# E-Access Bulletin – Issue 203, September 2018
E-Access Bulletin is produced with the support of [Thomas Pocklington
Trust](http://www.pocklington-trust.org.uk).
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## Issue 203 contents
### Section One: News
01: ‘Audiogame Jam’ will spawn accessible games for visually impaired
players.
- Charity event to raise funds and awareness of blind gaming community.
02: One in five museums do not provide online access information, research
uncovers.
- Report advises museums based on nationwide audit.
03: Accessible learning resources can help close disability employment gap,
report claims.
- New legislation could help improve studying for all students.
### Section Two: News in brief
04: Cultural call-out – Audio description study.
05: Fee-free tech – Free assistive tools.
06: Learning to navigate – Wayfindr e-learning course.
07: Gaming for good – ‘One Special Day’ fundraiser.
### Section Three: Viewpoint
08: Digital banking – not a one-size-fits-all solution.
It’s no secret that banks are keen to move their customers towards digital
services and online banking, but in doing so are they leaving behind blind
and visually impaired customers? Canadian accessibility campaigner Donna
Jodhan gives her view on the situation.
[Contents ends]
## Section One: News
### 01: ‘Audiogame Jam’ will spawn accessible games for visually
impaired players
A series of audio-based videogames that can be played without sight will be
created during a ten-day ‘Audiogame Jam’ in October, to raise funds for
the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) and spread awareness of
the barriers faced by blind and visually impaired gamers.
Game developers from around the world will take part in the event by
developing and building accessible games during the ten-day period –
October 12-28 – and uploading them to the Audiogame Jam website before the
deadline. After the event, all games submitted are available for anyone to
play for free.
Audiogame Jam was launched by James Kyle as a fundraising event for RNIB in
2016, after being influenced by other charity ‘game jams’ and similar
events. Kyle – who now works for RNIB as a network administrator – is
visually impaired and wanted to help the charity for the support he has
received from them over the years.
In an exclusive interview with e-Access Bulletin, Kyle explained that he
feels blind and visually impaired gamers are often overlooked by game
developers. He said: “Very few games are
marketed as being playable by blind people and those that are, are generally
made by smaller studios and published independently. As a result, blind
gamers have developed a community through which they share information on
which ‘AAA’ games (high budget, high profile, popular games) are
playable by them and what steps need to be taken to achieve this.”
Everyone who takes part in Audiogame Jam is encouraged to contact and work
with visually impaired gamers throughout the event. Kyle, who completed a
master’s degree in game design, said that although most developers in the
event are sighted, he hopes that as many game submissions as possible will
have featured involvement from someone in the blind gaming community as a
tester or design consultant.
Kyle said: “While there are guidelines on
making your game blind-accessible, having your game undergo regular testing
by a visually impaired person is a great way to meet Audiogame Jam’s
accessibility requirement. I hope this will build relationships between
blind and sighted gamers and developers, and increase knowledge of the blind
gaming community’s existence within the general game development
community.”
Games created during last year’s Audiogame Jam include ‘EscapeBeat’,
where players must find their way out of a series of rooms while fending
off enemies, ‘Lab Invaded’, in which gamers take control of a robot
trapped in a laboratory full of invading aliens, and ‘Dark Sounds’, a
puzzle game where players have to escape from a room and dodge ghosts.
While there are currently no plans to showcase the games at public events,
Kyle is looking into this option. “I would
very much like to see some of these prototypes developed into full, finished
games or shown at accessible game events,” he said.
Find out more about Audiogame Jam, including how to enter and where to play
previously submitted accessible games, at the [Audiogame Jam 3
website](https://www.audiogamejam.org/">.
[Comment on the ‘Audiogame Jam’ story now at e-Access Bulletin
Live](http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=1728).
### 02: One in five museums do not provide online access information,
research uncovers
Museums are inadvertently contributing to a “disability engagement gap”
by not publishing accessibility information on their websites needed by
millions of potential visitors, a new report has found.
The State of Museum Access 2018 report found that people with disabilities
are less likely to visit a museum if it does not provide this information
on its website. Published by VocalEyes (a charity working to increase arts
access for blind and visually impaired people), the report recorded whether
access information was available on the websites of the 1718 accredited UK
museums.
Access information is crucial for many potential visitors with a disability
or impairment, as it allows them to plan a visit based on their needs. It
could include listing accessible facilities and equipment (such as audio
description guides for blind and visually impaired visitors), providing a
dedicated accessibility contact, travel information, and highlighting any
relevant training that staff have undergone.
State of Museum Access 2018 is a follow-up to a 2016 report, but while the
earlier version focused solely on online access information for blind and
visually impaired people, the new report covers a range of disabilities and
impairments.
VocalEyes Chief Executive Matthew Cock told e-Access Bulletin that the vast
majority of museums still think of disability access information as only
being relevant to people with mobility impairments. He said: “The access
needs and barriers relevant to millions of people with hearing or sight loss
– or other conditions that make visiting museums challenging, such as
autism and learning disabilities – are ignored by the large majority of
museums. It’s a huge shame, because so much can be done for very little
cost.”
Although 19% of museums (one in five) provide no access information at all
on their websites, this is still an improvement on the figure from the 2016
report, 27%. Despite this, the report notes that “overall, the amount of
detail [where access information is provided] is poor”.
As well as highlighting gaps, a key aim of the State of Museum Access report
is to help museums improve the situation. This is done through
recommendations about the type of information to include on websites (for
example: venue accessibility and website accessibility) and advice on
communication with potential visitors with a disability (such as creating an
effective welcome message or access statement).
The report also asks museums to make the Museum Access Pledge, based on four
steps to improve website information for potential visitors with
disabilities.
Asked what museums can do to improve on-site access for blind and visually
impaired visitors, Matthew Cock said: “Only 20% of museum websites
mentioned that they provide large-print labels, something that can be
accessed by 75% of partially sighted people and 36% of registered blind
people, and are often used by elderly people with poor vision or people with
dyslexia. It costs little to produce and maintain such resources. We’d
also recommend that front-of-house staff receive training in visual
awareness and guiding, so that they are better placed to welcome and support
blind and partially sighted people throughout a visit.”
Read more about State of Museum Access 2018 and download the report in full,
including a large-print version, at the [VocalEyes
website](https://vocaleyes.co.uk/state-of-museum-access-2018/).
[Comment on the ‘State of Museum Access 2018’ story now at e-Access
Bulletin Live](http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=1726).
### 03: Accessible learning resources can help close disability employment
gap, report claims
Making digital resources in further and higher education more accessible
– in order to comply with new regulations – can improve disabled
students’ learning experience and help get more disabled people into work,
according to a new report.
‘Accessible Virtual Learning Environments’ was published by the
[All-Party Parliamentary Group for Assistive Technology
(APPGAT)](http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=1324) and cross-party
think-tank Policy Connect, and written by Robert McLaren, Head of Industry,
Technology and Innovation at Policy Connect. It sets out a series of
recommendations on how institutions can make their digital content more
accessible for students, particularly those with a disability.
The report has been produced to coincide with new legislation that came into
force on September 23: the Public Sector Bodies (Websites and Mobile
Applications) Accessibility Regulations 2018. The new rules detail how
organisations – including universities and other further and higher
education institutions – need to comply with the EU Directive on the
accessibility of public sector websites and mobile applications. Any new
public sector website launched after this date must comply with the
regulations by September 2019, while existing sites have until September
2020 to comply (Read more about the EU Directive in [e-Access Bulletin’s
previous coverage](http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=1669)).
Almost every further and higher education institution will have its own
virtual learning environment (VLE), broadly defined as a digital space where
learning resources and other information are stored for students and staff.
Almost all content on VLEs will fall under the new regulations and so will
need to meet accessibility requirements.
Current VLE accessibility varies widely. In the Policy Connect report, Piers
Wilkinson from the National Union of Students’ Disabled Students’
Committee highlights that inaccessible VLEs can be a barrier for some
students, rather than a learning aid. A statement in the report from a
visually impaired student supports this, pointing out that documents
uploaded to VLEs “are usually intended for sighted users. The formatting
of a document can therefore be difficult to navigate at times … with a
visual impairment.”
The report goes on to explain exactly what is required of institutions in
terms of the new regulations, before setting out recommendations, such as
implementing training for those who develop and build VLEs.
Highlighted in the report is the fact that “digital accessibility in VLEs
makes for good teaching for all students,” using the example of course
texts being available in a range of formats. This immediately helps students
with, for example, visual impairments (who may require an audio file or HTML
version of the course text), but it also extends that choice to others:
“It gives students the choice to engage with the content in the way that
suits them best,” the report states.
Improving digital accessibility in this way will benefit all students, the
report claims, and will help the government’s efforts to tackle the
disability employment gap and meet its target of getting one million more
disabled people in wok by 2027. The report states that “Providing a
variety of learning tools suitable for all students – whether disabled or
not – will allow us to both close the skills and disability employment gap
and provide all students with a better opportunity to succeed in education
and work.”
Download the accessible VLEs report in full at the [Policy Connect
website](https://www.policyconnect.org.uk/appgat/research/accessible-vles-making-most-new-regulations).
Read the Public Sector Bodies Accessibility Regulations 2018 in full at
[Legislation.gov.uk](http://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2018/852/contents/made).
Read Government guidelines on making public sector websites accessible at
the [Government Digital Service
website](https://gds.blog.gov.uk/2018/09/24/how-were-helping-public-sector-websites-meet-accessibility-requirements/).
[Comment on the ‘Accessible VLEs’ story at e-Access Bulletin
Live](http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=1724).
[Section One ends]
## Section Two: News in brief
### 04: Cultural call-out
Blind and visually impaired people are being
asked to take part in a new study to help improve audio description in
museums and galleries, organised by the University of Westminster in
collaboration with Thomas Pocklington Trust and VocalEyes. Participants will
need to listen to descriptions of a series of photographs and discuss their
experiences. Anyone with a visual impairment can take part and will be
compensated for helping with the study, which takes place in
London.
Find out more about the audio description study and apply to take part at
the [Thomas Pocklington Trust
website](https://www.pocklington-trust.org.uk/ad-museums-study/">.
### 05: Fee-free tech
The Government Digital Service (GDS) has
published advice on free assistive technology tools, aimed at organisations
that want to improve their website’s accessibility, but may not be able to
purchase assistive devices or software. Alternatives to popular, costed
assistive equipment (including the JAWS screen-reader, ZoomText screen
magnifier and Dragon speech recognition software) are highlighted, as well
as a list of further resources on using and testing with assistive
technology.
Read more about free assistive technologies at the [GDS
website](https://accessibility.blog.gov.uk/2018/09/27/assistive-technology-tools-you-can-use-at-no-cost/">Wayfindr, the digital navigation project
designed to help people with sight loss, has launched an e-learning course
on accessible audio navigation. The course is aimed at app developers,
accessibility professionals and venue operators/owners, and explains how to
develop indoor and outdoor digital audio navigation systems for visually
impaired people, as well as providing general information on sight
loss.
Read more about the accessible audio navigation course at the [Wayfindr
website](https://www.wayfindr.net/wayfindr-elearning">.
### 07: Gaming for good
On September 28 over 60 companies from the
videogame industry donated part of their day’s profits from games sold to
the ‘One Special Day’ project, which raises funds for gamers with
disabilities in the UK. Other fundraising activities took place throughout
the day for the event, which is organised annually by gaming charity Special
Effect. Read [e-Access Bulletin’s coverage of One Special Day
2017](http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=1385">.
Read more about the event at the [One Special Day
website](http://onespecialday.org.uk/">.
[Section Two ends]
## Notice: Thomas Pocklington Trust
E-Access Bulletin is brought to you with the kind support of Thomas
Pocklington Trust, a national charity delivering positive change for people
with sight loss. Find out more about their work at the [Thomas Pocklington
Trust website](http://www.pocklington-trust.org.uk).
[Notice ends]
## Notice: RNIB Connect Radio and e-Access Bulletin
E-Access Bulletin will be appearing on RNIB Connect Radio each month on The
Early Edition programme. Hear more about the Bulletin and upcoming content
appearing in each issue, as we discuss the latest accessible technology news
and readers’ questions with Allan Russell.
Episodes will be available after broadcast as podcasts from the RNIB Connect
Radio site. Listen to RNIB Connect Radio online or via television,
smartphone or radio. Find more information about the Early Edition at the
[RNIB Connect Radio
website](http://www.insightradio.co.uk/early-edition.html#.Wm3FxJOFiRs).
[Notice ends]
## Section Three: Viewpoint
### 08: Digital banking – not a one-size-fits-all solution
#### By Donna J. Jodhan.
Digital banking continues to be a hotly debated topic in Canada, but this
subject doesn’t just affect Canadians, it affects all customers doing
business with banks around the world.
On the one hand, we have banks claiming that digital banking is the way
forward and that in the mid-to-long term it will benefit all customers,
whether they are visually impaired or not. On the other hand, there are
blind and visually impaired customers who feel strongly that they are being
left out by digital banking.
Even taking both opinions into account, it’s no surprise that technology
continues to set the pace and tone of this debate. As in many countries,
Canadian banks have been focusing on digital services for some time and
continue to move towards an increasingly digital outlook.
Speaking about how digital banking will affect blind and visually impaired
customers, Alicia Jarvis, Inclusive Design Practice Lead in the Royal Bank
of Canada’s Digital Design Team, said: “I see many benefits [of digital
banking] for customers who are blind and low-vision. New technologies like
voice and AI are already opening the doors for independence and inclusion in
a lot of ways. So, I think the biggest advantage for customers who are blind
and low-vision is that new technology will continue to equalise the playing
field and accelerate their entry into mainstream banking.”
Despite this push towards digital services, we can only hope that banks
will recognise that there are still issues which need to be addressed. If
these issues are not dealt with in an efficient manner, then equal digital
banking for all customers will be extremely difficult to accomplish.
Most banks are still working to make their websites usable and accessible to
blind and visually impaired people like myself. For many of those people,
forms on websites are still a challenge to complete independently, and as a
result of this, many blind and visually impaired people have major concerns
about their online privacy.
There are many sighted people who continue to complain that online banking
is a challenge for them, so why would it be any different for blind and
visually impaired customers?
In addition, banks are not providing adequate customer service to assist
blind and visually impaired people in learning and understanding how to take
advantage of digital banking. One potential consequence of this is that it
will not be only blind and visually impaired people who are left behind, but
also older people who did not grow up in the technology era.
One reason why it’s so easy for blind and visually impaired people to be
left behind in this area is that accessible technology is not known for
keeping up with technological evolution, and this includes digital banking.
In short, accessible technology is continually having to catch up with
technological changes and the gap continues to widen.
The potential benefits of increased digital banking are that blind and
visually impaired people will be able to conduct their online banking more
freely and independently, without having to rely on sighted assistance.
Also, despite some people’s concerns, online privacy can be achieved if
banks’ digital security systems are working correctly.
For many blind and visually impaired people, the move towards digital
banking will be thought of as an upcoming nightmare that will soon become
reality. What makes things more difficult is that there does not seem to be
any way to change this push towards digital banking, leaving us to wonder
what can be done to improve the situation. This is why we need to continue
making our voices heard.
Some banks may think that the blind and visually impaired consumer market is
not large enough to be a concern to them, but it is the right of
those consumers to be able to access services in the same way as sighted
consumers, and to have their privacy and confidentiality protected, no
matter what.
If banks really want to ensure that the playing field is equal for all of
their customers, they need to address the following issues:
- Ensure that their online banking facilities are usable and navigable.
- Ensure that their websites interact with accessible technology.
- Carry out meaningful testing to ensure the previous points, which means
working with blind and visually impaired users.
- Work with manufacturers of accessible technology to develop mobile apps
and computer programs.
Read more about Donna Jodhan’s work at [her
website](http://donnajodhan.blogspot.com/).
[Comment on the ‘Digital banking’ story at e-Access Bulletin
Live](http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=1722).
[Section Three ends]
## End Notes
### How To Receive E-Access Bulletin
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### Staff
Editor: Tristan Parker
Technical Director: Jake Jellinek
Accessibility Advisor: Dr. Nick Freear
ISSN 1476-6337.
ISSUE 203 ends.