A raft of new internet accessibility work by Microsoft will make the web user-experience for people with disabilities far smoother and more sophisticated. AbilityNet has a long-standing relationship with Microsoft, including user-testing its products for more than a decade. It's clear the company is striving to become market-leaders in web accessibility and there is much to be excited about, not least in their innovative approach to using APIs. 

Microsoft Edge: accessibility will leap forward

One of the most significant developments is their work on Microsoft Edge, the new Windows 10 web browser. In particular they're developing an API (Application Programme Interface) for assistive technology to plug into, which could be a real game changer.

In her blog earlier this month, Jenny Lay-Flurrie, chief accessibility officer for Microsoft explained: “We’re working hard on our new browser, Microsoft Edge.

"By the end of 2016, the browser will have improved browsing and reading experiences, not just for those using our built-in assistive technologies, such as Narrator and Magnifier, but also for people who use other commercial assistive technology”.

Having looked at their thinking I'd say that APIs are a smart way to go.

Is this goodbye to slow screenreading for blind people?

At the moment, screenreaders (often used by those with a visual impairment) have to look at the source code of a web page and then recreate the content in a more readable way. Without such translation a blind user wouldn't know what was a button or a link, and the speech would read across multiple columns, making text meaningless.

This approach involves a lot of continual development work on the part of third-party screenreader manufacturers to keep up with each new browser version and new web technology. And, it can be a little hit and miss in terms of results for the user.

The big shift is that Microsoft's new API will do the translation more quickly and smoothly so that screens can be read more easily and efficiently.

Moreover, separating the process from the ‘front end’ of the browser will mean that changes in the User Interface (UI ) won’t necessarily affect what is delivered through the API.

Every second counts...

For me, as a blind person, the internet can be a bit of a nightmare. That's why I'm looking forward to these improvements, especially in speed gains.

It currently takes up to a minute after clicking a link for the browser to download every byte of source code, images and CSS. Only then can my screenreader build the virtual version and finally begin to read a page.

With this new approach I'll get web pages read to me more quickly and reliably, rather than the haphazard way third-party interpretation I sometimes get at the moment.

Many screenreader manufacturers have large teams of developers and do an excellent, if often frustratingly slow job. Others have fewer resources and the result is less consistent. But with the resource that Microsoft’s Accessibility Team has at their disposal, I have a lot of confidence in what can be achieved.

Prof Stephen Hawking and switch access scanning

The API won’t just benefit screenreader users, though. It will work for any assistive technology, including voice recognition, switch access - which is used by Prof Stephen Hawking - magnification software, and of course the good old keyboard.

Tabbing through a typical web page on a keyboard it's easy to lose focus or struggle to access a drop-down menu. Having an API with the commitment and smarts of Microsoft behind it should give everyone better access to even the most complex of websites or web apps.

Dynamically changing content, fly out menus and embedded widgets should all now be seen in a new light and I for one, as a blind user, am truly excited.

Disabled user testing is vital

Alongside this shift in Microsoft's thinking it's hugely important to AbilityNet and our extensive community of users with a disability or impairment across the world, that technology companies publicly commit to the accessibility of their products. To achieve best practice, they must also employ a wide range of users to test their products and services, and they must listen to them as early in the design process as possible.

Microsoft is significantly stepping up the testing it is doing with users who have disabilities – and AbilityNet is extremely proud to be a part of that process. Watch our blog for future developments. We'll be sure to keep you posted.

Learn more about our approach to accessibility testing.

(Pictured: Stephen Hawking)

Yesterday was University Mental Health day and our social media feeds are full of  posts about events  going on around the country at different universities. AbilityNet is proud to support this day because we realise that mental health and physical health and equally important. Mental health is a vital part of achieving your full potential in higher education.

For many people, university is thetime of your life when you can move somewhere new and have lots of new friends and experiences. What could be better, right? But for a number of people, being a student isn't a happy experience.

Research carried out by the NUS in 2013 found that 92% of students had experienced some kind of mental health issue, which often includes feeling down, stressed and demotivated.

Of course, there are all sorts of pressures on students which can affect mental health. Coursework can be a huge pressure.  I remember my third year being a blur of dissertation planning, tutorials and endless re-writing and editing.

Help for disabled students under pressure

I know a lot of my fellow students found it really difficult and AbilityNet is particularly aware of the impact this pressure can have ondisabled students. Imagine trying to write and plan a dissertation when you have dyslexia. Or the stress that you'd get from trying to use a keyboard if you have juvenile arthritis  The physical symptoms of a disability may cause pain, but the mental health issues can be just as debilitating.

Many students don't realise that Disabled Students Allowance (DSA) can help with mental health needs. This is a grant (which you don¹t have to repay) that can pay for specialist technology and support to help you address specific conditions  affecting your studies.

Having the right support in place can help manage stress and DSA funding can provide practical support which can help overcome the challenges. This could include technology which can make it easier to work effectively -ie digital recorders to capture lecture notes. This makes them much easier to access afterwards and can help deal with the pressure of keeping track of key information whilst under stress.

Where to find help

• Our guide to DSAs explains who is eligible and how to apply
• We also have a factsheet about how computers can help reduce stress
• Call our free helpline on 0800 269 545

February is statistically the coldest month of the year. It's also Raynaud's Awareness Month. Raynaud's Phenomenon affects up to 10 million people in the UK and sees the small blood vessels in the extremities constrict more readily, which can lead to fingers and toes feeling extremely cold and numb.

The phenomenon can be triggered by an alteration in temperature, emotional changes, stress, hormones or using vibrating tools, according to the Raynaud's and Scleroderma Association.

Cold hands and tingling fingers can make it impossible to use a standard computer keyboard, so as well as making sure a workspace is warm enough what other ways can technology help someone with Raynaud's?

Living with Raynaud's

Ellie, who has a version known as Secondary Raynaud's and Systemic Scleroderma (SSc) along with Ehlers Danlos Type III (unconnected), is learning to manage the condition.

“Since I can remember I’ve always had hands that felt a bit ‘dead’. I went to the doctors because I heard there were possible treatments for Raynaud’s," she says. 

“My employers have been a fantastic support and we have sat together and agreed adjustments to help me in my role - from little things, like ensuring I am seated away from draughts, to bigger things - like agreeing circumstances where I feel I need to work from home, where they provided me with equipment to do so."

Adjusting technology to help with Raynaud's

Mary Steiner, an AbilityNet assessor in the Midlands, feels the important thing is to keep the working environment warm, but there are some other adjustments that can be made to make life easier.

One thing to look at, she says, is using voice recognition software to dictate to the computer, and minimise the need to type or use the mouse. However not everyone will want to do this, or find it practical in their situation, and there are other options.

“I saw a client who worked all day in a call centre and she found that gripping the mouse made things worse because it further reduced the circulation to her fingers.

"She was having to stop working for 10 or 20 minutes each time her fingers went numb until the feeling returned, so we recommended a flatter, larger mouse which didn't require as much grip.

Tailored support for Raynauld's

“Another was a student whose fingers were sore and cracked because of Raynaud's, so I recommended a soft foam pen grip," says Mary.

The assessor says these adjustments won’t stop the symptoms happening, but it’s sometimes about using a "mixture of little things which each help to improve the situation", she explains.

Raynaud's: A quick guide to helpful tools

AbilityNet assessors suggest the following could help those with the phenomenon work more easily - 

• A heater
• Heated mouse
• Heated gloves
• Fingerless gloves
• Voice recognition software
• Word prediction software
• Light / soft touch keyboard
• Ergonomic pens
• Foam pen grips

Use My Computer My Way to learn more about the ways that you can adjust your computer, laptop, tablet and smartphone for more comfortable working.

Need help adapting your equipment at home, work or college?

Call AbilityNet's free Helpline on: 0800 269 545.

Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution.

Get help at work

Every employer must provide Reasonable Adjustments to accommodate the needs of employees. This could mean support to use the tools we've suggested, or changes to your duties when Raynaud's is affecting your work.

Use Clear Talents On Demand to let your manager know what would help you be more productive. It's free and confidential.

Get help at home

Our network of AbilityNet ITCanHelp volunteers can help people with disabilities deal with computer problems at home, either on the phone or in person.

* Ellie's quote has been edited from a longer case study on the Raynaud's and Schleroderma Association website here. 

Just about every job nowadays uses some sort of technology. That could be a desktop computer or laptop, a telephone, a cash register or a credit card machine. The possibilities, like the array of devices and software, are endless.

That's why employers need to think about how quickly new employees will get to grips with the technology when they join.

How long will they spend finding the right settings, learning where to access and save files, getting the right equipment to meet their needs?

Reasonable adjustments in recruitment

Most people expect the technology and training they need to be provided from day one. But for disabled people the situation is often different. They may know what sort of adjustments and tweaks will help - they could be very simple changes or may be an extra piece of kit - but their employer is often not ready for them.

Employers are required to make reasonable adjustments, which cover specialist software or equipment. Often, it is only after a disabled employee starts working that a workplace assessment is carried out.

Before someone starts work, the recruitment process offers an opportunity to find out what adjustments disabled employees need in order to do the job. It seems quite logical and sensible to ask before someone starts work, so that the right kit can be put in place. What most employers struggle with is how and when to ask the right questions and many avoid asking them altogether for fear of getting it wrong.

A well-being management solution

As a charity that exists to change the lives of disabled people by helping them to use digital technology at work, at home or in education, we wanted to get better at asking that question and ensuring our workforce is diverse and inclusive. At the start of 2014 we started using an online wellbeing management solution, Clear Talents.

It’s a confidential, streamlined and easy to use process for our staff and all candidates applying for our vacancies to disclose any disabilities or needs they may have. Prior to the roll out of Clear Talents, our HR and Line Managers spent significant time encouraging employees to disclose their disability but had minimal success with an employee disclosure rate of less than 5%. Since then there has been a seismic shift in our entire approach to, and success in, diversity and wellbeing management.

This week, I was proud to have presented the key findings from our award-winning work with Clear Talents in front of the Minister for Disabled People, Justin Tomlinson MP at the Recruitment Industry Disability Initiative (RIDI) Awards Showcase event hosted by DWF.

The theme for the 2016 RIDI awards is aptly “collaboration, communication and confidence” – our partnership with Clear Talents has given us the confidence to be able to communicate better with disabled jobseekers and employees.

We get lots of calls about lots of different subjects here at AbilityNet.  However I took one last week that I thought might be worth highlighting.  A careers advisor in the south of England had a request from the local employment service regarding a client with severe dyslexia.

To receive government  benefits, you have to apply for a certain number of jobs in a week,  but this client has a real issue. Her literacy is so poor that she would need a lot of help and guidance in filling out forms and writing her CV.  I outlined some possible solutions to the careers advisor

As I was doing this I was suddenly struck with this feeling that the client was just a statistic.  I care about my clients but to some, she is probably just a number on a spreadsheet to tick off or to mark as being moved to another service.

Unless someone sits down with her and shows her how adaptive technology can help her put a CV together or have job adverts spoken out to her, she is going to be at a real disadvantage. If she doesn’t apply for jobs she won’t get benefit. If you don’t get benefits day to day life will become a real struggle for you.

I’m sure most people would agree with the need to apply for jobs  to still get benefit.   However if you  are dyslexic it puts you at a real disadvantage for applying for jobs because you find it difficult with both reading the description of the job role and then putting an application letter together. Without being able to use adaptive technology she might end up working as a cleaner or a waitress, where as she might be able to find an office based job if she could just use some AT to put a letter and CV together.

Dyslexia Action noted that research by KPMG finds that each illiterate pupil, by the age of 37, has cost the taxpayer an additional £44,797 - £ 53,098 when you add up extra costs relating to the education system, unemployment support and the criminal justice system.

However this client might have loads of POTENTIAL if only someone could sit down with her and show her that she can get stuff down on paper. She can organise her thoughts more effectively and like Boyzone star Shane Lynch she can actually use social media effectively.

However a lot of services are swamped with clients so trying to get ongoing 1-2-1 support is probably going to be really difficult, if not impossible.  Trying to support people with cognitive and physical disabilities does take time.

I have physical difficulties myself and had it not been for someone at my school providing me with a very old word processor device which allowed me to show that I had POTENTIAL I probably would have never gone to a comprehensive school, or college or university.   I certainly wouldn’t be working for a national charity such as AbilityNet.

Sometimes it takes a little bit of time and patience to see the potential of someone.

How can we help?

AbilityNet provides a range of free services to help disabled people and older people.

• Call our helpline. Our friendly, knowledgeable staff will discuss any kind of computer problem and do their best to come up with a solution. We’re open Monday to Friday from 9am to 5pm on 0300 180 0028.
• Please note: calls to our helpline number cost no more than a national rate call to an 01 or 02 number and count towards any inclusive minutes in the same way as 01 and 02 calls, and AbilityNet does not receive any money from these calls
• Arrange a home visit. We have a network of AbilityNet ITCanHelp volunteers who can help if you have technical issues with your computer systems. They can come to your home, or help you over the phone.
• We have a range of factsheets which talk in detail about technology that might help you, which can be downloaded for free. You may find our factsheets about voice recognition and keyboard alternatives useful.
• My Computer My Way. A free interactive guide to all the accessibility features built into current desktops, laptops, tables and smartphones.

Technology is on hand to make working life easier for employees with visual impairments. Robin Christopherson looks at how employers can provide support.

We are spending more of our time in the workplace, at home and on the go using computers or mobile devices of some kind. For many of us, the daily routine starts with a compulsory check of our emails, the local weather report and a browse through our social media feeds on a smartphone or tablet, before we have even left the bedroom.

According to Ofcom, more than 80% of adults regularly go online on any device in any location and 62% of adults in the UK now own a smartphone. Being constantly connected to the internet means that we are spending more and more time using or interacting with a screen.

While there are many benefits to this connectivity, the pervasive use of screen-based technology could also be having a direct and negative impact on our visual health and wellbeing.

Helping employees with poor vision

Vision can be impaired in many ways, and by many different conditions, including the effects of ageing. The overuse of computer screens and long periods straining the eyes can cause a deterioration in vision, which is why many employers offer funding for eye sight tests and/or money towards glasses to their employees.

The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) estimates that there are currently nearly two million people in the UK living with sight loss. This figure also includes around 360,000 people registered as blind or partially sighted in the UK, who have severe and irreversible sight loss. Only onethird of people with a visual impairment are in employment – or, more shockingly, 67% are unemployed, seven times more than the general population.

Historically, people affected by sight loss were either not employed or were restricted to certain types of roles, either due to people’s assumptions about what they could and could not do, or down to specialist equipment not being readily available or affordable.

Bringing your own technology to work?

The good news is that technology is now on hand to make working life easier for people with visual impairments. Not only  are more and more employers open to employees bringing their own devices to work, but some have bring your own device (BYOD) policies and procedures in place.

BYOD has many benefits for employees, especially those with a disability. Previously, you might have been assigned a standard-issue work phone (usually a Blackberry) or laptop, but those devices might not be the best choice of device for your personal settings and requirements.

Some of the more recent advances in technology have made items such as flatscreens more affordable, which means that instead of spending thousands of pounds, an employer can purchase a 40-inch flatscreen for a staff member with a visual impairment for a few hundred pounds.

More affordable flatscreens

A larger screen enables users to magnify text to a greater size and, if it is being used in combination with smart optical character recognition scanning software, then changes can be made to text layout and colour contrasts at the same time.

There is also a vast array of specialist software and equipment options available for employees with significant visual impairments. As no two people or jobs are the same, conducting an individual workplace assessment is always advisable. However, for those employees who experience mild to moderate visual impairments, there are many solutions already built in to mainstream office software products.

Five top tips for people with visual impairments

Five lesser-known hacks for people with visual impairments:

1. The mouse pointer

On Windows and Mac OS X, it is possible to change the colour and size of the mouse pointer (arrow) and the shape of the mouse pointer. A wider range of sizes and colours and high-visibility effects can be achieved with specialist software, but increasing the size is free and built in.

2. Microsoft Office features

The Microsoft Office suite of programmes has inbuilt features that may help aid visibility. You can increase the size of the buttons in the toolbars and, in Word, you can make the document window white text on a blue background regardless of Windows’ colour scheme.

3. Built-in magnification and screen-reading

Windows and Mac OS X have built in magnification and screen-reading capabilities. In Windows they are called “Windows magnifier” and “narrator”. In Mac OS X, they are “Zoom” and “VoiceOver”. Activating these features enables text to be enlarged very considerably, meaning you do not see the whole screen at any time. The view-window follows as you move the mouse or the text cursor as you type, or have text or controls spoken out.

4. Finding the text cursor

Many people find it difficult to locate the blinking vertical bar that indicates where you are typing. You can increase the size and change the appearance of the cursor in Windows XP and above, although its size only increases in MS Word and a few other programmes. A program called Mouse&Caret Buddy can help you find your mouse cursor and text caret by showing pictures next to them.

5. Configuring your web browser

All new computers come with internet browsing software already installed. Many websites are visually complex and confusing, with multiple columns and text in a strange combination of colours. All of the most common browsers can force the text to be of the size and colour that you prefer, and the background and foreground colours of the page can be whatever combination you wish.

For more information, download a copy of AbilityNet’s factsheet, Vision Impairment and Computing. 

This blog by Robin Christopherson was originally publsihed on Personnel Today.