Digital Accessibility
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The World Health Organization (WHO) has estimated that over a billion people worldwide have disabilities, of which 253 million people suffer from various degrees of visual impairment. Providing access to resources available on the web will help everyone achieve a greater degree of independence in their daily lives. Technology can unlock a new vista of independence for millions of people with disabilities like hearing, movement, sight and cognitive disability, which also opens up untold business opportunities. The accessibility of websites covers much more than just access for the disabled. It’s about giving people unhindered access to a website from various devices, such as web-enabled mobile phones.
For example, making PDF content accessible to people with disabilities online begins with making file complaints from the start. Newgen can improve the accessibility of the PDFs for screen reading and text-to-speech systems by tagging the structure and the reading order of content and providing new descriptive text for images.
Assistive Technologies
Assistive Technologies cater to the needs of people with various impairments like visual, hearing, mobility, and learning impairments and help them to communicate and navigate easily. For example, screen readers help convert textual and image content into synthesized speech to facilitate visually impaired users to listen to and comprehend content. Technology has now adapted to become a primary aide for the differently abled.
Digital accessible technologies include the following:
- Computerized braille
- Digital textbooks and eBook readers
- Digital website accessibility
- Online learning portals and platforms
- Mobile applications
- Video content
- ADA accessibility checker
Alternative Text (Alt Text)
Alt Text is the creation of descriptions of photos, graphs, tables, charts, math expressions and other visual elements within a text to help a visually impaired reader to imagine an image that a sighted person can see.
Digital accessibility of images can be divided into three distinct categories:
1.Simple images require a description in a line or phrase. These include logos, icons, simple images and photographs.
2.Moderate images require a brief description that conveys their purpose. Examples include people or animals with background scenery, room layouts and high-level maps.
3.Complex images require a detailed description. They include charts, graphs and detailed drawings.
Newgen Accessibility Initiatives
Newgen KnowledgeWorks is a provider of publishing, digital services and technology solutions to many of the world’s most prestigious publishers. Over the past twenty years we have extended our service portfolio to anticipate new outsourcing requirements in the publishing industry and have broadened our client base to different types of content producers and new geographies.
Our digital accessibility and conversion teams can help you craft your content with accessibility standards in mind.
Digital Accessibility Audit
If a website, document or app can be perceived, understood, navigated and interacted by everyone (with or without disabilities), it is considered accessible. Newgen can conduct a detailed evaluation of your current digital assets and provide a roadmap to achieve the goal of full accessibility across your platforms and content types.
Alternative Text Solutions
Newgen’s digital accessibility and data conversion divisions have dedicated teams, consisting of various subject matter experts (SMEs), for creating alternative text and long descriptions for images. We ensure that the tagging structure and the reading order of content is compliant with the regulations prescribed by the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) Level AA or National Instructional Materials Accessibility Standard (NIMAS) for K12.
Remediation services
Newgen provides a remediation service, making PDF content accessible and compliant with section 508 WCAG. Newgen’s digital accessibility team will take any PDF and ensure it follows the section 508 standard and WCAG 2.1 guidelines.
The steps below will be followed to ensure that a PDF is compliant: compliant
Tag structure for content reading order
Use of document structure in tags (header, paragraphs)
Add alternative text for images
Ensure correct tagging and labelling of form fields and tab order
Ensure correct links, lists and tables tagged
Ensure that no content splits between tags to allow easier navigation for assistive technology users
Newgen will ensure that the content is checked against the PDF File 508 checklist and test the output file using the following methods, namely,
Adobe Acrobat Accessibility Check (PAC3)
Adobe Acrobat Full Accessibility
Adobe validation
'Born Accessible' Consulting
At Newgen, we are dedicated to making all client publications ‘Born Accessible’. A deep integration of accessibility workflows into your publishing solutions and process will guarantee fully accessible front-list publications and websites. We invite you to join the wave of inclusiveness by making digital accessibility a priority.
Contact us to find out more about how we can improve the accessibility of your content and help you reach a wider audience.