To Boldly Go: The New Frontiers of Accessibility
Summary
The metaverse, virtual reality, Web 3.0, distributed infrastructure, the Internet of Things, wearable computing, and AI: all these things are going to change the face of accessibility over the next 10 years. In this talk, Samuel Proulx, Fable’s Accessibility Evangelist, will give you an overview of what the current landscape looks like at the frontier of accessibility and assistive technology. Where’s the research taking us? What might be coming down the pike? Sam has watched the accessibility industry adapt and change over the last 30 years. Drawing on the changes he’s experienced, he’ll take a look at the future, through the lens of the past. After this session, you’ll have a deeper understanding of where accessibility has been, and where it might be going.
Key Insights
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Accessibility began as a niche, third-party add-on viewed as a charitable hack rather than a core design responsibility.
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Early computing accessibility utilized mainly text-based interfaces, making screen reading simpler compared to modern GUIs.
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Apple’s VoiceOver on the iPhone 3GS marked a pivotal shift by integrating accessibility directly into the OS, enabling no-sighted-person setup.
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Third-party screen readers and assistive tech have consolidated over time due to the complexity of GUI accessibility.
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Gaming accessibility currently mirrors early desktop accessibility with mostly reverse-engineered third-party solutions lacking standard APIs.
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AR and VR accessibility is in its infancy, with major tech companies actively researching but no dominant solutions yet.
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Innovations in accessibility often produce features that benefit all users, such as voice control, dark mode, and multi-touch enhancements.
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Present accessibility challenges include multi-modal info presentation, hands-free interactions, AI bias prevention, and cloud-based app accessibility.
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The first company to solve AR/VR accessibility stands to gain a long-term market advantage similar to Apple’s early mobile accessibility lead.
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Involving real users with disabilities directly in research and design leads to more effective and grounded accessibility solutions.
Notable Quotes
"I myself am a full-time screen reader user. I have been a screen reader user all my life, as I am completely blind."
"There isn’t a time I can remember where there wasn’t a computer talking to me."
"Accessibility was just a clever trick that some charitable organization or someone who wanted to give back would do almost for fun."
"The Apple 3GS and the accessibility that was developed by Apple was a massive shift."
"With Apple, I could pick up any phone and triple-click the home button and VoiceOver would come on."
"Accessibility is no longer considered something that someone else should do — it’s a first-party responsibility."
"Whenever someone makes a game accessible today, it’s considered an inspiring hack not a built-in feature."
"We are beginning to see cycles of history repeat themselves in accessibility, especially in gaming and AR/VR."
"When we solve accessibility problems, we create innovations that benefit everyone, not just people with disabilities."
"No company has a dominant advantage in AR/VR accessibility yet, but that will change in the coming years."
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