Latest news with #accessibility
FF News
13 hours ago
- Business
- FF News
Ecommpay Launches Free Accessibility Pack to Help Merchants Boost Website Accessibility
ECOMMPAY has introduced new merchant website accessibility tools to help businesses improve inclusivity and meet global accessibility standards. The free Accessibility Pack provides essential resources for optimizing eCommerce websites for users with disabilities. Created as part of the ongoing inclusivity programme, Ecommpay for Good, the Ecommpay Accessibility Pack is a vital starting point for businesses looking to enhance their own digital accessibility and ensure their services are available to everyone. It offers a blend of essential guidelines, practical advice and valuable training opportunities. 'We understand that making a business fully accessible can feel like a big project, however, even small, thoughtful changes can make a profound difference,' said Miranda McLean, Ecommpay Chief Marketing Officer. 'We have learnt so much from our own accessibility and inclusivity journey, and this pack shares our vital learnings to help our merchant partners take those crucial first steps with confidence, fostering a more inclusive e-commerce ecosystem. At Ecommpay we are fully committed to continuing the conversation around accessibility in e-commerce and look forward to supporting merchants on this important journey.' The Ecommpay Accessibility Pack includes: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2 Overview: An introduction to the latest WCAG standards, which focus on making navigation and interaction more accessible. These guidelines benefit users with diverse disabilities and significantly improve overall user experience. An introduction to the latest WCAG standards, which focus on making navigation and interaction more accessible. These guidelines benefit users with diverse disabilities and significantly improve overall user experience. Practical Tips for Creating an Accessible Website: Developed in collaboration with the Digital Accessibility Centre, this guide walks merchants through the basic steps of implementing best practices and guidelines for website accessibility. Developed in collaboration with the Digital Accessibility Centre, this guide walks merchants through the basic steps of implementing best practices and guidelines for website accessibility. Free Accessibility Training from HSBC Innovation Banking: Access to HSBC's free training courses, designed to help individuals ensure their websites, apps, and digital products are usable by everyone, particularly those with disabilities. Access to HSBC's free training courses, designed to help individuals ensure their websites, apps, and digital products are usable by everyone, particularly those with disabilities. Eden Chase Practical Guidance for Improvement: An accessibility audit checklist by disability inclusion champion, Cressida Stephenson, to identify key areas for improvement and provide simple yet impactful adjustments to support neurodivergent employees. An accessibility audit checklist by disability inclusion champion, Cressida Stephenson, to identify key areas for improvement and provide simple yet impactful adjustments to support neurodivergent employees. Eden Chase Inclusive Hiring Toolkit: A resource that addresses hidden barriers in hiring processes, such as unintentionally exclusive job descriptions and inaccessible application systems, aiming to attract and retain neurodivergent and disabled talent. A resource that addresses hidden barriers in hiring processes, such as unintentionally exclusive job descriptions and inaccessible application systems, aiming to attract and retain neurodivergent and disabled talent. 2025 Update from LSB on Deaf Accessibility: An overview of the Lending Standards Board's (LSB) annual update on the availability of accessibility tools and services for deaf or hard of hearing individuals across the UK's financial services sector. By offering merchant website accessibility tools for free, ECOMMPAY is helping businesses meet both ethical and legal standards. Register to download the Ecommpay Accessibility Pack for free here. Companies In This Post Ecommpay
Daily Mail
a day ago
- Health
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE My terminally ill brother was forced to eat Wendy's off a STOOL because the fast food spot didn't have available seating... it's his favourite but we can't go back
A terminally ill boy in a wheelchair was forced to eat off a stool at a fast food restaurant in London after staff did not offer disabled seating. Stage 4 cancer patient Bailey Merritt, 13, was taken to Wendy's in Camden by his brother Carl, 29, after finishing radiotherapy at a London hospital. Bailey also suffers from ADHD, autism, as well as being partially sighted and prone to seizures. His family chose the restaurant as the chain is a favourite of Bailey's and the window displayed a disabled access sign. However the teenager was forced to sit with his wheelchair pushed up to a stool due to a lack of available disabled access seating. His family said the experience ruined Bailey's view of Wendy's and made him uncomfortable about eating there ever again. Carl has called for more establishments to be aware of accessibility issues. He said: 'He has stage 4 terminal cancer, so at this moment in time we are just trying to make memories with him. 'He had just come out of the hospital and when he is hungry he needs to eat pretty quickly. 'We went in and ordered food, when you are in a bit of a rush you don't always realise if there aren't any seats. We also did not think it would be an issue so we just ordered our food. 'When we got the food, we asked where the disabled seating was and staff just told us they only had a disabled toilet and not disabled seating.' Under the Equality Act, restaurants should make reasonable adjustments to allow disabled people to have the same access as any other customers. Carl claimed staff at Wendy's did not make any accommodations for his brother and just told the family that 'no seats were available'. A small number of more practical seats were available, but staff refused to ask other customers to move their seats to accommodate for Bailey. In an astonishing excuse, staff told the family that the building 'was a bank' before it was a restaurant, which explained why they did not have disabled seating Carl is a restaurant manager himself and was appalled by the lack of sympathy which he said he received from staff members. He added: 'If you have a disabled toilet then you need to have disabled seating. If they are all full then you tell customers to move and tell them that other people need it. Bailey had been returning from a chemotherapy appointment at hospital when he went to Wendy's 'They sent someone with terminal cancer to eat his dinner off a chair. 'We would have left but we couldn't because of Bailey's situation, he needed to eat something then. 'I am angry, not just for Bailey, there are a lot of people that have physical disabilities but also invisible ones. They have a disabled toilet and a sign on their window about accessibility so it doesn't make sense. 'They could have put disabled seating downstairs, it didn't make sense to me.' Bailey lives with his mother and father in Romford, while Carl has moved out of the family home he said he still tries to visit and spend time with his brother as much as possible. He was diagnosed with cancer in 2024 and the family are now spending as much time as they can with Bailey to look after him. However the experience at Wendy's has now put Bailey off the restaurant for good. 'He was very upset about it,' said Carl, 'Wendy's was his favourite place to eat. 'We have one where he lives in Romford and it was his favourite food. 'But the way he put it in Camden was that he was eating food off a seat someone had just sat on. It made him feel dirty eating his food. 'We struggle enough to find places he likes to eat and now we have to find a new place for him.' Carl has called on other businesses to be more aware of catering for customers with disabilities. He said: 'I just think places like this need to be looking into not just physical, but hidden disabilities, they need to follow the Equality Act. 'Especially with children, they are the worst ones to do it to. 'I don't think a lot of people realise how much of an impact it can have on people, it is disrespectful and it is discrimination.' A Wendy's source said the Camden restaurant did have three low-level seats on the downstairs floor of the building. They confirmed they had been in touch with the family.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
LambdaTest Unveils Groundbreaking Mobile Accessibility Testing Capabilities for Android and iOS
New suite of manual and automated tools empowers QA teams to ensure digital inclusivity across platforms San Francisco, CA, June 19, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- LambdaTest, a unified agentic AI and cloud engineering platform, announces the launch of its most comprehensive mobile accessibility testing capabilities to date. With new features that support both manual and automated accessibility testing on Android and iOS, LambdaTest is redefining how teams validate digital inclusivity across the mobile landscape. As mobile applications continue to play a central role in commerce, communication, and productivity, meeting accessibility standards like WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) has become essential. LambdaTest's new capabilities empower QA, development, and product teams to identify, resolve, and prevent accessibility issues at every stage of the mobile app development lifecycle. The release introduces three powerful additions to the LambdaTest platform. First, the Android Accessibility Scanner for Manual Testing provides real-time issue detection directly within the manual testing environment on real devices. Second, Android Accessibility Automation Testing brings scalable, automated WCAG compliance checks into the CI/CD pipeline using Appium and HyperExecute. Finally, iOS Accessibility Automation Testing enables the same robust, cross-platform validation for Apple devices, ensuring consistency across Android and iOS ecosystems. 'Accessibility should never be an afterthought; it is a cornerstone of exceptional mobile experiences,' said Asad Khan, Co-Founder & CEO of LambdaTest. 'With these new capabilities, we're giving teams the tools they need to deliver inclusive apps faster and more efficiently. Whether you're manually testing on a real Android device or running automated tests across a fleet of iOS devices, accessibility testing is now deeply integrated, scalable, and incredibly easy to adopt.' These innovations not only streamline testing workflows but also position LambdaTest users to deliver apps that meet the needs of over 1.3 billion people globally living with disabilities. By building accessibility into mobile testing from the outset, teams can unlock new markets, mitigate compliance risks, and boost user satisfaction. To learn more about Mobile Accessibility Testing, please visit About LambdaTestLambdaTest is an AI-native, omnichannel software quality platform that empowers businesses to accelerate time to market through intelligent, cloud-based test authoring, orchestration, and execution. With over 15,000 customers and 2.3 million+ users across 130+ countries, LambdaTest is the trusted choice for modern software testing.● Browser & App Testing Cloud: Enables manual and automated testing of web and mobile apps across 10,000+ browsers, real devices, and OS environments, ensuring cross-platform consistency.● HyperExecute: An AI-native test execution and orchestration cloud that runs tests up to 70% faster than traditional grids, offering smart test distribution, automatic retries, real-time logs, and seamless CI/CD integration. ● KaneAI: The world's first GenAI-native testing agent, leveraging LLMs for effortless test creation, intelligent automation, and self-evolving test execution. It integrates directly with Jira, Slack, GitHub, and other DevOps tools. For more information, please visit CONTACT: press@ in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
The Verge
a day ago
- The Verge
Steam is adding screen reader support and other accessibility tools
Valve is introducing accessibility features for players with disabilities in its latest beta for Steam Big Picture Mode and SteamOS. The features — listed in full and explained here — include options to modify the Steam UI, like a high contrast mode, as well as a built-in screen reader for SteamOS. In its post, Valve describes the features as 'just the first accessibility features we're making available.' For now players on both Big Picture Mode and SteamOS will get: SteamOS devices (at this point, the Steam Deck and Lenovo Legion Go S) can also find: A screen reader with adjustable pitch, volume, and reading rate, enabled and disabled either through settings or with a two-button shortcut A color filter that affects both the Steam UI and any games you're playing — you can choose between grayscale, inverted display brightness, or inverted display colors The features are available on a new Accessibility tab in the settings, seen below for SteamOS. Earlier this month Valve also started letting Steam users filter games by accessibility support — including some options similar to the ones above, as well as adjustable difficulty and speech-to-text or text-to-speech chat. It's encouraging players with disabilities to suggest more features in a discussion thread (a mono audio toggle is looking popular.) And for anyone who doesn't need these features, while I haven't been able to try the beta yet, it sounds like might all be getting a bare-bones universal Kurosawa mode.
Geeky Gadgets
3 days ago
- Business
- Geeky Gadgets
ElevenLabs Adds 38 New Languages in Multilingual AI Update
What if your words could transcend borders, cultures, and languages with ease? The latest update to Eleven v3 makes this bold vision a reality by introducing support for a wider array of languages, redefining how we connect in a multilingual world. In an era where inclusivity and accessibility are paramount, this breakthrough isn't just a technical upgrade—it's a statement. By embracing underrepresented languages and refining its ability to handle regional nuances, Eleven v3 positions itself as a leader in bridging linguistic divides. Imagine a world where professionals collaborate seamlessly across continents, or where communities long excluded from the digital conversation finally find their voice. That's the promise of Eleven v3's newest evolution. ElevenLabs has expanded the companies language capabilities and is reshaping the landscape of global communication. From the advanced linguistic processing technology powering this transformation to the platform's commitment to regional adaptability, you'll discover how Eleven v3 is setting a new standard for multilingual tools. But this isn't just about technology—it's about people. How does this update empower individuals, businesses, and communities to thrive in an interconnected world? And what does it mean for the future of inclusive software design? These questions—and their answers—may just change the way you think about language in the digital age. Eleven v3 Language Expansion Advanced Linguistic Processing: The Technology Behind the Update At the heart of this update lies the integration of advanced linguistic processing technology, which enables Eleven v3 to handle a greater variety of languages with exceptional precision and efficiency. This innovation allows the system to better understand complex grammatical structures, idiomatic expressions, and regional linguistic nuances, making sure seamless interaction for users from diverse backgrounds. For instance, whether users are navigating intricate sentence constructions or colloquial phrases, Eleven v3 adapts to deliver accurate comprehension and text generation. This ensures that communication remains fluid, contextually relevant, and tailored to the specific needs of each language. By using these advancements, the platform sets a new benchmark for linguistic adaptability and user-centric design. Enhancing Accessibility Through Language Diversity The inclusion of new languages directly addresses the need for greater accessibility, particularly for speakers of underrepresented languages. By bridging communication gaps, Eleven v3 enables individuals and communities to participate more fully in the digital landscape. Professionals can now use multilingual tools to collaborate effectively across borders. Individuals relying on assistive technologies gain access to content in their native languages, improving usability and engagement. Communities previously excluded due to limited language options can now join global conversations and access digital resources. This update minimizes language barriers, fostering inclusivity and allowing users to connect in meaningful ways. By prioritizing linguistic diversity, Eleven v3 ensures that its tools are accessible to a broader audience, promoting equity in digital communication. New Languages in ElevenLabs Eleven v3 Watch this video on YouTube. Here are additional guides from our expansive article library that you may find useful on ElevenLabs. Regional Adaptability: Beyond Translation Eleven v3's expanded language support goes beyond basic translation by embracing regional adaptability. The platform considers cultural and linguistic variations, tailoring its functionality to meet the unique needs of specific communities. This approach ensures that users experience tools that feel both familiar and relevant, regardless of their location. Whether you're in Europe, Asia, Africa, or the Americas, Eleven v3 adapts to regional preferences, enhancing the overall user experience. By addressing local nuances and cultural contexts, the platform strengthens its connection with a global audience. This localized approach not only improves usability but also underscores Eleven v3's dedication to creating tools that resonate with diverse populations. Multilingual Support: A Necessity in a Connected World In today's interconnected world, multilingual support is no longer a luxury—it is a necessity. Eleven v3's language expansion reflects this reality, offering tools that assist seamless communication across borders and cultural divides. Businesses can expand their reach into diverse markets with greater ease, fostering international growth. Educational institutions can provide better support for students from various linguistic backgrounds, enhancing learning outcomes. Individuals can connect across cultures, promoting understanding and collaboration on a global scale. By broadening its language capabilities, Eleven v3 positions itself as an indispensable resource for navigating the complexities of a multilingual world. This update not only enhances the platform's utility but also reinforces the importance of language diversity in fostering global connections. Inclusive Software Design: A Core Principle This update exemplifies Eleven v3's dedication to inclusive software design. By prioritizing language diversity, the platform ensures its features are accessible to users from all walks of life. The update supports both widely spoken languages and those with limited digital representation, striking a balance that aligns with broader industry efforts to create equitable and user-friendly tools. For example, speakers of languages with limited online resources can now access tools that cater to their needs, while users of more common languages benefit from enhanced precision and adaptability. This commitment to inclusivity highlights Eleven v3's role in setting a standard for software that serves a truly global audience. Shaping the Future of Global Communication The introduction of new languages in Eleven v3 represents a pivotal advancement in linguistic technology and accessibility. By expanding its language repertoire, the platform enhances usability for diverse linguistic groups, promotes regional adaptability, and champions inclusive communication. This update not only broadens Eleven v3's global reach but also underscores the critical role of language diversity in technology. By addressing the needs of a multilingual world, Eleven v3 paves the way for more inclusive and accessible digital experiences, making sure that no one is left behind in an increasingly interconnected society. Media Credit: ElevenLabs Filed Under: AI, Top News Latest Geeky Gadgets Deals Disclosure: Some of our articles include affiliate links. If you buy something through one of these links, Geeky Gadgets may earn an affiliate commission. Learn about our Disclosure Policy.
