accessibility
Reflections from a Brief Detour
About a month ago, I was “temporarily disabled” – I could not move without severe abdominal pain. I was diagnosed with appendicitis and had to undergo emergency surgery to remove the offending organ because it had enlarged to roughly threefold the average size. During the recovery, I was bedridden and under the constant care of […]
A look back on my summer internship with the IBM Accessibility team
After spending my sophomore and junior years working on assistive technology projects with Northwestern University’s Inclusive Technology Lab, the opportunity to explore accessibility research at IBM was an exciting introduction into the industry. I worked on everything from server configuration to front-end development to design research interviews. This broad range of experience made for a […]
Puzzle Solving with Computer Vision and Watson Services
Who doesn’t love the challenge of solving a puzzle? Jigsaw puzzles are a popular hobby for all ages and have been an important tool in a child’s physical, cognitive and emotional development. Children can develop physical skills such as better hand/eye coordination; cognitive skills such as shape recognition, memory, and problem solving; and emotional skills […]
Call for Code Brings Unique Opportunities for Inclusive Innovations
These are exciting times at IBM, following CEO Ginni Rometty’s May 24th announcement about Call for Code. As Laurent Sauveur of the United Nations Human Rights office points out, Call for Code is an excellent opportunity to explore how technology can play a role in addressing the needs of the most vulnerable populations. IBMer Daniel […]
Erich Manser Inducted into The Carroll Society
Today IBM Accessibility evangelist Erich Manser was inducted into The Carroll Center for the Blind’s Carroll Society. Each year the Carroll Center for the Blind and the Massachusetts Commission for the Blind recognize blind and visually impaired professionals who have made significant contributions to the companies for which they work. Established in 1936, The Carroll Center […]
Free Accessibility Tools and Technology Pay It Forward
May 17 marks the seventh anniversary of Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD). GAAD was introduced to spark a conversation around digital accessibility to get people thinking and learning about accessibility. While the conversation is important, we must remember this is not a theoretical exercise. These are real challenges affecting people daily, but tackling these challenges […]
AI-Enabled Tools and Automation to Improve Accessibility
Try Automated Accessibility Tools wth Unlimited Scans through June The IBM Accessibility Research team is laser-focused on seamlessly integrating accessibility into the development process. We have developed a suite of IBM Automated Accessibility Tools to help development teams easily and effortlessly “make accessibility happen.” Teams that use our tools tell us: “The automated tests run […]
Updates to the Va11yS Open Source Project
With Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD) quickly approaching, Sharon and I thought it would a be a good time to give you a brief update on our open source Verified Accessibility Samples project – or Va11yS. Jack Dam, our Accessibility Test Engineer, has been rigorously testing the latest samples and adding the results for […]
IBM Employees with Disabilities Volunteer Time to Create Accessible Technology
Who better to confirm the accessibility of solutions before they are released to market than people with disabilities? Being visually impaired, I rely considerably on magnification and altered colors to see what’s on my device screens. One day, not long ago, I sat in a room full of developers in a meeting and it was illuminating to […]