UNITED DING
UNITED KINGDOM.
ANYONE WHO'S TRIED TO SIGN UP
FOR THE VACCINE CAN ATTEST IT'S
NOT ALWAYS.
IT CAN BE DOWNRIGHT IMPOSSIBLE
WITH NO OR LOW VISION.
WE TURN TO EXPLORE.
WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN HEARING ABOUT
PEOPLE TRYING TO NAVIGATE
VACCINE SIGN-UP SITES ONLINE?
>> WE HEAR FOLKS EXPERIENCING
ANXIETY ON A NUMBER OF LEVELS.
FIRST OF ALL, THE SHEER NOTION
THAT SOME OF THE SIGN-UPS HAVE
TO BE DONE ONLINE IN SOME CASES
OR FOLKS DON'T KNOW THE PHONE
NUMBER TO MAKE THAT CONTENT IS
ALREADY PROBLEMATIC FOR OUR
POPULATION.
THE MAJORITY OF FOLKS IN THE
STATE WHO LIVE WITH VISION
IMPAIRMENT ARE OLDER ADULTS.
WHILE THERE ARE CERTAINLY FOLKS
WHO HAVE LIVED WITH VISION
IMPAIRMENT ALL OF THEIR LIVES
LIKE I DO, WE SEE SUCH AN
INCREASE AMONG OLDER ADULTS
BECAUSE OF DISEASES.
AND SO THEY ARE FOLKS WHO ARE
NEW TO TECHNOLOGY USE,
POTENTIALLY.
POTENTIALLY ALSO NEW TO
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY USE.
AND THEY ALSO MAY LIVE IN PLACES
THAT THEY DON'T HAVE GREAT
BROADBAND.
SO JUST THE SHEER NOTION OF
HAVING TO USE A PLATFORM LIKE AN
APP OR A WEBSITE, THAT IS ONE
LAYER.
AND THEN ONCE YOU GET INTO THAT
WEBSITE OR THAT APP, WHETHER
IT'S CODED PROPERLY FOR BEING
ABLE TO BE USED WITH ASSISTIVE
TECHNOLOGY OR NOT IS A WHOLE
NOTHER BALL GAME.
SO THE ADA AND WEB ACCESSIBILITY
GUIDELINES REQUIRE ACCESSIBILITY
OF WEBSITES AND WHAT WE KNOW
THAT REQUIREMENT AND REALITY
DON'T ALWAYS LINE UP.
>> SO YOU'VE SPOKEN TO THIS A
LITTLE BIT, BUT WHAT ARE SOME OF
THE COMMON ISSUES FOR PEOPLE
WITH LOW OR NO VISION WHEN THEY
CONFRONT A WEBSITE, SAY, IN
TERMS OF BEING, IF YOU ARE LOW
VISION, NOT BEING ABLE TO EVEN
WORK WITH IT?
WHAT IS IT ABOUT WEBSITES THAT
ARE DIFFICULT FOR PEOPLE WITH
LOW VISION?
>> THAT'S A GREAT QUESTION.
SO THERE'S A COUPLE OF DIFFERENT
THINGS.
FIRST OF ALL, MANY PEOPLE WITH
LOW VISION USE SOME SORT OF
ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY OR ACCESS
TECHNOLOGY.
SO MAYBE THEY MAGNIFY THEIR
SCREEN PRETTY SIGNIFICANTLY OR
USE A SCREEN READER TECHNOLOGY.
I USE A COMBINATION OF BOTH AND
SO DO OTHER USERS.
SO WHEN YOU INTERACT WITH A WEB
NIGHT USING THOSE TECHNOLOGIES,
SOMETIMES THE WEBSITE IS
FRAGILE, SO WHEN YOU GO TO DO
THE MAGNIFICATION THINGS MOVE,
SO YOU HAVE TO REORIENT YOURSELF
TO THE PAGE.
IF YOU'RE USING A SCREEN READER,
THE KEY STROKES YOU HAVE TO USE
IN ORDER TO NAVIGATE DOWN THE
PAGE, AND THOSE KEY STROKES AND
THE PAGE ITSELF SHOULD TELL YOU
WHERE YOU ARE ON THE PAGE AND
WHAT ACTIONS YOU CAN TAKE ON THE
PAGE, WHETHER SOMETHING IS
CLICKABLE OR HAS A LINK OR IS
SELECTABLE.
A LOT OF TIMES WHAT WE
EXPERIENCE IS THAT THAT CONTENT
ISN'T AVAILABLE.
SO CONCRETELY WHEN YOU'RE GOING
TO SET UP AN APPOINTMENT AND YOU
WANT TO CHOOSE YOUR DAY AND
TIME, YOUR SCREEN READER MAY
TELL YOU THAT THERE'S AN
APPOINTMENT ON FRIDAY, MARCH 5,
AND AT 3:00, 4:00 AND 5:00 AND
YOU HEAR THAT CONTENT BUT IT'S
NOT CODED TO TELL YOU CAN SELECT
IT.
SO CAN I SELECT THIS?
IS THIS JUST READING, GIVING ME
A LIST?
SO YOU'RE UNCLEAR WHAT ACTION
YOU CAN TAKE.
SO YOU HAVE TO START HITTING
KEYS AND HOPING FOR THE BEST.
ONE PERSON TOLD ME THAT WHEN HE
SCHEDULED HIS VACCINE
APPOINTMENT, HE THOUGHT HE'D
CHOSEN THE RIGHT DAY BUT HE
WASN'T GETTING THE AUDIO
FEEDBACK HE NEEDED SO HE WAS
GREATLY RELIEVED WHEN HE GOT HIS
CONFIRMATION THAT HE'D SIGNED UP
FOR THE TIME HE'D SIGNED UP FOR.
>> AS THOUGH THERE AREN'T ENOUGH
HURDLES.
REALLY INTENSE FOR PEOPLE IN
THAT CIRCUMSTANCE.
JUST YESTERDAY THE STATE
DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH SET UP A
PHONE NUMBER FOR PEOPLE TO CALL
FOR VACCINE HELP.
WE WANT TO GIVE HA HERE.
>> YES.
>> THAT NUMBER IS 844-684-1064.
I CALLED IT.
IT'S UP.
IT'S ACTIVATED.
IT WORKS.
AND WE WILL REPEAT THAT PHONE
NUMBER IN A MOMENT.
BUT HOW NEEDED IS AN ACTUAL
PHONE NUMBER FOR FOLKS TO CALL?
>> OH, IT'S SO CRITICAL.
I'LL JUST GIVE AN EXAMPLE.
WE HAVE -- OUR ORGANIZATION HAS
A WEBSITE AND A SMALL RETAIL
STORE AND THEN WE ALSO HAVE
PHONE.
AND STILL THE MAJORITY OF OUR
ORDERS AND REQUESTS COME IN VIA
PHONE.
EVEN THOUGH OUR WEBSITE IS BUILT
FOR ACCESSIBILITY.
JUST BECAUSE THERE'S COMFORT IN
HEARING A HUMAN VOICE.
AND FOR SO MANY PEOPLE IN OUR
POPULATION, ISOLATION AND
LONELINESS ARE PROFOUND.
YOU CAN'T GET OUT.
YOU CAN'T DRIVE YOURSELF
SOMEPLACE.
SO BEING ABLE TO TALK TO A HUMAN
BEING WHO HEARS YOU, WHO CAN
ANSWER YOUR QUESTIONS, WHO CAN
BE A COMFORT, THAT EMOTIONALLY
IN A SCARY TIME IS HUGE.
AND THEN FOR ANYBODY WHO CAN'T
NAVIGATE THE WEBSITE, IT IS
VITAL.
OTHERWISE HOW DO YOU GO ABOUT
ASSURING THAT YOU'RE GOING TO
GET THE VACCINE?
>> WE LEAVE IT THERE.
THANK YOU VERY MUCH.
THANKS FOR YOUR WORK AND THANKS
FOR ENLIGHTENING US ABOUT THIS.
>> THANK YOU.
>> AGAIN, FOR VACCINE HELP, THE
STATE DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH
SERVICES HAS JUST MADE A PHONE
NUMBER AVAILABLE TO CALL.
IT'S