At the 39th Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference , Tech for All partnered with Macmillan Learning to present on topics in accessibility, learning, and publishing.
The CSUN Assistive Technology Conference is an industry-leading internationally known event that showcases emerging research and new technologies in the field.
TFA Presenter: Crista Earl, MacMillan Learning Presenter: Rachel Comerford Attendees learned about building accessible writing tools and the associated challenges. We talked about challenges with highlighting and keyboard navigation, multi-user feedback, text formatting, and communicating with users about accessibility features.
Inclusivity isn’t just a virtue; it’s a requirement in today’s digital era. It sets the stage for a digital landscape where every interaction is effortless, fully inclusive, and user-friendly. This landscape is the end goal of digital accessibility—an ongoing mission to build websites, applications, and digital resources accessible to all, including those with disabilities.
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TFA presented at the 26th annual Accessing Higher Ground (AHG) conference in Denver, Colorado. Team members presented with partners on three important topics in higher education:
Presenters: Crista Earl (Tech for All), Dr. Dustin Politica (Macmillan Learning), and Rachel Comerford (Macmillan Learning) In 2018 a collaborative team of content experts, educators, accessibility experts, and software developers began a project to build a web-based environment for chemistry and biology lab simulations. Macmillan Learning and its partners incorporated accessibility principles and approaches into the development from the beginning to ensure all students can utilize the tool and complete virtual experiments. We examine challenges and solutions to making a highly visual and dynamic web app accessible.
Presenters: Leon McNaught (Cal State LA) and Sue Cullen (Tech for All) This is a discussion of alternatives to lengthy reviews of low-quality Accessibility Conformance Reports (ACRs). Pivot from poor documentation and shift the onus to vendors to demonstrate the functionality of their products for individuals with disabilities. Timely leverage of this tactic resets the accessibility discussion and avoids wasting precious time and resources. Use the information obtained from this process (whether positive or negative) to guide favorable outcomes and avoid the quagmire of unknowingly purchasing inaccessible products.
Presenters: Jessica A. Martin, Ph.D. (ACS Publications) and Crista Earl (Tech for All) ACS Publications discussed the work they have done over the last three years in collaboration with Tech for All to make engaging, pedagogically sound, and accessible digital courses to support the chemistry curriculum in higher education. In this talk, we discuss overcoming three challenges in particular: hot spot exercises, matching activities, and accurate voice over.
At the 38th Annual CSUN Assistive Technology Conference, Tech for All presented two sessions on universal design and accessibility. The CSUN Assistive Technology Conference is an industry-leading internationally known event that showcases emerging research and new technologies in the field.
TFA Presenters: Cathy Schmitt Whitaker, Sue Cullen and Elaine Ober“Accessibility & Universal Design Connection with Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion” presentation slides (pdf)
Organizations across industries are grappling with the intersection of accessibility and universal design with diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI)In this session, TFA will share examples and factors of common application of inclusive design and inclusionary practices.
TFA Presenters: Crista Earl, MacMillan Learning: Dustin Politica Joint presentation with TFA & Macmillan Learning. We examine challenges and solutions to making a highly visual and dynamic web app accessible. Topics include building accessible “drag and drop” functionality, providing color information beyond the pixels, and communicating with a skeptical audience.“Solving Accessibility Problems in Virtual Lab Environments” presentation slides (pdf)
As part of Tech for All’s mission to ensure all lives are enriched by technology, we’re proud to sponsor a new annual scholarship award through the American Council of the Blind’s (ACB) Scholarship Program. The inaugural recipient of the Tech For All – ACB scholarship is Robert Lamm, an undergraduate environmental engineering major at Colorado State University in Fort Collins.
The Tech for All – ACB Award is destined for a student majoring in a science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM) program. Robert Lamm was announced as the first recipient of the award at the American Council of the Blind 2022 National Conference and Convention on July 3, 2022.
Since 1982, ACB has offered educational scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $7,500 for those attending a technical college or as an entering freshman, undergraduate or a graduate student. This program awards students merit scholarships to assist with post-secondary education financial needs such as tuition, fees, room and board and other additional costs associated with adaptive technology. To be eligible for a scholarship, applicants need to be legally blind, maintain a 3.0 GPA, be a full-time student (or a student who works 32 or more hours per week and attends college part-time), and be involved in their school/local community.
To learn more about how to apply for the Tech for All – ACB Award and the ACB Scholarship Program, please visit https://acb.org/scholarships.
When you need
The knowledge leader in accessibility
A team with a high level of technical expertise in accessibility
A team with a complete understanding of how people with disabilities can and should interact with your product or service
then TFA is the team you’re looking for.
On July 11, 2019 during its annual conference, The American Council of the Blind presented its highly coveted James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award to Dr. Khosrow Caesar Eghtesadi. The award was presented at ACB’s annual conference held this year in Rochester, NY. The plaque in English and Braille reads,
“ACB James R. Olsen Distinguished Service Award Presented to Doctor Khosrow “Caesar” Eghtesadi for his 20 years of service of making websites, kiosks and mobile apps accessible to the blind community”.
In accepting the award, Dr. Eghtesadi said:
“It is honored to receive this award, thanks to ACB’s leadership and members who selected me. So many people supported me for over 20 years, this award belongs to them. Making products and services accessible for blind users is a long journey, we have a long way to go, I intend to be with you along the way.”
Attendee Brian Charlson, an ACB member, and whose wife Kim Charlson was the first women president of ACB, said this about Dr. Eghtesadi’s valuable contributions in advancing opportunities for blind iand visually-impaired people,
“Dr. Eghtesadi is more than a research academic doing research in technology. Rather, he is a humanitarian entrepreneur using his abilities for the common good of mankind”