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New multimedia access tool from IBM
- 19 Mar 07, 01:41 PM
has developed a tool to help the visually impaired to access multimedia content on the web.
You could be forgiven for thinking that the problem with video on the web begins with the content, but the issues are more fundamental than that. If you can’t work the start and stop buttons, then you won’t be worried about whether the video has audio description or not.
IBM will soon release the snappily named ‘multimedia accessibility browsing tool’ to make video controls accessible. Regardless of what the developer does, the tool provides keyboard shortcuts to play, stop, rewind and so on independently. I gave Current TV a hard time recently, and although this won’t make the website any easier to use, IBM’s tool should make it possible to play the videos.
The tool also promises to make content more accessible. If a video includes metadata – which is traditionally a description of the content included for improving visibility in search engines – then the tool can use that to provide a narrative to the action on the video.
Will it transform user-generated content on websites like ? That it will be easier to play video can only be a good thing. Will having a narrative have the same impact? Much will depend on the quality of metadata – even assuming it is included - and the nature of the video.
It may become a useful tool for small organisations with limited budgets. Adding a voiceover to a sales animation or tutorial can be expensive. Adding metadata for the narration, however, should not be such an issue.
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this rocks iwant to marry this thing it is awesome i always sleep with my computer!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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