Simplifying the New WCAG 2.1 Guidelines
Recommendations for new accessibility guidelines were released on January 30, 2018 by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). In this new draft version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), none of the current 2.0 Success Criteria have been altered. Instead, 17 additional criteria have been recommended for 2.1. This article is intended to help […]
Revised Section 508 Standards Now in Effect
In the United States, the Revised Section 508 Standards went into effect on January 18, 2018, a year after the U.S. Access Board published the final rule of the updated Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Standards and Guidelines. The Revised 508 Standards, and the accompanying updates to Section 255 of the Communications Act, have transformed […]
Streamlining the Workplace Accommodations Process
I’ve been deaf since contracting spinal meningitis at two years old. I am accustomed to a world without sound. Many call it silence, but from my perspective, I’m here to make as much noise as possible – at work and in my personal life. As a sixth grader, I wrote my first program using BASIC […]
The Power of an Inclusive Workforce
Mobility and independence are powerful devices, especially for someone with a disability. Every year as we celebrate International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I am reminded why I work for IBM – its long history of inclusion, commitment to workforce diversity, and innovations in accessibility. I joined IBM in 2013 for the IBM Accessibility Research team […]
What Does Accessibility, Diversity and Inclusion Mean to IBM?
by Dr. Ruoyi Zhou, Director, IBM Accessibility Research, and Lindsay-Rae McIntyre, IBM Chief Diversity Officer Celebrating and reflecting on the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, we call upon everyone to build awareness and create real change for people with disabilities. Through workforce policies and new technology innovations, we must ensure that people of all abilities […]
Looking to the Future in Celebration of International Day of Persons with Disabilities
When I began working in the accessibility field, I relied on interaction, empathy and observation to help identify the challenges of users with disabilities. There were two things that really made the job fascinating: the constant opportunity for technical innovation, and the ongoing, invigorating phenomenon of witnessing users benefit directly from my interventions. Now, 18 […]
Effects of AI on Aging and Ability
I recently attended the Boston Accessibility and Grace Hopper conferences, and from Orlando to Cambridge, artificial intelligence (AI) was at the center of discussions. The next generation of accessibility technology will be driven by AI and have a profound effect on improving the lives of people with disabilities and our growing aging population. It is poised to augment our […]
The Impact of AI on Accessibility
At the recent Boston Accessibility Conference, Dr. Ruoyi Zhou, Director of IBM Accessibility Research, hosted an exciting session on the possibilities of AI, machine learning and virtual reality to benefit people with disabilities. The panelists, who included leaders and innovators from MIT, Open Access Technologies, Rendever, Aira and the Massachusetts Association of the Blind, all […]
Tell Me Something I Didn’t Already Know About Aging
I attended the recent NIC Fall Conference in Chicago that was focused on aging, eldercare, and senior housing and care properties. The conference wrapped up with four interesting TED-like “NIC Talks” that delved into the theme, “Tell Us Something We Don’t Already Know About Aging.” Each presenter gave their perspectives on innovative approaches to technology, and how […]