Disability App Challenge
15 August 2013 at 3:40 pm
The Australian Human Rights Commission is to sponsor an award for an accessible app that accommodates the needs of people with disability.
The Australian Human Rights Commission has joined with the Not for Profit advocacy organisation, the Australian Communications Consumer Action Network to deliver an app challenge award, called Apps For All.
The Commission says the award recognises, that while many Australians with disability are harnessing gadgets, apps and websites to improve their lives, millions are potentially missing out on the digital revolution because app developers and manufacturers are failing to accommodate the needs of people with disability and older consumers.
“As the Disability Discrimination Commissioner, and as an avid user of smartphones, I’m always looking out for accessible apps”, Human Rights Commissioner Graeme Innes said.
“The Australian Human Rights Commission is pleased to be involved in this competition in a bid to increase equal accessibility for all smartphone users,” Commissioner Innes said.
The annual competition, announced at the M-Enabling Australasia 2013 Conference today, will award the best mobile and tablet apps submitted in the following categories:
1. Most accessible mainstream app
2. Most innovative app designed for people with disability
3. Most accessible children’s app
4. Most accessible game app
“We hope these awards will inspire new and innovative apps that harness the enabling benefits of mobile technology to improve the lives of Australians with disability,” ACCAN CEO Teresa Corbin said.
“About one in five Australians have some form of permanent disability and locking this demographic out is both bad ethics and bad business.”
Prizes and entry deadlines will be announced at a later date with the winners to be revealed at ACCAN’s annual conference next year.
“An accessible app is one which has been designed from the ground up to cater to all consumers. This can range from properly labelling buttons so they can be read by screen reading software used by people who are blind or vision impaired, to innovative apps specifically designed to improve the lives of people with disability or the elderly,” Corbin said.
The app challenge will be judged by a select panel of technology and accessibility experts, which will be announced at a later date.
To find out more visit ACCAN.
