Webpage Accessibility for visually impaired and hard of hearing

 Not all people can read your social media messages. In fact, over 12 million Americans 40 and older have some sort of visual impairment with 1.3 million legally blind. 

The number of young people under 18 with vision difficulty was 547,083 in 2019. Visual impairment cases in the U.S. are expected to double by 2050. 

 

John Whiting of WebAim talked about 10 things that PIOs (andweb developers) can do to make web content more accessible.

 

1.     Understand your responsibilities

 

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines were developed in 1999, revised in 2008 and updated in 2018. A checklist of standards is available onthe WebAim website. These are mandated by federal statutes, including the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Types of Assistive Technology Used

 

2.     Use proper heading structure from headings styles

 

This is a chart of acceptable heading styles listed in Word.

 

3.     Give images alternative text

 

Alternative text should be:

• Be equivalent.

• Be succinct.

• NOT be redundant.

• NOT use the phrases "image of ..." or "graphic of ..." to describe the image.

 

4.     Format your tables

• Caption or heading
• Table headers
• Column or row

 

5.     Choose text colors with good contrast

This tee-shirt is red, but the color blind see it in green.

 

 Yellow is one of the hardest colors to see in an advertisement or presentation slides.

 

6.     Don't rely on color

• Ensure enough contrast
• Don’t rely on color alone.
• Don’t remove underline from links

 

7.     Make links descriptive

Poor – Click here

Good – Click here for our campus map

Better – Click here for our campus map

Best – Campus map

 

For more information on this topic, read Humanitarian Crisis in Ukraine since 2014-

https://www.amazon.com/Humanitarian-crisis-eastern-Ukraine-since-ebook/dp/B09VHB59V7/

 

8.     Use lists correctly

 

Use numbers when there is order or a hierarchy.

Use bullets when equal importance.

 

 

9.     Use captioned videos

Descriptive transcripts are recommended for all media.

 

10.  Convert (don’t Print) to PDF

 If Create PDF is not available, use “Save As” 

 

 

 

Source: WebAim presentation for the the Utah PIO conference. (September 13, 2022). 

https://webaim.org/presentations/2022/pio/
 

Moksha Yoga: Hottest off-the-mat challenge

Classic neck stretch

TORONTO, Canada, – Moksha Yoga, North America’s leading collective of highly accessible, socially and ecologically conscious hot yoga studios, unveiled today Grow Your Yoga, a 30-day off the mat challenge to bring together the global yoga community, educate on the roots of the Moksha practice and raise funds for a significant cause.

Formerly known as Living Your Moksha, Grow Your Yoga is the third annual challenge for the Moksha collective focusing on topics that promote vitality in every day life.  Kicking off May 1 and running through May 30, Grow Your Yoga will celebrate the seven pillars that Moksha Yoga is founded on including health, peace, accessibility and support for others.  Funds raised during the challenge will go to the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust (MWCT)—an organization backed by actor and activist Edward Norton that works to protect the legendary ecosystems and astounding biodiversity of East Africa.  

See what Edward has to say about it here:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8fUOm2OoMRg&list=UULTzYzVDnrvCsXm7WnIg6hw&index=1

“Moksha Yoga’s mission is to promote a healthy awareness for our practice on the mat, while living by a set of philosophies that carry our practice off the mat,” said Moksha Yoga co-founder, Jessica Robertson.  “Grow Your Yoga provides us with an opportunity to remind our community of our foundation, to challenge ourselves to live by these ideas and to give back to a great cause.”

"We are thrilled to partner with Moksha for the Grow Your Yoga campaign," said Edward Norton, American actor and President of the U.S. Branch of MWCT. "MWCT shares Moksha's vision to protect and serve the natural world and it starts with education and awareness. Yoga teaches us that we are all connected, and that how we choose to act today will be our legacy for the future. As an avid Moksha practitioner myself I can't imagine a better way to embody the values of yoga off the mat than by committing to Grow Your Yoga and supporting the MWCT.”

The Grow Your Yoga Challenge will be broken down into 4 weeks, encouraging the community to showcase their success online through Facebook, Twitter or Instagram using the hashtag #growyouryoga. Additionally, each challenger will be set-up with a personal profile via Crowdrise—a unique fundraising platform that allows challengers to set fundraising goals, personalize their page and reach out directly to their contacts—to fundraise throughout the campaign.  

Week 1: Be Healthy

Eat environmentally sustainable foods including locally grown, vegetarian, organic or vegan and share  a recipe or image of your dish online with hashtag #growyouryoga.  20 participants will receive a cookbook by Renee Loux.

Week 2: Be Peace

Practice 10 minutes of meditation every day and pay attention to what your voice is saying when your mind is silent. Share your reaction to this challenge, an image or quote that evokes peace online with hashtag #growyouryoga.  20 participants will receive a Manduka meditation and travel cushion.

Week 3: Be Accessible

Practice one week of no gossip and be accessible to deeper conversations. Share the impact listening rather than reacting has on you via the #growyouryoga hashtag. As a bonus – bring a friend to class for free.  20 participants will receive a 90-minute Moksha CD.

Week 4: Reach out

Participate in a worthy cause. Moksha Yoga is trying to raise $100,000 for the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust Fundraiser. To do this Robertson suggests sharing the fundraiser URL on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram or uploading your cutest animal photo using the #growyouryoga.  20 participants will receive handmade Maasai bracelets.

Interested participants can find the studio nearest them, sign up and receive ongoing community updates at www.growyouryoga.ca. Registration for the challenge doesn't cost anything although there is a suggested donation of $10. All proceeds collected benefit the Maasai Wilderness Conservation Trust (MWCT) and will contribute to the $100,000 goal.

For more information on Moksha Yoga, please visit www.mokshayoga.ca, or join us on Facebook: Facebook:www.facebook.com/MokshaHotYoga, Twitter: www.twitter.com/mokshayoga @MokshaYoga, Instagram:www.instagram.com/MokshaHotYoga, Pinterest:www.pinterest.com/mokshayoga/grow-your-yoga/  or YouTube:www.youtube.com/user/mokshayogavideo

About Moksha Yoga®:

Moksha Yoga® is a Toronto-originated yoga studio model dedicated to helping students find a calm mind, fit body and inspired life. With over 65 independently owned studios across the globe, Moksha Yoga’s unique hot yoga series makes ancient yoga traditions accessible and practical for life in the modern world. Moksha Yoga provides a body-warming physical regimen with a peaceful, fun and insightful mental and spiritual practice that encourages students to become healthy, passionate members of the planet. All Moksha Yoga studios are committed to community initiatives, eco sustainability, social causes and having good fun with good Karma. Find the nearest studio at MokshaYoga.ca