DASS Solutions is a company that is passionate about accessibility. We support, enable, and champion people with disabilities (of determination) in any way that we can. DASS Solutions are the only turnkey accessibility experts in the Middle East, supporting public and private sector organizations from the moment accessibility is placed on the agenda and guiding their efforts throughout their journey to an inclusive workplace and society.
Digital Accessibility
Digital accessibility gives everyone, including disabled people, equal access to digital content. To that end, accessibility standards – provided by recognized authorities and reviewed by usability engineers – are applied to computer interfaces, depending on the type of impairment.
Issues of accessibility continue to be at the forefront for education leaders and other educators as they look to close the digital divide and increase educational equity for all students. With advances in today’s technology-driven globalization, institutions recognize the need to provide inclusive environments and accessible toolkits to help students with disabilities acquire the necessary skills to succeed in their chosen careers.
Concepts of accessible design and accessible development ensure both direct and indirect access (i.e., assistive technology devices like screen readers, augmentative devices, wearables). This also includes designing educational material, technology, and media content that meet students’ sensory and other needs.
Alongside physical assistive technologies, software innovations in closed captions, word predictions, text-to-speech, and adjustable reading levels can help educators differentiate and personalize instruction to adapt to their students’ needs. And with the effective use of accessibility tools in learning environments, educators can expect effective student engagement, improved lesson planning, and personalized learning.
WCAG
DASS Solutions have helped several government and private businesses in the region initiate, plan, develop and deploy their digital accessibility aspirations. Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) serve as the international standard for making web content accessible and are the foundation for many national accessibility laws.
Some user-friendly tools to develop content so that it is accessible include:
- Use of speech-to-text, text-to-speech, glossaries, and document dictionaries
- Alt-text phrase to describe images on websites and in digital documents
- Closed captions for videos
- Contrast adjustment of text and background colors
- Using standard or formatting headers in websites and digital documents
As digital content, products, and services become increasingly available and delivered online, accessibility needs to be a vital component of the development processes. In the education sector, it provides equal educational opportunities for all students.
ABLE Summit 2022
DASS Solutions remain committed to promoting and collaborating with organizations that share our vision of a more accessible and inclusive community for all. DASS Solutions are proud to be partnering with the ABLE Summit, an annual event held at the American University of Beirut in Lebanon (March 31 to April 1, 2022). Digital Accessibility for a Bolder Learning Experience is the event’s theme. As sponsors, DASS solutions experts worked with ABLE Summit organizers in building a safe, inclusive, and accessible environment to host the event onsite and online.