#tbasenews
Nov. 27 – Dec. 01, 2017 >> Another week, another roundup. This one is packed with stats on the boomer bulge and what it means for service providers; a solution for meeting the high demand for braille textbooks, workbooks and testing in education; the “biggest assistive aid” since the invention of braille; and why there is no better time than right now to provide accessible government programs and services.
New to the blog? Every week on Twitter, LinkedIn and Google +, we share tips, trends and best practices pertaining to accessible communications, then we compile them on the blog, your central hub for the hottest topics in accessibility.
2050: Almost 90 million people expected to be 65+
As the baby boomers age, a rapid rise in people with vision loss is expected. In 2020, 60 million Americans will 65+. Compare that with 40 million today. By 2050, nearly 90 million people (1/5 of the population!), are expected to be 65+. More and more people will need access to information in formats beyond standard print–will you meet their needs? More statistics on aging and vision loss.
Braille textbooks: high demand, low supply
When it comes to instructional materials in braille, demand is high. And supply? Inadequate. K-12, universities, colleges, and publishers demand high quality, speedy turnaround and a vendor that can handle large, complex orders. The bad news: Manual transcription typically takes 4–9 months. The good news: there is now a solution.
Not all consumers are, or choose to be, online
Advocates for people with vision loss have deemed the phone the “biggest assistive aid” since the invention of braille. With phones today, it’s much easier to communicate and access information securely. While this is great, not everyone can or would like to access documents on their mobile device (or online in general). All documents in all formats is our motto!
Online access matters big time in government
Technology has certainly improved access to information, and more and more government programs, services and supporting communications are available and accessed online. Whether it’s your government website or mobile app, online accessibility matters big time today. But don’t forget that all documents in all formats is key!
Want more articles like these?
For additional tips, trends and best practices, follow us on LinkedIn and on Twitter. (Search the hashtag #tbasenews!)
Receive the latest accessibility news
Subscribe to receive the latest accessibility news by email.
