The Adjustment Bureau – App Swap Workshop
Fiona MacNeill, Learning Technologies Adviser, University of Brighton (Falmer Campus)
The Adjustment Bureau: The Case for Adjustment in Mobile Apps
The blog post linked to above (at my new UoB edublogs site) covers topics which I presented at the Media-Enhanced Learning Special Interest Group (MELSIG) event hosted by the University of Sussex on 9 September, 2014. The theme for the University of Sussex event was Digital Media Interaction and Inclusivity and this was exactly the prompt I needed to engage in more thorough research of in-app adjustment functions which has been preoccupation of mine for a while.
Topics covered in my blog post:
- Possible boundaries to accessibility in the development of apps
- Categorisation of accessibility functions in apps
- Discussion of ‘Speak Selection’ in Apple’s iOS
- Discussion and listing of app which allow for background colour adjustments
- Adjustments as a path to accessibility
Session Abstract:
Tablets and smartphones allow unique development opportunities within computing. Their physical capabilities, such as built-in accelerometers and cameras, together with their operating systems allow creative developers to devise new solutions in the form of “apps”. With so many development avenues to go down, is it any wonder that developers frequently miss a key junction, that of adjustment? The presence of “adjustment” options within apps, be they the adjustment of font size, line spacing and background colour are not that hard to add, but are so often overlooked and they provide the potential for real accessibility impact. This session which takes the form of an App Swap; an event for discussion and sharing based around mobile devices, invites you to try out some apps which allow for “adjustment”.
I have been working in the Educational Technology field within Higher Education for eleven years. A big part of my job is finding new and innovative ways of integrating technology into current teaching and learning methodology. This can include assisting academic staff with Virtual Learning Environments/Learning Management Systems (Blackboard), implementing specific software packages, maximising current technologies and championing new ones. I find this profession both riveting and rewarding. I really enjoy life on the cutting edge, but I also enjoy being able to help staff achieve small and meaningful efficiencies; sometimes that makes all the difference.
