What do you guys think of this. Is it really a good download?
Vickie
The American Foundation for the Blind Creates an Accessible Video Player and
Makes It Available As a Free Download
NEW YORK (May 5, 2015)—Today, the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) made
its new, accessible HTML5 embedded video player available as a free download.
The AFB Accessible Player makes it easy for people with vision loss to play
videos online, something that can be fraught with accessibility challenges.
"People with vision loss need equal access to online videos for school, work
and entertainment. People who are blind typically use only a keyboard, but many
current video players are designed for mouse only, with no way to interact with
the controls via the keyboard," said Crista Earl, director of AFB Web Services.
"Other video players have buttons with unlabeled images, so people using screen
readers and people with low vision can’t easily fast forward, pause or rewind
the video."
The AFB Accessible Player leverages HTML 5 and cascading style sheets (CSS) to
allow low-vision users to take advantage of websites' high-contrast color
schemes to select the font sizes and colors they find easiest to read. The
controls are labeled with text, so they work with any kind of assistive
technology, such as screen-reading software, braille displays and
screen-magnification software, as well as a mouse. The video can be expanded to
full screen, which is helpful for users with low vision. It can be used either
as an embedded YouTube player or as a standard player, and the custom control
layout supports both English and Spanish languages. The player also provides
fallback options for older browsers. HTML5 is the standard supported by the
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), which provides enhanced functionality for
modern websites and helps make the Internet more accessible.
AFB's own websites are designed for accessibility, and AFB Tech, AFB's
technology division, regularly helps businesses to make their online presence
more user friendly for people with disabilities. Initially, the AFB
Accessible Player was developed for visitors to the AFB family of websites, but
because so many developers are looking for specific solutions to make their
websites accessible, AFB made the decision to share the player online.
"This HTML5 player is unlike anything else currently available, and we feel
this is a big leap forward for blind and visually impaired users," added Earl.
"As an organization, we are committed to promoting accessibility for people who
are blind or visually impaired," said Carl R. Augusto, AFB president and CEO.
"We encourage developers to download and use this video player. With more than
20 million Americans living with vision loss, a lot of people could benefit
from wide use of this player."
AFB's new HTML5 player is available for download free of charge at
www.afb.org/player.
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About AFB
The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) is a national nonprofit that
expands possibilities for people with vision loss. AFB's priorities include
broadening access to technology; elevating the quality of information and tools
for the professionals who serve people with vision loss; and promoting
independent and healthy living for people with vision loss by providing them
and their families with relevant and timely resources. Headquartered in New
York, AFB is proud to house the Helen Keller Archives and honor the more than
40 years that Helen Keller worked tirelessly with AFB.
Contact:
Tina Chapman
AFB Communications
212-502-7614
tchapman@xxxxxxx
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