Guide Dogs - Global Accessibility Awareness

Guide Dogs - Global Accessibility Awareness

In our digital world it can be difficult for a person with low vision or blindness to use social media. ‘Jaws’ is a screen reader used by many including Guide Dog owner Tom O’Neill from Balbriggan, Co Dublin. In their video, Guide Dogs Australia highlight 3 important tips we should be familiar with.

Tip 1: Good Punctuation. Use a full stop at the end of a sentence or phrase to indicate to ascreen reader the end of the text. Example: Irish Guide Dogs. When using a symbol such as @ in an email address, each separate word should be capitalised. Example: GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com otherwise the screen reader sees a jumble of letters guidedogsbalbriggan@gmail.com.

Tip 2: High Contrast. Some eye conditions distort a person’s view of things, so colours used are important. A yellow line on a white background can be very difficult to see but a yellow line on a black background is easier to see. Use geometric shapes on advertisements.Example: A large black arrow on a white background could be used to point out important information. In Australia they use large black and white arrows to indicate where the door on a tram is. We could do something similar in Ireland on buses, Luas, DART and trains.

Tip 3: Be open and flexible. If approached by someone with low vision or blindness for help, listen to them and work out a solution to the problem together. Be open to new ideas. For any further information Contact us by phone/text: 085 7663107. Email :: GuideDogsBalbriggan@gmail.com or. Facebook uus on ouur facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/Balbriggan.Branch.of.Guide.Dogs.

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