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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March StatShot: US Book Industry Up 3.2 Percent Year-to-Date

The AAP StatShot figures for March 2023 arrive with trade revenues up 0.2 percent for the month of March, 1.1 percent year-to-date. The post March StatShot: US Book Industry Up 3.2 Percent Year-to-Date appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-06-09 16:06:34 UTC ]
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Group Challenges Arkansas Law That Criminalizes Access to Some Books

A lawsuit says the edict “forces bookstores and libraries to self-censor in a way that is antithetical to their core purposes.” Continue reading at The New York Times

[ The New York Times | 2023-06-02 18:12:34 UTC ]
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Innovation Fuels the Thriving Audiobook Industry

Publishers are developing new strategies and leveraging existing strengths in the ever-evolving audiobook market. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-06-02 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Nonprofit To Make Book Fairs Accessible to Underserved Students

The nonprofit of an independent bookstore in California is making book fairs accessible to underserved students. Continue reading at Book Riot

[ Book Riot | 2023-06-01 18:58:52 UTC ]
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The Morning After: Industry leaders say AI presents 'risk of extinction' on par with nuclear war

With the rise of AI language models and tools like ChatGPT and Bard, we've heard warnings from people involved, like Elon Musk, about the risks posed by AI. Now, a group of high-profile industry leaders has issued a one-sentence statement: “Mitigating the risk of extinction from AI should be a... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-31 11:15:45 UTC ]
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Amazon's Fire TV Stick 4K Max drops to $35, plus the rest of this week's best tech deals

The biggest news in tech this week came from Google's annual developer conference on Wednesday. They announced three new devices: The Pixel 7a smartphone, the Pixel Tablet and the Pixel Fold. Discounts on brand new products don't happen often, but both Amazon and Google were quick to bundle... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-12 15:15:04 UTC ]
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Publishing Industry Sales Inched Up in February

Gains in religious and higher educational publishing offset dips in the trade segments in February, resulting in a 0.2% sales gain for the 1,240 publishers that report sales to AAP's StatShot program. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-12 04:00:00 UTC ]
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‘There’s a lot of desperation’: Confessions of a PR industry veteran on PR’s ‘reputation problem’

PR pros say they're feeling the pressure of new client demands in a changing digital media landscape. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-05-10 04:01:00 UTC ]
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‘There’s a lot of desperation’: Confessions of a PR industry veteran on PR’s ‘reputation problem’

PR pros say they're feeling the pressure of new client demands in a changing digital media landscape. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-05-10 04:01:00 UTC ]
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The second-gen Apple Pencil drops to $89, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

It's Friday, which means it's time for another roundup of good deals on recommended tech. Among this week's highlights, the second-gen Apple Pencil is back down to an all-time low of $89, while the latest Echo Dot is within $5 of the best price we've tracked at $30. If you need to upgrade the... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-05-05 16:30:08 UTC ]
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New Leaf Literary & Media Evolves Team to Meet Changing Industry Demands

The New York City-based literary agency announced three new director-level promotions among several new hires and staff changes across the agency. Continue reading at Publishers Weekly

[ Publishers Weekly | 2023-05-04 04:00:00 UTC ]
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Digital content platforms and streamers pitch new ad formats in short and long-form video on NewFronts day two

On IAB NewFronts day two, digital content platforms and streamers pitched new ad formats (with a focus on artificial intelligence and shoppable content) in short-form social video and longer-form TV shows and movies. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-05-03 10:01:00 UTC ]
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How to send long documents to your Kindle for comfier reading

Your eyes, back, and neck will thank you. In the ninth circle of hell, there’s a laptop, a rickety desk, a squeaky chair with abysmal lumbar support, and a 39-page white paper to be read.Read Full Story Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-04-29 03:05:00 UTC ]
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iRobot's Roomba 694 drops back to $180, plus the rest of the week's best tech deals

Two factors had an effect on the deals we saw this week: spring sales and early Mother's Day promotions. Even if you don't need a gift for a mom or it's still cold (or weirdly summery hot) where you are, you can snag a decent price on some of our recommended tech. Like our top budget robot... Continue reading at Engadget

[ Engadget | 2023-04-28 18:00:16 UTC ]
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A Summary and Analysis of Ray Bradbury’s ‘The Long Rain’

By Dr Oliver Tearle (Loughborough University) ‘The Long Rain’ is one of the best-known and most widely studied short stories by the American writer Ray Bradbury (1920-2012). Although Bradbury preferred to describe himself as a ‘fantasy’ writer, this story is most accurately categorised as... Continue reading at Interesting Literature

[ Interesting Literature | 2023-04-28 14:00:00 UTC ]
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At London Book Fair: Brexit and Creative Industry Funding

Describing an 'inward-looking atmosphere,' panelists at London Book Fair explored the funding impact of Brexit on the literature market. The post At London Book Fair: Brexit and Creative Industry Funding appeared first on Publishing Perspectives. Continue reading at Publishing Perspectives

[ Publishing Perspectives | 2023-04-26 13:37:28 UTC ]
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How the gun industry’s ‘quick and fearful’ reaction to Columbine foreshadowed its turn to extremism

In this excerpt from ‘Gunflight,’ Ryan Busse, a former firearms exec turned gun-safety activist, explores the industry’s response to America’s first high-profile school shooting, and the shift to today’s radicalized gun landscape. Ryan Busse is a former firearms executive who spent 25 years at... Continue reading at Fast Company

[ Fast Company | 2023-04-26 05:00:00 UTC ]
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BuzzFeed News’ business model turned to dust because they were always at the whim of mercurial tech titans | James Hennessy

BuzzFeed changed the way news was reported for the digital age. But it became a casualty of its lopsided relationship with FacebookThe announcement of the demise of BuzzFeed News last week felt unlike the cavalcade of media closures and layoffs of the past decade. In a sense, it represented the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-26 03:36:53 UTC ]
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CNN’s new, proprietary publishing platform helps ‘reduce tech debt’

CNN has a new CMS, which it built to cut back on costs, improve reader engagement and draw in advertisers. Continue reading at Digiday

[ Digiday | 2023-04-20 04:01:00 UTC ]
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UK publishing industry reports record-breaking year in 2022

There were 669m physical books sold in the UK last year, according to new figures from the Publishers AssociationThe UK publishing industry had a “record-breaking year” in 2022, with a total income of £6.9bn.A Year in Publishing, a look at the state of the book market by trade body the... Continue reading at The Guardian

[ The Guardian | 2023-04-17 11:26:08 UTC ]
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