Social Media Accessibility Project

1. Social Media Accessibility Project Dr Scott Hollier OZeWAI 2011

2. Who is Media Access Australia • Not-for-profit organisation addressing access issues in: • TV • Cinema • DVD • Education • Digital and Online Media • Access issues include captioning, audio description, computer- related and Internet-related access issues

3. Who am I? • Professional: • Project Manager & WA Manager for MAA • W3C Advisory Committee representative • Academic: PhD thesis examined ways to make computers and the Internet more accessible to people with disabilities • Personal: Legally blind, first-hand knowledge of access issues

4. Introduction • Why is social media important to consumers with disabilities? • Social media project overview • How social media has changed in recent years • What consumers with disabilities need • Creating consumers resources • Overcoming accessibility issues in popular social media tools • Project timelines and release date

5. Defining social media • Definition of social media: • Agroup of Internet-based applications that build on the ideological and technological foundations of Web 2.0, and that allow the creation and exchange of User Generated Content (Kaplan and Halnlien, 2010). • Social media in practical terms: • The need to create, modify, share, and discuss Internet content in a particular situation. (Kietzmannet. Al. 2011)

6. Benefits of social media • We want to create, modify, share and discuss in areas of: • Personal life • Work • Entertainment • Provision of goods and services • Education

7. Benefits for people with disabilities • Personal: share and discuss in environments without prejudice • Work: overcome high levels of unemployment through online interaction • Entertainment: sharing captioned videos, play online games • Provision of goods and services: getting Dominos pizza vouchers

8. Social media project • In 2009, Media Access Australia released its Social Media Accessibility Review • Original aim: to provide guidance in a fledgling social media environment as to which tools were most accessible (eg Facebook V MySpace)

9. What’s changed? • Consumers with disabilities no longer want to know which tool to use for a particular task, they’ve already decided • New resources need to find the best way for consumers with disabilities to use that tool

10. Current accessibility project • Australian Communications Consumers Action Network (ACCAN) provided funding to MAA to update report and create practical consumer guides • Project commenced in June, likely to be completed in February 2012 • Tools selected: Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, LinkedIn, BlogSpot and Skype

11. Research process • Online marketing with e-mails and Twitter through ACCAN and MAA consumer groups asked consumers with disabilities to share their thoughts • 49 people provided tips and tricks on getting around social media accessibility • This was combined with online research and personal interviews to gain information

12. Key questions • What can the social media tool do? • What are the specific benefits to me? • What tips and tricks can help me get around the accessibility issues? • How can I get set up to use it for the first time? • How do I perform the necessary everyday tasks? • Where do I go for help?

13. Accessibility of tools & wcag 2.0 • Research by Denis Boudreau of AccessibilitéWebin September took WCAG 2.0 and converted into percentage • LinkedIn 29% • YouTube 18% • Google+ 9% • Facebook 9% • Twitter 0%

14. Facebook tips & tricks • Use mobile site m.facebook.com • Additional keyboard shortcuts • WAI-ARIA support • Assistive technology support to overcome CAPTCHA and use screen readers • Facely HD app for iOS

15. LinkedIntips & tricks • Finding people easier using Google than LinkedIn’s own search • LinkedIn support receptive to needs of consumers with disabilities (removed CAPTCHA) • LinkedIn app on iOS accessible

16. YouTube tips and tricks • Automated caption service • Free caption editors: Overstream • Accessible YouTube players: Accessible YouTube and Easy YouTube • YouTube app on iOS works well with screen reader

17. TwitterTips & tricks • Easy Chirp accessible Twitter portal www.easychrip.com • Lots of accessible apps on iOS: main app, Twitterrific, Twittelator for iPad, Tweetosaurus, Tweetero, TweetList Pro • Using Twitter itself a good way to ask questions about disability-0related issues

18. BlogSpottips & tricks • Embedding accessible media • Redirecting to accessible media players (eg accessible YouTube) • Using BlogSpot to blog about disability-related issues

19. Skype • Windows: • Screen reader mode • Additional keyboard commands • Mac: fairly accessible • iOS: fairly accessible • Resources for accessibility of other platforms

20. Timeline and release • The final resources will consist of: • Full report on social media accessibility, accessibility tools in major OS, in-depth consumers guides • Tip sheets for each social media tools • Currently in draft , being user tested • Due for release February 2012

21. OTHER MAA PROJECTS • Industry course: • Joint project with MAA and UniSA • Co-taught with Dr Denise Wood of UniSA • 6 weeks online, to help ICT professionals incorporate accessibility into work practices • Includes AT use, WCAG 2.0 basic and advanced, ATAG 2.0, website auditing • Pilot currently running with 19 students • 3-4 planned for next year, taking expressions of interest now

22. FURTHER INFORMATION Advice is free! • E-mail: scott.hollier@mediaaccess.org.au • Telephone: (08) 9311 8230 • Website: www.mediaaccess.org.au • Twitter: @mediaaccessaus • LinkedIn profile and YouTube clips also online