Kevin Carey
Power Point Presentation
Convergence & Accessibility:
A Principled Response to a Crisis
RNIB Presentation at the International Symposium
on Community-based Inclusive Information Support for Persons with Disabilities
Organized by
Assistive Technology Development Organization in collaboration with the DAISY Consortium and Sponsored by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare, Japan
On: 6-7th February 2009, Kyoto, Japan
By: Kevin Carey, Vice Chair, RNIB
Access to digital information crisis
- Medium-specific, rather than generic, strategies;
- The graphics explosion; and
- The declining leverage of legislation and regulation.
Analogue Regulation
- Stringent copyright laws far out-lasted state censorship;
- In almost every country analogue broadcasting was strictly regulated;
- Music has a strong copyright regime.
Advent of digital technology has consequences
- Piracy is simple and cheap;
- The analogue silos of the printed text, audio recording and celluloid film have broken down;
- Global networks are difficult to regulate causing operational migration.
Media and Accessibility,Regulation History
- The biggest regulatory impact on print has been copyright;
- Broadcasting regulation leverage allowing state broadcasters concessions in exchange for spectrum.
General Principles
- Coded to recognised standards which include the principles of granularity and progressive enhancement;
- Distributed in a form independent of the platform and/or user interface;
- Produced multi-modally.
Justifications
- Fiscal;
- Legislative;
- Economic.
Universal Accessibility Rights
Consider three factors:-
- What blind and visually impaired people need and want;
- What capacity an organisation has to deliver;
- The social gain from delivery.
Urgent Tasks
- Define our needs;
- Generate standards; and
- Justify what we advocate.
Contact Details
Kevin Carey, Vice Chair, RNIB
108 High Street
Hurstpierpoint
West Sussex, BN6 9PX
UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1273 834321
Email: humanity@atlas.co.uk