Balisage Paper: Accessibility: Not Just a Good Idea
Chandi Perera
Typefi Systems
Chandi is the CEO of Typefi Systems, that specialises in automating content production. He joined Typefi in 2006, and has over two decades of publishing and media technology experience. He has acted as a technology consultant to corporations and government agencies around the world, and is a frequent conference speaker in the areas of accessibility, content management, publishing, media, structured content, and digital rights management. Chandi is a board member of a number of industry bodies and has degrees in Engineering and Computer Science.
Abstract
Around 15% of the global population has a permanent disability, including approximately 285 million people with a visual impairment and an estimated 700 million people with dyslexia, the most common form of learning disability. The World Blind Union estimates less than 10% of published works are made into accessible formats in developed countries which drops to less than 1% in developing countries. As markup professionals and content models experts, there is a lot we can do to make a positive impact towards making more content accessible. This session will look at accessibility; our social, ethical, and legal responsibilities around content accessibility; and what we can do to make content more accessible.