In this presentation, Dr Scott Hollier addresses the latest updates from trial sites of the NDIS rollout and provides case studies examining workforce transition, funding models and marketing strategies. This presentation covers the top three ICT questions that are often asked, three important factors regarding disability and technology, useful advice for job seekers and employers, and an overview of ICT access in the workplace as well as useful resources for service providers looking to improve accessibility.

1. Supporting
employment
with accessible
communications
Dr Scott Hollier
National Disability Summit 2015

2. 2
• Australia’s only independent not-for-
profit organisation devoted to
increasing access to media for
people with disabilities
• Provides expert knowledge and
advice on existing and emerging
mainstream technologies
• Works as a catalyst for change in
multiple areas of access
Who is Media Access
Australia?

3. Who am I?
• Professional:
• Manager, Major Projects
• W3C Advisory Committee
• Academic:
• Edith Cowan University, Adjunct Lecturer
• PhD thesis ‘The Disability Divide’
• Personal: Legally blind, first-hand
knowledge of access issues

4. Top 3 ICT employment
questions we get asked
1. What is the best way to provide ICT
support to job seekers with
disabilities, including job
interviews?
2. How can employers ensure the
recruitment process and workplace
environment is accessible?
3. How does the NDIS fit into all this?

5. Disability and technology:
three important factors
• Mainstream computers and mobile
devices include a wealth of accessibility
features
• Web accessibility is critical in making
assistive technologies work
• NDIA processes, both current and
proposed procurement, favour specialist
products and vendors over mainstream

6. Finding employment:
advice for job seekers
• Get familiar with accessibility features of
popular computer and mobile OS
• Find out what mainstream ICT the
potential employer uses
• Be prepared to explain how you use a
computer and your AT
• Free AT may be a good stop-gap
measure

7. Finding employment:
advice for employers
• Ads: never use a scanned
PDF
• Interview: give candidates a
chance to explain ICT
needs
• Be open to different
interview techniques
• Keep your organisation's
ICT up to date

8. ICT accessibility in the
workplace: Windows 7/8.1
• Change the icon and text size
• Mouse pointer size & movement
• High contrast colour themes
• ToggleKeys
• Visual alerts
• On-screen keyboard
• Magnifier (touch-enabled in 8)
• Narrator screen reader (better in 8)
• NVDA: free alternative to Narrator

9. ICT accessibility in the
workplace: Mac
Improvements over Windows:
• Better screen reader
VoiceOver
• Braille display support
However…
• VoiceOver doesn’t work
with the Office suite, works
mostly with OpenOffice for
Mac

10. ICT accessibility in the
workplace: iOS & Watch
iOS (IPhone/iPad)
• Great access: VoiceOver, zoom,
captioned video, colour changes.
• App compatibility improving,
AppleVis good crowdsourcing
advice website
Apple Watch:
• Includes some iOS features such as
VoiceOver, zoom, audio in one ear

11. ICT accessibility in the
workplace: Android
Google Android phone and tablets:
• Talkback screen reader,
magnifier, colour contrast
adjustments (5.x), global caption
support
• Good third-party apps like BIG
Launcher
• More affordable than Apple
However…
• Only really a viable alternative if
running Android 4.2+

12. Support in the workplace:
Policy
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG) 2.0 Level AA recommended
by AHRC
• Relevant to Section 24 of DDA 1992
• Requirements of UNCRPD
• Also an ISO standard

13. Support in the workplace:
Web presence
• Focus on WCAG 2.0 implementation
• Guidelines include:
• Alternative text on images
• Captioned video
• Colour contrast ratios
• Keyboard accessible
• Enough time to complete process
• Easy to find things
• Avoid and correct mistakes

14. Support in the workplace:
Documents
• Consider the best document format
(HTML, Word, PDF)
• HTML: avoid ‘click here’, be
descriptive
• Word: use styles and built-in
accessibility checker (2010/2013)
• PDF: use tagging and create from
accessible source

15. Support in workplace:
Social media
• Dedicated accessibility teams at
Facebook and Twitter
• Use Twitter hashtags such as #a11y
for accessibility
• AT helpdesk for Facebook
• Easy Chirp for Twitter
• Keyboard shortcuts for Skype
• Improved caption support on
YouTube

16. NDIS and employment
• Employment a focus of NDIS goals
• Where possible, participants should
consider their ICT needs and who is
appropriate assessor
• Check that service provider responsible
for assessment is aware of the your
preferred solution
• Specifically state ICT needs in goals

17. 17
Service Providers
Accessibility Guide
Quick reference guide
for accessible
communications
Free resource for service
providers

18. 18
• Professional Certificate in Web
Accessibility
• Six week online course
• Tertiary backed, delivered by UniSA and
Media Access Australia
• For ICT professionals to integrate web
accessibility into work practices
Visit: mediaaccess.org.au/learn
Professional development
in web accessibility

19. 19
• Digital Accessibility Maturity
Assessment
• Accessible content workshops
• Website testing and auditing
• Document remediation
Free advice on accessibility:
Geoff Knight
Business Development Manager
E-mail: geoff.knight@mediaaccess.org.au
Need help with digital
accessibility issues?

20. Further information
• E-mail:
scott.hollier@mediaaccess.org.au
• Telephone:
• (02) 9212 6242 (head office)
• (08) 9311 8230 (direct)
• Website: www.mediaaccess.org.au
• Twitter: @mediaaccessaus