Category Archives: Accessible Engagement

by | May 8, 2013 · 10:44 pm

Digital workplace accessibility

A blog for Global Accessibility Awareness Day

The purpose of this day, May 9, is to get people talking, thinking and learning about digital (web, software, mobile, etc.) accessibility and users with different disabilities.

In New Zealand consideration of web and digital accessibility most attention is paid to public-facing websites that offer public information and services. We need to broaden the discussion, as digital applications have penetrated most areas of our daily life, accompanied by accessibility questions.

The workplace is increasingly digital. Some years ago I wrote an article for the Human Resources Journal, subsequently published on the Neon web site, An Accessible Work Wide Web.  Since then a great deal has changed, although some of the same accessibility tips I outlined then are still useful. It is time for Human Resources (HR) people to explore digital accessibility again. A few questions, by no means comprehensive, might help the discussion get started.

It is important to note that accessibility issues affect a range of disabled people, not just those using screen readers.

The recruitment process

  • Most recruiting is done online. How accessible are these processes, the web sites carrying the advertisement, the job descriptions, the forms for completion, responses and so on?
  • What happens if someone asks for information in an accessible format?
  • How easy is it for an applicant to discover what digital tools they need to be familiar with, to meet work requirements?

At the interview

  • Are people asked appropriately about their digital accessibility requirements as well as their physical access needs?
  • Is a test task accessible to all candidates?
  • How are interview questions about assistive technology handled?

In the workplace

  • When a disabled person starts work can they “hit the ground running” with their assistive technology?
  • Is your workplace truly inclusive or is there a scramble to cobble together an individual accommodation?
  • When tendering for intranet development and social media platforms what weight is given to accessibility?
  • How closely do you work with communications, web and IT people to achieve the best accessible outcomes for everyone in your organisation?
  • Do you know how and where to get help on digital accessibility?

Of course the whole thing would just go away if you rejected all applications from disabled people, (that you know about,) as too much trouble, but the risk is that you might just miss the best person for the job. That won’t solve the question of an ageing work force, or staff who acquire disabilities either. They might need digital accessibility so you can retain their skills and experience.

Like anything else, good planning and strategy will bring positive, productive results and prevent costly mistakes in terms of lost productivity, clumsy workarounds, or at worst human rights complaints or personal grievances.

Introducing accessibility using the concepts of universal design is a win-win in the workplace.

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Filed under Accessible Engagement, Disability Issues, Disability Rights, Inclusion, Information Accessibility, Web Accessibility

by | December 21, 2012 · 2:56 pm

Reviewing 2012 and looking forward

The end of the year is always busy, but it is also a time to reflect on the year passing as well as looking ahead.

This year saw the completion of our new AccEase  web site, and the development of our Facebook page. During the latter part of the year there was a strong human rights focus in our work, with less emphasis on the web. It is interesting to note that the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, (CRPD) monitoring report to Parliament revealed that no government web site completely met the web standards. This is rather depressing when they have been bound by the standards, including accessibility, for some time.

The same report also confirmed the reluctance of government departments to engage directly with disabled people and their representative organisations.

Our work at AccEase is becoming more diverse, while still focusing on disability of course. It is always interesting, changing and evolving. For example, our social marketing research, Mapping the Change, was published earlier in the year, we contributed to human rights monitoring, and provided strategic accessibility and human rights advice, delivered workshops as well as our usual web site auditing.  We are looking forward to updating some of our workshops in the New Year, and developing some new products as a result of the economic situation and customer demand.

For years there has been talk of the paperless office, and generally talk is all it has been! My own attempts in this direction are proving to be surprisingly successful. The only printing I have done for some time now has been pdf forms for completion and handing on. The iPad is very accessible, weighs less than my diary, and accompanies me almost everywhere. Filing is easier and my tiny office is less cluttered. I can also now read my own notes, even if unnoticed auto correct and auto complete sometimes result in puzzling meanings.

On a personal note, this year I indulged my love of music by joining a book group and singing with two small choirs. As I write this National Radio is playing the usual Christmas schmaltz, and I wonder why we don’t hear some of the really beautiful Christmas music that would uplift the spirit rather than irritate.

Wellington is always pleasantly quiet over Christmas. After our winter Christmas in the UK last year I am looking forward to some serious summer. For those readers who celebrate Christmas, merry Christmas, to those who don’t, my good wishes, and I wish everyone a safe and restful holiday break.

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Filed under Accessible Engagement, Disability Issues, Disability Rights, Inclusion, Information Accessibility, Miscellaneous, Web Accessibility

by | December 10, 2012 · 1:19 pm

International Human Rights Day

Today, December 10 is the United Nations International Day of Human rights. It is the anniversary of the signing of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights in 1948. The rights it covers underpin the Covenants of Civil and Political Rights, and of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, and form the basis for the Conventions such as the Convention to End all forms of Racial Discrimination (CERD), the Convention on the Elimination of all forms of Discrimination against Women, (CEDAW), The Convention on the Rights of the Child (CROC) and of course the Convention on the Rights of Disabled People, (CRPD). They are all interlinked and support an inclusive international human rights framework.

This year, the spotlight is on the rights of all people — women, youth, minorities, people with disabilities, indigenous people, poor and marginalized people — to make their voices heard in public life and be included in political decision-making. Taking a practical human rights approach to policy development, programmes, community work, activism, service provision and other activities will contribute to a human rights based society.

A human rights approach includes:

  1. Linking of decision-making at every level to human rights standards set out in the relevant international human rights Covenants and Conventions. New Zealand has ratified many of these.
  2. Identification of all the human rights involved, with a balancing of rights, prioritising those of the most vulnerable, to maximise respect for rights and rights-holders.
  3. An emphasis on the participation of individuals and groups in decision-making that affects them.
  4. Non-discrimination among individuals and groups through equal enjoyment of rights and obligations by all.
  5. Empowerment of individuals and groups by allowing them to use rights as leverage for action and to legitimise their voice in decision-making.
  6. Accountability for actions and decisions, which allows individuals and groups to complain about decisions that affect them adversely.

United Nations Logo @012 Human Rights Day - My Voice Counts

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Filed under Accessible Engagement, Disability Issues, Disability Rights, Inclusion, Information Accessibility, Web Accessibility, Women

by | December 3, 2012 · 9:43 am

International Day of Disabled People

Today, December 3, is the United Nations International Day of Disabled People.

The theme this year is:

Removing barriers to create an inclusive and accessible society for all.

All around the world disabled people and their supporters and allies plan events and celebrations to support the theme on this day. Of course removing barriers should be an everyday activity everywhere, but the international day gives us an opportunity to focus on a particular theme.

I will attend the launch of New Zealand’s annual monitoring report to Parliament by the designated monitoring group. The group consists of The Convention Coalition of disabled people’s organisations,  The New Zealand Human Rights Commission and the Office of the Ombudsman.  I was a member of the team who wrote the report.

This report will be another useful tool for disabled people here to use in their advocacy for justice and human rights. It should make interesting reading. After the launch, I will publish the link on Twitter, @AccEase, on our web site, and the AccEase Facebook page. Future blogs will explore themes from the report.

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Filed under Accessible Engagement, Disability Issues, Disability Rights, Inclusion, Information Accessibility, Web Accessibility

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