful Sequence Success Criterion).
Illogical post order
In certain scenarios, the order in which the parts of a post on the home timeline could be accessed was very chaotic, jumping around various elements of the post’s information and content. It even jumped backward into information about the previous post while navigating through the current post (see numbered order in the image below).
It’s important that assistive technology users can tell which post each piece of information relates to, and this illogical order makes this near-impossible. (This also fails the Meaningful Sequence Success Criterion.)
Figure 2: The order in which each element received the screen reader cursor when navigating through a post in the Threads home timeline.
The sequence is not meaningful, and at one point the order jumps back to the ‘Likes’ information from the previous post.
Button trouble in Threads
There were also numerous failures with the way Threads page elements were announced, for instance with lots of buttons not having a “button” role to ensure users could understand their purpose.
For sighted users, it may be obvious which things on screen look like you could tap them to load new pages or perform actions, but this must be communicated to assistive technology users, for example by giving them a button role. Every time this has been omitted, it’s a failure of the Name, Role, Value Success Criterion.
The addition of a “+” button to the icons for users who appear in your home timeline, but you don’t yet follow has been praised by sighted users for its simplicity and ease of use. But sadly this has not translated into good code for accessibility.
The icon button’s name is the same as the user’s name, which is already next to it, creating repetition; but also the word “Follow” only appears at the end of what sounds like it will just be a standard Android screen reader “Double-tap to activate” announcement, after a delay: “Username… Double-tap to follow”.
Users may choose to move on before hearing this crucial word, so it has the potential to confuse them by not making the purpose of the button clear up front, as a good accessible name should. This could also cause issues for speech recognition users, who may try to activate what appears from the “+” to be a button called “Add” or “Follow” but whose name does not contain this – a possible failure of the Label In Name Success Criterion.
A better approach here would be to ensure the on-screen username text is read first, then the icon is either hidden if it does not have a ‘+’ on it, or is read as “Follow [username], button” if it does have a ‘+’ on it. This would reduce duplication while ensuring the following functionality is clear to all users.
Reloading difficulties in Threads
Perhaps most strangely, the Threads icon at the top of the page is exposed to assistive technology as “Progress bar, in progress”.
The icon does indeed animate when the page is reloading, but it never shows how close it is to finishing loading so it’s not a progress bar and the “in progress” state is there at all times, including when the page is not currently reloading. Users of assistive technology will be told this is a progress bar and that it is in progress when in reality it is neither.
The logo also cannot be activated to reload the page when using a screen reader: the only way to reload is to go to the “Home” icon and activate this, but there is no information to tell users this. Without the “Home” icon, this would be a failure of the Pointer Gestures Success Criterion; as it is, it could be a lot clearer for users.
Meanwhile, when the page was reloading, the app failed another Success Criterion (Status Messages) by not declaring this fact to assistive technology. Users have no way of knowing the page is reloading, and no way to know when it had finished doing so either.
Threads colour contrast problems
It’s not just screen reader users who will have issues using Threads. Other accessibility failures will affect other users too.
Users with low vision will struggle with elements of the app because it fails both the WCAG Success Criteria relating to colour contrast (Contrast (Minimum) and Non-Text Contrast). These require that regular-sized text must have a contrast ratio of 4.5:1 with its background, and non-text elements a ratio of 3:1. For example:
The numbers of Replies and Likes are in grey text on a white background, with a contrast ratio of 2.8:1.
Links in posts are light blue on a white background, with a contrast ratio of 3.2:1.
The non-current icons on the navigation bar at the bottom of the app are grey on a white background, with a contrast ratio of 2.1:1.
Figure 3: Several elements of the timeline page have insufficient contrast against the white page background
Media issues
Despite the work Instagram have done to help users generate captions automatically for their Stories and Reels, Meta has not yet provided any captioning functionality at all for videos within Threads.
To comply with WCAG requirements around captioning (Captions (Prerecorded)), users will need to generate their captions elsewhere and burn them into their video before importing them into Threads. This manual process is likely to be a barrier to the provision of captions on many videos, excluding d/Deaf users and disadvantaging the many other users who may be using the app with their phone sound off and also relying on captions.
Threads also doesn’t provide any features for audio descriptions and transcripts (required by Success Criteria such as Audio Description or Media Alternative), but sadly it is still common for these to be missing from even the most developed social networks.
Nevertheless, wouldn’t it be nice to see a new service launching to meet all of WCAG, instead of joining the others who overlook these parts?
There is also no way to pause a video without losing access to the rest of the app: you have to open the video, then put it on full screen, then tap it, to be able to pause it, and as soon as you back out of that situation it resumes playing. This means the app also fails the Stop, Pause, Hide Success Criterion, disadvantaging users for whom unstoppable motion can trigger a reaction.
Portrait-only orientation
There’s also one straightforward failure not yet mentioned: the app fails the Orientation Success Criterion because it only works in portrait orientation. This automatically excludes users who want to access Threads through a landscape-oriented mounted touchscreen device that cannot be rotated, for example.
Learn more about the requirements of web orientation for accessibility in the below video:
Threads launch fails to prioritise accessibility
All of the above adds up to a very disappointing start for Threads on the accessibility front – and that’s just from a quick one-page audit.
After fixing the issues identified here, the next step should be for Meta to work with real users of the app with diverse needs and get their feedback on how well it works for them.
It’s always easier to build accessibility into apps, websites, and other digital content from the start, rather than trying to retrofit it later. It shouldn’t be incumbent on disabled users to have to speak up to get these problems fixed, but it frequently has been and seems like it may be again here.
For now, there’s a long way to go before all users can feel welcomed into Meta’s supposedly “friendly and kind new social network”.
Looking for help with accessibility?
AbilityNet champions accessible, inclusive design. Our Accessibility Services help you to reach every customer on every platform, and our experienced consultants can audit and help you to build accessible apps and website.
Our affordable, expert-led training gives your team the skills they need, from wireframes and design reviews to accessibility testing and development.
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.
Free digital switchover advice drop-ins in Yorkshire & Humber
Submitted by Annie Mannion on Tue, 18/07/2023 - 10:33
Did you know that landlines in the UK are going digital by 2025?
Do you know anyone who might need to know more about it to get prepared? Perhaps an elderly relative or a client you work with at your organisation?
Throughout August, BT Group will be heading to towns and cities across Yorkshire & Humber, where a team will be on hand to share useful information about Digital Voice, BT’s new home phone service that enables its customers to move off the analogue public service telephone network.
Where are the drop in sessions being held?
In all 20 locations BT customers can drop-in and have a 1-2-1 conversation with a BT advisor about what Digital Voice means for them, why the change is necessary and get reassurance about any concerns about making the switch when the time comes.
If you yourself are interested in attending, or you know or work with anyone who you think could benefit from individual support with the switch, you can share information about sessions taking place in the following locations during August:
Leeds - Headingley Enterprise And Arts Centre, West Yorkshire, LS6 3HN
BT Truck - Barnsley - Wombwell Retail Park, S70 3NS
When: 13th & 14th August
BT Truck - Wakefield - Morrisons, WF2 9BY
When: 15th & 16th of August
(list of venues and dates continues below)
Free webinar: Top tips for boosting your digital skills, with BT Group
Join this free webinar on Tuesday 12 September 1pm BST, with guest speakers from BT, Age UK and AbilityNet sharing practical ways to help ensure that senior citizens and disabled people are not left behind in the digital revolution.
- Discover resources for step-by-step guidance about using digital devices - Understand how tech adjustments can help with sight loss, if you are deaf or hard of hearing, or with cognitive, motor or mental health issues - Pose your questions about tech to the panel
Free Webinar: How to make remote and hybrid work accessible for every employee
Submitted by Freya Robinson on Tue, 11/07/2023 - 16:39
Remote and hybrid work models have become the new norm for countless organisations. While these flexible work arrangements offer undeniable benefits, they also present unique challenges, especially when it comes to ensuring accessibility for every employee.
Our free webinar took place on Tuesday 25 July at 1pm BST, on How to make remote and hybrid work accessible for every employee.
Michael Vermeersch from Microsoft, Angela Matthews from Business Disability Forum, and Adam Tweed from AbilityNet explored strategies, best practices, and practical solutions to ensure that disabled employees can thrive in a hybrid and remote work environment.
Michael Vermeersch, Accessibility Go to Market Manager at Microsoft
Micahel focus is landing Microsoft’s commitment to bridge the “Disability Divide”. Company-wide, alongside customers, partners, and communities. Using his creative neuro-diverse thinking and passion for inclusion, Michael created Microsoft’s Digital Inclusion offering, to empower inclusive organisations gain greater business advantage.
Michael also chairs Microsoft’s UK Disability Employee Resource Group and was invited to 10 Downing Street to present his views on bringing disabled talent into work.
Angela Matthews, Head of Policy and Research at Business Disability Forum
Angela is now Head of Policy and Research. She is an adviser to and research partner on several academic research projects related to work, health, and disability. She delivers BDF’s responses to public policy consultations and leads research engagement with disabled employees in BDF’s member organisations.
Angela’s current research projects at BDF include language and culture change in disability workforce reporting methodologies, workplace adjustments, and interventions for better transitions between higher education and employment.
Adam Tweed, Senior Workplace and Education Consultant at AbilityNet
Adam is AbilityNet's Senior Workplace and Education Consultant. With a BA in Film Studies, a BSc in Psychology and a career in IT in both the commercial and education sectors, Adam is a self-described jack-of-all-trades.
The move to AbilityNet, initially as a DSA and Workplace Needs Assessor, combined both his passion for people and for technology and the intersection of the two. He is a lover of all things tech and the idea of technology as an experience; a seamless enhancement to ways of living and working that enables convenience, independence and a better quality of life.
Is your current ways of working inclusive?
Our expert workplace consultants can help you to gauge your organisation’s current cultural state and work with you to prioritise which improvements will have the greatest immediate impact which will form the roadmap for your ongoing disability inclusion journey.
We can help you look at your 'ways of working', which can include the hybrid working model your organisation has set in place. Get started on your journey today by booking a free 15-minute consultation.
Accessibility Audits: What they are, the benefits and steps
Submitted by Kelly Chan on Thu, 06/07/2023 - 16:26
Accessibility plays a crucial role in ensuring that disabled users can access and interact with websites and applications without any barriers. To achieve this goal, accessibility audits are a valuable tool that evaluates the compliance of your digital product with established accessibility standards.
Accessibility audits involve a comprehensive evaluation of a website, application, or digital product to identify barriers and assess its conformance with accessibility guidelines and standards.
Audits can be assisted by automated tools, such as accessibility checkers and validators, or undertaken by experts who are knowledgeable in accessibility principles and standards, including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). For a comprehensive audit (and resulting report), the process should involve both automated and manual assessments.
Benefits of accessibility audits
So why should you consider doing an accessibility audit? Firstly, accessibility audits help organisations ensure they conform to accessibility laws and regulations - the UK Equality Act 2010 and the European Accessibility Act 2020. By identifying accessibility gaps early on, organisations can proactively address them and minimise the risk of legal consequences.
But, most importantly, by conducting accessibility audits you can improve user experiences for all individuals on any device. By identifying and addressing digital barriers, organisations can provide seamless navigation, interaction, and content consumption - opening their ‘digital doors’ to all users.
Watch the video below to learn how four out of the five airline apps that our accessibility and usability consultant tested, did not allow blind customers to book a flight using a screen reader.
By also considering the diverse needs of disabled users, you can create accessible digital products that can tap into a significant market segment and enhance your brand's visibility and relevance.
It is also well-established that accessibility and search engine optimisation (SEO) go hand in hand. Many accessibility practices, such as providing descriptive alternative text for images and using semantic HTML, also contribute to better search engine visibility. Conducting accessibility audits can uncover opportunities to optimise your digital assets for search engines while ensuring compliance with accessibility standards. Learn how accessibility improves SEO in our discussion with AXA and SkyScanner.
How to conduct an accessibility audit
An accessibility audit typically involves the following steps:
Pre-audit Preparation - Understand the applicable accessibility standards, gather relevant information about the digital asset, and establish an audit scope and timeline.
Automated Scans - Employ automated accessibility testing tools to help identify certain common issues such as colour contrast, missing alternative text, improper heading structure, or inaccessible forms.
Manual Evaluation - Accessibility experts analyse the digital asset for more nuanced accessibility issues that automated tools aren’t able to evaluate. They assess aspects such as keyboard navigation, JavaScript and multimedia accessibility, and overall usability through the eyes of diverse users.
Reporting and Recommendations - The audit findings are compiled into a comprehensive report, highlighting identified issues, severity levels, and suggested remediation strategies.
Remediation and Iterative Improvements - Based on the audit report, organisations prioritise and address the accessibility issues. Iterative improvements ensure continuous refinement of digital assets to align with evolving accessibility standards.
Accessibility audits are a vital component of inclusive design practices, helping organisations identify and rectify barriers that stop disabled users from accessing and utilising digital assets. By ensuring compliance with accessibility standards, organisations can enhance the user experience, expand their reach and create an inclusive digital experience for all users.
Ready to conduct an accessibility audit?
Last year, AbilityNet conducted 1,371 Accessibility Audits for over 700 organisations, identifying 17,672 accessibility issues and offering advice on how to fix them.
Submitted by Robin Christopherson on Fri, 30/06/2023 - 11:34
In 2015, I wrote about how CAPTCHA challenges have been a constant source of frustration – and even exclusion – for people with disabilities ever since they were devised to try to sort the humans from the robots.
For many with a cognitive or vision impairment, these obscure images often prove impossible to crack and, for those not able to use a mouse, there’s no way to select those elusive elements either. Being blind myself, I’m often faced with tackling the audio alternative. If you fancy having a crack at our audio CAPTCHA challenge, be my guest.
“What about the ‘I am not a robot’ checkboxes?” I hear you ask. Well, tabbing to those and checking them with the spacebar or Enter is exactly what the bots do too – so you’re often out of luck there.
For all the above reasons, our advice to website developers is to avoid using CAPTCHA challenges as much as possible. Many users find them difficult and frustrating, and many disabled users impossible.
How does Apple help us avoid CAPTCHAs?
Apple has now introduced a solution which many websites are adopting. Since iOS and iPadOS 16.1 (and macOS Ventura) a website can take advantage of a new feature called Automatic Verification that confirms the flesh and bone reality of the user and bipasses the need to banish the bots with evil challenges such as the above.
(Image: Apple)
The Automatic Verification feature contacts a secure iCloud server and verifies both your device and your Apple ID account. After verification, a private, anonymous access token is sent to the website you’re attempting to interact with and proves you’re a real user.
How to turn on Automatic Verification
This fantastically useful feature should be on by default, but just in case it isn’t on your mobile device, you can easily check.
Go to the Settings app
Tap on your name at the top
Select Password & Security
Scroll down to Automatic Verification and check that it’s toggled on
The steps are slightly different in macOS Ventura. Go to System Settings by clicking the Apple menu in the top left of your screen, click on your name, then choose Passwords and Security and check that Automatic Verification is on in the resulting panel.
You can read more about this feature, how it works and how it protects your privacy on Apple’s support note.
Help banish CAPTCHAs forever
Our devices already know all about us. Just as we use our thumbprint or face to securely unlock our devices or make online payments, it makes similar sense to help avoid often impossible challenges like CAPTCHAs by using our personal info for automatic authentication.
As mentioned above, however, this feature only works on websites that have been tweaked to support this feature so you might still get CAPTCHA puzzles occasionally, but a growing list of websites are now on-board – instantly verifying that their users are real people, as well as banishing the bots.
How has the education sector implemented accessibility regulations?
Submitted by Kelly Chan on Thu, 29/06/2023 - 16:25
In September 2018, the United Kingdom implemented new legislation mandating public sector bodies to meet accessibility standards for their digital content and systems (PSBAR 2018). This marked a significant shift by objectively defining accessibility requirements and considering the failure to comply as a failure to make reasonable adjustments.
Five years have passed since the introduction of these regulations, prompting an examination of how education has responded. In this blog, we will explore the progress made, the interventions that have had the most impact, the challenges faced, and the lessons learned.
How well has the public sector accessibility regulations been implemented?
To understand the current landscape, a reflective survey was conducted by Alistair McNaught of McNaught Consultancy to gauge perceptions of digital accessibility compliance in educational institutions. The survey covered various aspects, including organisational awareness, training, auditing, policy/leadership, and solicited advice from other organisations.
The survey results showed that approximately 45% of respondents felt their organisations had good awareness and were making progress in digital accessibility. However, 20.5% of organisations still had low overall awareness even after five years of the legislation's enactment. Such a lack of due diligence could be legally indefensible, and organisations in this category were at risk. Furthermore, 22.7% of respondents believed that awareness was good, but practice had not changed.
The free text responses revealed several themes. Some organisations focused on future proofing by prioritising core systems' accessibility and embedding training for new teaching staff. However, inconsistency was apparent, with awareness and activity being driven by individuals' passion rather than policy. Leadership was identified as a crucial factor, as the absence of senior management direction often made accessibility initiatives optional. Over-reliance on technology solutions without policy or quality assurance validation was another common issue.
The survey included questions about various interventions related to training, auditing, leadership, and more. The aim was to determine which interventions were better predictors of overall accessibility progress. The analysis showed that organisations with the most progress had ownership of accessibility at a senior level, a designated Head of Digital Accessibility, and accessibility as a reporting criterion in quality assurance processes. Additionally, monitoring course content, mandatory and monitored training, and targeted role-based training were prevalent in successful organisations.
How to improve accessibility awareness and good practice in educational institutions
Free text responses from organisations with good awareness and changing or good practice highlighted several interventions that had a positive impact:
Tools such as accessibility checkers and captioning tools received multiple mentions
Training, both general awareness-raising and targeted training for specific groups, was also effective
Cross-institutional teams, along with strategic interventions like published e-learning standards and senior leadership support, were mentioned
Notably, some interventions failed or backfired in certain organisations:
Underfunding and undervaluing accessibility roles were common issues, leading to reduced value and limited impact
Unintended consequences included the misuse of auditing tools and cultural pushback against mandatory training
By analysing the low progress organisations, it became evident that lack of senior leadership support, inadequate accountability, and absence of high-level ownership were key factors hindering progress. Furthermore, the best performing organisations had more “well established” interventions compared to low progress organisations. Culture change takes time.
Five years after the enactment of accessibility regulations, progress in higher education has been mixed. While nearly half of the respondents reported positive changes, many organisations still struggle to meet accessibility requirements.
Lack of leadership support was a significant barrier, leading to poor responsiveness, limited measurement or reporting, and inefficient resource allocation.
The best-performing organisations emphasised the importance of senior management buy-in, quality assurance, cross-team collaboration, and embedding accessibility in training. For more details, see the full report.
How AbilityNet can help education institutions with digital accessibility
If you’re not sure where your organisation sits on the spectrum between outmoded practice and leading-edge accessibility excellence, you can download our free Higher and Further Education (HE/FE) Accessibility Maturity Model. Created by AbilityNet and McNaught Consultancy, our maturity model resource helps you:
Determine where you are in the Accessibility Maturity Spectrum
You can also learn more about digital accessibility legislation in our training course. The course has a particular focus on UK public and private sector organisations, looking at specific laws and legal cases, such as the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations.
Finally, if you want to explore the student’s course-level experience of inclusive practice and digital accessibility, contact Alistair McNaught Consultancy to ask about their Learner Journey exploration and reporting service.
Survey reveals what older people want to do with tech
Submitted by Annie Mannion on Tue, 27/06/2023 - 11:02
The older generation is comfortable using Google Maps and WhatsApp - but won't set up their smart TV or talk to AI, according to a new survey of people aged 65 and over.
The poll, conducted for BT Group by OnePoll.com in mid June 2023, found that older people want to build their digital confidence, and identified the top tech tasks people are - and aren't - willing to do.
WhatsApp gets top marks
Firing off a WhatsApp is something 64 per cent of respondents feel comfortable with - but only 12 per cent would be confident navigating TikTok.
Facebook (65 per cent) is the overwhelming social media platform of choice for the older generation – with YouTube (34 per cent) and Instagram (16 per cent) far less popular with this age group.
Only two per cent of over 65s are Snapchat users.
Tuition is required for building confidence
The research indicated that older people tend to struggle with digital technology, as just 13 per cent rated their ability as ‘very good’.
More than half (57 per cent) say they would like to be better at using and understanding digital technology.
Not being shown how to use something (40 per cent) and finding new tech complicated and overwhelming (29 per cent) are the major factors holding this age group back.
And nearly a fifth (19 per cent) would be more inclined to build their confidence with digital technology if they had someone show them how to use it.
How AbilityNet and BT is helping older people with tech
Victoria Johnson, Social Impact Director at BT Group, which has been working with AbilityNet on projects to help older people boost their technology skills, said:
"Technology can open so many doors. At BT Group we’re working with UK charity AbilityNet to deliver more than 1,000 group and one-to-one training sessions to those who need it most in regions across the UK. Technology is no longer a take-it-or-leave it proposition, it is a fundamental part of life and older people should not be left behind.”
Online banking is top task for older generation
The majority of respondents' top reason for using digital technology is for online banking, but only one in 20 strongly agree they try and stay up to date with the latest digital technology trends and advancements.
More than half (52 per cent) would ask their kids for help if they needed assistance with something, while five per cent would just give up.
However, 91 per cent regularly use a mobile phone, and 56 per cent of over-65s are users of a tablet.
Senior Skills programme for the digitally excluded
Victoria Johnson added: “For younger people – especially those in the Gen Z demographic, or younger still – tech has been a part of their lives forever. Many will have grown up with the internet, smartphones and streaming services from the day they were born.
"These are huge digital advances that people born decades earlier will have to make big adjustments to, so it’s no wonder there are still gaps in their knowledge.
“Our new Senior Skills programme aims to help close this gap and get the older and digitally excluded generation feeling more tech savvy.”
Sarah Brain, Free Services Manager at AbilityNet, said:
“This research continues to show the need for support for digital skills for the older generation to ensure they feel equipped and confident to manage their day-to-day lives and stay connected to the outside world.
“We’re thrilled to be supported by BT Group to deliver this digital skills training and help bridge the divide.”
If you know someone who needs digital skills training, call AbilityNet on 0800 048 7642 during office hours or email enquiries@abilitynet.org.uk
Free disabilities sessions: educate your group about disability and technology via our sessions which we can deliver to your organisation.
Training: Enjoy affordable high-quality online training courses to build skills in accessibility and inclusive design
Is your content accessible to all? If you're not sure, we can help you make content accessible: mix and match from our training options to suit your needs.
Submitted by Freya Robinson on Fri, 23/06/2023 - 16:04
In the wake of headlines on tech’s impact on humanity, the 2023 AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards were announced last night at the Institute of Physics in London and online. We created the Awards over a decade ago and this year has seen a record numbers of entries from individuals, start-ups, charities and global tech giants from across the globe.
A global panel of judges had the unenviable job of selecting the winners from an incredible selection of entries. As well as receiving a trophy made from recycled tech, the winners will receive support and resources to help them on the next stage of their journey. That includes networking with other winners and finalists, crowdfunding programmes and mentorship from the industry leaders who make up the judging panel, and Awards network.
“We constantly hear about the harm that tech can do - but the Tech4Good Awards celebrate the amazing people and organisations who use tech to make the world a better place. We want to share good ideas and inspire people to learn from what other people have achieved.” Mark Walker Organiser, AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards.
The winners of the AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards 2023 are...
"Tech4Good is where innovation and empathy meet, harnessing technology to address societal challenges and improve real lives. As our 2023 winners celebrate their achievements, let us continue in our mission to create a more inclusive, sustainable and connected world.” Catherine Grinyer Attendable
Attendable has partnered with AbilityNet to organise and deliver the Tech4Good Awards. Additional partners include Access Austria, Access Israel, Catalyst, Crowdfunder, Deque, Fundación Once, Global Accessibility Reporting Initiative, Google, Good Things Foundation, International Association Accessibility Professionals, inABLE, Open Inclusion, Planet Abled, Rick Hansen Foundation, SEDRA, Team Lewis, TechTalent Charter and Valuable 500.
Free training sessions: Build your confidence online
Submitted by Annie Mannion on Thu, 15/06/2023 - 11:49
Do you know an older person in your community who would benefit from understanding a bit more about the online world, the benefits and where to get help?
Perhaps you yourself are looking for guidance about online tasks, or maybe you support a parent or relative keen to build their knowledge of the digital world?
Come along and join the team from AbilityNet charity for a very interactive training session looking at boosting skills and confidence on the web.
Build your online confidence
In these sessions, we’ll give you tips to develop resilience to online scams and fraud, and awareness of information and misinformation. We’ll look at where information comes from – can we trust it? How do we report a scam? Learn lots of practical tips.
You can choose from either of these two free online sessions taking place on the Zoom platform:
If you work in an organisation with clients who are just starting their digital journey and want to know more, please do share this session with them and encourage them to sign up. It's also a great session for organisations who provide digital inclusion support to service users.
It's everything from the words on your website, your internal comms, videos and podcasts you produce, posts you share on social media, presentations to your team and downloadable PDFs. 
5. Offer eLearning about accessibility for all your staff
Great value: get 10 courses for the price of 8
hen Meta’s Instagram team launched Threads this month, millions of users flocked to the new Twitter competitor, to see if it lived up to founder Mark Zuckerberg’s claim that they would be “focusing on kindness and making this a friendly place”.
Did you know that landlines in the UK are going digital by 2025?
Where are the drop in sessions being held?
Remote and hybrid work models have become the new norm for countless organisations. While these flexible work arrangements offer undeniable benefits, they also present unique challenges, especially when it comes to ensuring accessibility for every employee. 
Micahel focus is landing Microsoft’s commitment to bridge the “Disability Divide”. Company-wide, alongside customers, partners, and communities. Using his creative neuro-diverse thinking and passion for inclusion, Michael created Microsoft’s Digital Inclusion offering, to empower inclusive organisations gain greater business advantage.
Accessibility plays a crucial role in ensuring that disabled users can access and interact with websites and applications without any barriers. To achieve this goal, accessibility audits are a valuable tool that evaluates the compliance of your digital product with established accessibility standards.
The older generation is comfortable using Google Maps and WhatsApp - but won't set up their smart TV or talk to AI, according to a new survey of people aged 65 and over.
The majority of respondents' top reason for using digital technology is for online banking, but only one in 20 strongly agree they try and stay up to date with the latest digital technology trends and advancements.
In the wake of headlines on tech’s impact on humanity, the 2023 AbilityNet Tech4Good Awards were announced last night at the 
"Tech4Good is where innovation and empathy meet, harnessing technology to address societal challenges and improve real lives. As our 2023 winners celebrate their achievements, let us continue in our mission to create a more inclusive, sustainable and connected world.”
Do you know an older person in your community who would benefit from understanding a bit more about the online world, the benefits and where to get help?