{"id":598333,"date":"2023-01-17T05:50:41","date_gmt":"2023-01-17T11:50:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/news.sellorbuyhomefast.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/17\/the-tech-industry-still-has-a-long-way-to-go-when-it-comes-to-accessibility\/"},"modified":"2023-01-17T05:50:41","modified_gmt":"2023-01-17T11:50:41","slug":"the-tech-industry-still-has-a-long-way-to-go-when-it-comes-to-accessibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2023\/01\/17\/the-tech-industry-still-has-a-long-way-to-go-when-it-comes-to-accessibility\/","title":{"rendered":"The tech industry still has a long way to go when it comes to accessibility"},"content":{"rendered":"
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A<\/span>s many in the accessibility community will tell you, inclusive design isn\u2019t an endeavor that\u2019s \u201cone and done.\u201d It\u2019s a continuous, ongoing effort to ensure that as new products and services are made, people with different needs or disabilities aren\u2019t 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\u2019ve selected have an outsized impact and influence on the industry..<\/p>\n

Last year, we saw significant developments that could pave the way for more accessible designs in future, such as the opening of Microsoft\u2019s Inclusive Tech Lab. In October, the University of Illinois (UIUC) partnered with Amazon, Apple, Google, Meta and Microsoft on a Speech Accessibility Project<\/a> 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<\/a>, amid everything else that happened in that hellhole.<\/p>\n

All around the industry, we saw pieces of news that showed greater interest overall in accessible products and design. According to LinkedIn\u2019s<\/a> vice president of engineering, Erran Berger, there has been a 33 percent increase in the last year in \u201cpeople sharing insights, ideas and problem solving together related to accessibility\u201d. Berger said this corresponded with a \u201csignificant uptick in the total annual number of U.S. job postings with the word \u2019accessibility\u2019 in the job title.\u201d LinkedIn data shows that these postings have \u201cspiked 171 [percent] since September 2019.\u201d<\/p>\n

This increased interest permeated all of tech. Comcast debuted its Xfinity large button voice remote<\/a> last year, for example, while popular chat app Discord updated its Windows app<\/a> to support high contrast mode, as well as enable alt-text for image in iOS. There were also plenty of startups and smaller device makers that are creating products like wearables and hearing aids to help those with disabilities better interact with the world.<\/p>\n

As we continue to call for a more inclusive design process that follows the accessibility community\u2019s mantra of \u201cnothing about us without us,\u201d it\u2019s worth taking the time to see which companies have fared well and which have failed to consider people with different needs.<\/p>\n

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Amazon<\/p>\n<\/figure>\n

Amazon<\/h2>\n

Like most companies on this list, Amazon updated a number of its products across various categories to offer better accessibility<\/a>. For example, it added gesture support to Echo Shows, allowing users to dismiss timers by waving or holding up an open palm, so those who don\u2019t want to or can\u2019t use their voice to silence alarms can do so without touching the device. It also added support for audio streaming for hearing aids to its Fire TV platform, and brought the Tap To Speech (or Tap To Alexa) feature<\/a> from its Fire tablets to the Echo Show displays.<\/p>\n

Amazon also teamed up with a selection of organizations to bring its products to communities that could benefit from them. It donates products like Echos, Ring home security devices and more to Home For Our Troops and the Gary Sinise Foundation, which help get these to veterans. The company also works with the National Association of the Blind in India by giving local school districts Echo devices so they can be used as teaching aids for kids with vision disabilities.<\/p>\n

Many new Alexa features also have accessibility benefits. The Person and Package announcements<\/a>, for example, let you know through the Alexa mobile app, Echo Show, Fire TV or Fire Tablet when your compatible Ring camera or video doorbell detects a\u2026 you guessed it, person or package. This way, you can choose to be alerted by visual or audio cues. On the latest Echo Dot, an onboard accelerometer allows you to tap the top of the speaker to pause and resume media playback, snooze alarms or end timers and calls. This offers those with speech impairments an alternative means of interacting with the device.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s also worth noting that Amazon\u2019s remote caregiving service Alexa Together also received updates<\/a> that allow users to add more family members to care for aging loved ones, and enabled primary caregivers to remotely set up Routines for their wards.<\/p>\n

In October, the company released a new campaign that included videos featuring an Amazon employee and people with disabilities using accessibility features across Alexa, Fire TV and more. It also redesigned its accessibility home page to make its tools easier to discover. And, as we\u2019ve mentioned in previous editions of this report, the company\u2019s venture capital arm \u2014 the Alexa Fund \u2014 invests in startups, some of which work on products to improve accessibility.<\/p>\n

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