The tech industry still has a long way to go when it comes to accessibility

As many in the accessibility community will tell you, inclusive design isn’t an endeavor that’s “one and done.” It’s a continuous, ongoing effort to ensure that as new products and services are made, people with different needs or disabilities aren’t left out. Over the last three years, Engadget has produced a report, in addition to our regular coverage, that looks back on the developments in the tech industry that impact the accessibility community, focusing on the largest companies like Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft and Meta. Of course, there are plenty of other big companies to consider, like Uber, Airbnb, Netflix and more. But the six we’ve selected have an outsized impact and influence on the industry..Last year, we saw significant developments that could pave the way for more accessible designs in future, such as the opening of Microsoft’s Inclusive Tech Lab. In October, the University of Illinois (UIUC) partnered with Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft on a Speech Accessibility Project to improve voice recognition for those with atypical speech patterns that AI algorithms rarely consider. But there were also major setbacks, such as Elon Musk dismantling the accessibility team at Twitter, amid everything else that happened in that hellhole.All around the industry, we saw pieces of news that showed greater interest overall in accessible products and design. According to LinkedIn’s vice president of engineering, Erran Berger, there has been a 33 percent... Continue reading at 'Engadget'

[ Engadget | 2023-01-16 15:00:07 UTC ]
News tagged with: #mainstream audience #apple books

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Industry Notes: London Book Fair’s 2019 Trailblazers; GLLI’s First YA Translation Winner

The London Book Fair's Trailblazer Awards have honored 20 young publishing standouts in four years. And the GLLI YA Translated Book Prize goes to a PRH work. The post Industry Notes: London Book Fair’s 2019 Trailblazers; GLLI’s First YA Translation Winner appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-02-02 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Apple cracks down on Facebook after it paid teens for access to their data

Program that enrolled users as young as 13 prompts Apple to ban Facebook from publishing some appsFacebook paid users as young as 13 to install an app that gave the company access to everything their phone sent or received over the internet. In response, Apple has revoked Facebook’s ability to... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2019-01-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #iphone app #privacy regulations


ABA Past Presidents Reflect on a Changing Industry

Five past presidents of the American Booksellers Association met at Winter Institute in Albuquerque, N.M., last week to talk about where the industry is now and where it's headed. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-30 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #changing industry #winter institute


Is Big Tech Merging With Big Brother? Kinda Looks Like It

The all-seeing Amazon, Google, and Facebook have every incentive to help the national security state undermine privacy, free speech, and democracy. We’ve read this book before. Continue reading at Wired

[ Wired | 2019-01-23 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #big brother #free speech #ve read


It hasn't taken long for USC sprinter Twanisha Terry to become elite

The notebook is red, with the word “elite” printed across the front in black. It is here where USC sophomore sprinter Twanisha Terry records her goals like a checklist. When she arrived at USC the summer before her freshman year, Terry looked up school records for each event she runs and wrote... Continue reading at Los Angeles Times

[ Los Angeles Times | 2019-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Time for Books to Get Accessible

A new guide provides best practices for making books readily available to the visually impaired. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #visually impaired


Creative Industries Federation calls for second Brexit referendum

The Creative Industries Federation is calling for political parties to support a second referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union, rather than crashing out without a deal. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #brexit referendum #political parties #european union


Blockchain in Publishing: Modeling the Future at Canada’s Access Copyright

In Canada, Access Copyright is working on developing blockchain solutions for book publishing, including smart contracts and an attribution ledger. The post Blockchain in Publishing: Modeling the Future at Canada’s Access Copyright appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Trade warns May's Brexit defeat leaves industry 'limbo'

Trade leaders have warned Theresa May needs to “urgently” come up with a Plan B after MPs rejected the government’s Brexit deal in an historic defeat last night. Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2019-01-17 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Industry Notes: Europa Editions’ New Imprint; Chicago Press Buys Council Oak

Winter moves among independent publishers: Nonfiction works are the focus in Europa Compass, and Chicago Review Press buys Oklahoma's Council Oak Books. The post Industry Notes: Europa Editions’ New Imprint; Chicago Press Buys Council Oak appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2019-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #europa editions #independent publishers #nonfiction works


Industry Sales Flat Through November

According to the Association of American Publishers’ StatShot program, sales from 1,374 reporting publishers were up 0.3% through November over the comparable period in 2017. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-15 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Industry Stocks Took a Big Hit in 2018

Last year was a bad one for stocks...and it was particularly tough for the 11 companies that make up the Publishers Weekly Stock Index. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2019-01-04 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Tech that died in 2018

As 2018 draws to a close, we bid adieu to many products and services in our beloved world of consumer technology. Some were old stalwarts that finally gave way to the passage of time. Others were short-lived trends, or ideas quickly abandoned. Here’s our look at this year’s greats and... Continue reading at PC World

[ PC World | 2018-12-31 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #consumer technology #history books


Publishing Underwent Massive Disruption but Remains Grounded With Quality Content and Emerging Tech

No one can argue that publishing hasn't gone through monumental changes, which is especially seen over the course of 2018 with the many print publications that shuttered this year, like Glamour, or at the very least drastically reduced their print schedules, like Seventeen. There was also the... Continue reading at AdWeek

[ AdWeek | 2018-12-28 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #quality content #print publications


Why Books Matter for the Long Run

Book publishing is a business and increasingly a technical one, but at its heart it is an art, writes Peter J. Dougherty from Princeton University Press in this opinion piece. Continue reading at Knowledge@Wharton

[ Knowledge@Wharton | 2018-12-19 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #long run #book publishing #opinion piece


Industry Notes: MVB US Announces Successful Pubnet 2.0 Migration

A primary commerce network in the American book industry, Pubnet from MVB US–a subsidiary of Germany's MVB–says it has successfully migrated its clients to a major new upgrade. The post Industry Notes: MVB US Announces Successful Pubnet 2.0 Migration appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-12-18 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Harvest House Makes Christian Thinking Accessible to All

From apologetics to tours of the universe, new books from Harvest House Publishers invite everyday readers to consider their faith through various lenses. (Sponsored) Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2018-12-14 00:00:00 UTC ]
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Publishers succeed in getting Sci-Hub access blocked in Russia

Pirate site Sci-Hub has been blocked in Russia after a group of publishers applied to the courts to get service providers to stop serving the site.   Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-12 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #service providers


Walliams calls for better access to reading, ‘safeguarding’ of libraries

David Walliams has called for better access to reading and for libraries to be safeguarded, revealing he would introduce new laws on children’s literacy if he were prime minister.  Continue reading at The Bookseller

[ The Bookseller | 2018-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #david walliams


Industry Notes: Bologna Round Table in New York; New ‘Handmaid’ Images in Milan

The Bologna Children's Book Fair's 50th year illustration exhibition has a session in New York this week, and Milan illustrators Anna and Elena Balbusso produce new 'Handmaid's Tale' artwork ahead of Margaret Atwood's sequel. The post Industry Notes: Bologna Round Table in New York; New... Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2018-12-11 00:00:00 UTC ]
More news stories like this | News stories tagged with: #bologna children #book fair #margaret atwood