U-M Ann Arbor has been named one of America’s top disability-friendly online universities. The 2018 Best and Most Affordable Online Colleges for Students with Disabilities are ranked on thoroughness of resources, Universal Design for Learning training, availability of distance learning accommodations and variety of services provided. The list was published by SR Education Group. “It is nice be… Read More »
Interested in web accessibility and want to learn more? Check out the Ann Arbor Web Accessibility Meetup group. Their first general meeting will be held Tuesday, January 30 at Deque Labs, 2100 S Main St, Ste D. The group is for developers, designers, content creators, and anyone who is interested in digital accessibility and inclusive design. They will host talks,… Read More »
An recent ordinance by the City of Ann Arbor requires closed captioning to be activated on all televisions in public places.
Hiring a professional captioning service to help students with hearing disabilities get information presented in class or at events requires a lot of advance planning and can be costly. Automatic speech recognition programs, while quick and convenient, have unusually high error rates. However, a program called Scribe, developed by Walter Lasecki, assistant professor of information and of computer science… Read More »
As Windows 10 becomes more prevalent on campus, individuals will have access to many new and improved features offered by this operating system. Two tools that have been significantly upgraded are designed as visual aids: the Magnifier and the screen reader Narrator. Both are in the Ease of Access Center Control Panel. Narrator A screen reader like Narrator… Read More »
While U-M has an obligation under Federal law to adopt products that are accessible to everyone in the campus community, not all vendors have the same obligations. To help address this gap, the Information Technology Accessibility Group (ITAG) of the Big 10 Academic Alliance seeks to create a common understanding with vendors of the accessibility requirements and considerations… Read More »
It’s important to give accessibility and the needs of users with disabilities consideration in our daily communications. There are common digital tasks we perform that, with a small amount of effort and forethought, can be more supportive of users with disabilities. As U-M employees we are both morally and legally obligated to support the needs of disabled users.… Read More »
Saturday, March 11; 8:30 am–3 pm; Rackham Graduate Building. QuasiCon is a free, annual, one-day conference devoted to discussing information that is hosted by the student chapter of the American Library Association at the University of Michigan School of Information. Positioned at UMSI, QuasiCon aims to connect students and professionals from all types of information fields, from librarians to UX… Read More »
Neurable, a U-M startup that developed brain-computer interface technology based on breakthrough neuroscience, has raised $2 million in seed funding to bring its software platform to market. The technology enables real-time control of software and connected devices using only the power of the user’s brain. Neurable has roots at U-M’s Direct Brain Interface Laboratory, where Ramses Alcaide, co-founder and CEO… Read More »
Computer science and engineering students at U-M partnered with visually impaired high school student India West to develop technologies that may help other blind and visually impaired people navigate the world around them. David Chesney, a lecturer in electrical engineering and computer science, leads the effort, which is featured in this video. Read more about the project.
One concrete way you can begin to implement U-M’s commitment to diversity, equity, and inclusion (DE&I) is by helping ensure that everyone feels comfortable at meetings. Often, this is as straightforward as making sure a range of options are provided when food is served, clearly identifying single-stall bathrooms and lactation rooms, and identifying people who can provide help… Read More »
Web accessibility is often thought of as an us-and-them proposition. However, many accessibility guidelines have benefits for a far wider audience.