The tech industry's accessibility report card for 2021

In spite of all the advancements we’ve seen in tech, the industry as a whole has consistently neglected people with disabilities. There have been some improvements, including video call apps like FaceTime, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Hangouts and more adding better support for sign language interpreters and closed captioning. And, this year, Instagram and TikTok finally added stickers that enable automated captioning for speech in videos, too. But major organizations continued to make decisions that exclude people with disabilities. The organizer of E3 2021, for example, failed its deaf and hard of hearing viewers during its live streamed show.There are too many individual transgressions and improvements to exhaustively detail here. Due to their sheer size, though, tech’s largest companies wield the greatest influence over what the rest of the industry does. By holding them accountable, we have a better chance of seeing widespread change in the way tech thinks about inclusive design. Here’s how Apple, Google, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta (formerly Facebook) and more did to improve the accessibility of their products and services in 2021.AppleApple has led the way in inclusive design for years, and in 2021 the company continued to launch new features that made its products easier for those with disabilities to use. In addition to updating its screen reader, VoiceOver, to enable better descriptions of images for the visually impaired, Apple also launched several new products.... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2021-12-31 21:00:34 UTC ]
News tagged with: #back catalog #product design #growing commitment #kindle

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NPD BookScan: US 2021 Market Unit Volume Up 9 Percent

Print book sales by volume in the United States was the highest ever recorded by NPD BookScan, with adult fiction as the leading growth category. The post NPD BookScan: US 2021 Market Unit Volume Up 9 Percent appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-01-11 03:46:38 UTC ]
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Sweden’s Storytel Cites a 20-Percent Gain in 2021 over 2020

Storytel reports good momentum for its audiobook and ebook streaming services in Poland, Russia, and Turkey—and less so in the Netherlands. The post Sweden’s Storytel Cites a 20-Percent Gain in 2021 over 2020 appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-01-10 12:45:40 UTC ]
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2022 predictions: Industry leaders look at what lies ahead

Publishing bosses and influencers from across the trade share their predictions and expectations for the year ahead, with environmental progress and diversity strongly prioritised across the board.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-08 14:43:20 UTC ]
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Publishing Stocks Rebounded in 2021

After falling 4% in 2020, the Publishers Weekly Stock Index had a strong rebound in 2021, rising 32% for the year, well ahead of the 18.7% gain posted by the Dow Jones Industrial Average, with several companies seeing a reversal of fortune in the year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-07 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Osman named 2021's number one bestseller as TV star’s cosy crime titles set the tills alight

Richard Osman claims the crown for the bestselling book of 2021 ahead of Charlie Mackesy, although the top-line figures are once again affected by some data blackouts owing to lockdowns. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2022-01-06 06:20:57 UTC ]
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Print Books Had a Huge Sales Year in 2021

Led by the fiction categories, unit sales of print books rose 8.9% in 2021 over 2020 at outlets that report to NPD BookScan. 825.7 million print units were sold last year, a jump of nearly 68 million over 2020 and a whopping 132 million over 2019. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-06 05:00:00 UTC ]
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PW’s Most Read Comics Stories of 2021

Layoffs and restructuring at DC, the growing popularity of digital and print Korean comics, and the return of in-person attendance to New York Comic Con are among the topics covered in the most-read comics stories published by 'PW' in 2021. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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After a Good 2021, Pietsch Sees Some Lingering Issues

In a letter welcoming the Hachette Book Group staff back from the holiday break, CEO Michael Pietsch called 2021 “a very successful year for HBG," while also noting that challenges such as supply chain disruptions and return-to-office uncertainties didn't end with the arrival of a new year. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2022-01-05 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Year-End Russian Book Publishing Industry Assessment: ‘Seriously Difficult’

The downturn in print book sales in Russia may have been as deep as between 50 and 70 percent, according to editor Svetlana Zorin. The post Year-End Russian Book Publishing Industry Assessment: ‘Seriously Difficult’ appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2022-01-04 14:35:09 UTC ]
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The (wonderful, life-saving) Libby app is becoming more accessible.

The Libby app came into my life early in the pandemic, when in-person trips to the library weren’t possible and indie bookstores were up against massive USPS delays. The app—which allows users to instantly borrow ebooks from their local libraries—was an incredible gift. Twenty-two months, one... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2022-01-03 17:41:14 UTC ]
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Tech that can help you stick to your New Year’s resolutions

Regardless of how 2021 went for you, 2022 is another chance for all of us to make the new year better than those that came before it. We set New Year’s resolutions with the best of intentions, but it’s no wonder that so many people fail after just a few weeks – old habits die hard. Just as it’s... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2022-01-01 14:34:42 UTC ]
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Big Deals Highlighted 2021 Acquisitions

The industry’s consolidation trend continued in 2021 with several large buys, including London-based Clarivate’s purchase of ProQuest for $5.3 billion. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-31 05:00:00 UTC ]
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The books to read in 2022 based on what you loved in 2021

Now that you've read "Klara and the Sun" and "One Last Stop," it's time to look ahead. Continue reading at The Washington Post

[ The Washington Post | 2021-12-30 11:00:43 UTC ]
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A Celebration of Series: The Best SFF Series of 2021

We're spotlighting some of the best science fiction and fantasy series concluded in 2021. Dive into them now, no waiting required! Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-12-24 11:33:00 UTC ]
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The Most Popular Books in U.S. Libraries in 2021

Here are the titles most frequently checked out from U.S. libraries in 2021, including fiction, nonfiction, and children's books. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2021-12-22 14:45:40 UTC ]
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Lit Hub Daily: December 20, 2021

From Franzen to Kidneygate (with a prolonged pit stop in the land of Supply Chain Issues), we’ve finally reached the end of the Biggest Literary Stories of the Year. Against reading historical fiction to learn history: Juhea Kim considers how the onus of writing educational fiction falls... Continue reading at Literrary Hub

[ Literrary Hub | 2021-12-20 11:30:45 UTC ]
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Apple's latest AirPods drop to $140, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

With Christmas right around the corner, now's the time to make sure you have all your gifts in check and grab any last-minute holiday gifts you may need. Thankfully, there remain a good number of tech deals available, and a good portion of them are still slated to arrive before the holiday if... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2021-12-17 16:45:01 UTC ]
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A Year in Reading 2021

For the 'Millions,' 12 authors look back at 2021 and the books they read along the way. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2021-12-17 05:00:00 UTC ]
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Creative Access data shows sharp decline in financial stability for publishing staffers

Creative Access has released research to coincide with its 10-year anniversary, revealing the disproportionate impact of Covid-19 on people from under-represented groups in publishing, including a sharp decline in financial stability. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2021-12-17 03:20:02 UTC ]
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Snap, Nielsen: Snap Ads Drive Double the ROI for CPGs vs. Industry Benchmarks

Snap Inc. commissioned two analyses from Nielsen to help it quantify sales driven by ads on the Snapchat platform for advertisers in the consumer packaged goods and beauty categories in the U.S. The company said in a blog post that advertisers are turning to measurement strategy market mix... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2021-12-16 22:30:00 UTC ]
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