Media Access Australia (M.A.A.) strives for accessibility and inclusion through technology and is a
not-for-profit organization located in
Australia dedicated to increasing access to websites and digital media for people with
disabilities. This includes those who are
deaf
Deafness has varying definitions in cultural and medical contexts. In medical contexts, the meaning of deafness is hearing loss that precludes a person from understanding spoken language, an audiological condition. In this context it is written ...
or
hearing impaired
Hearing loss is a partial or total inability to hear. Hearing loss may be present at birth or acquired at any time afterwards. Hearing loss may occur in one or both ears. In children, hearing problems can affect the ability to acquire spoken la ...
,
blind or
vision impaired, or have a
cognitive disability
There are a variety of disabilities affecting cognitive ability. This is a broad concept encompassing various intellectual or cognitive deficits, including intellectual disability (formerly called ''mental retardation''), deficits too mild to pr ...
, as well as older Australians, such as those from non-English-speaking backgrounds, and people with varying levels of
education and literacy.
In addition to M.A.A.’s advocacy efforts, the organization helps provide clients with (digital accessibility services) provided by a team of media specialists that work with local, state and federal governments, corporations, educational institutions, and charities to help maximize engagement and inclusion for the broadest possible audience.
M.A.A. works alongside organizations to audit, review, and implement accessibility, along with providing training for staff in best-practice digital access. The organization also runs a university-accredited online course – the Professional Certificate in Web Accessibility (P.C.W.A.) – that is run in six-week modules, with three to four intakes each year.
M.A.A. is also focused on audio-visual media, including
streaming services,
TV,
cinema
Cinema may refer to:
Film
* Cinematography, the art of motion-picture photography
* Film or movie, a series of still images that create the illusion of a moving image
** Film industry, the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking
...
,
DVD
The DVD (common abbreviation for Digital Video Disc or Digital Versatile Disc) is a digital optical disc data storage format. It was invented and developed in 1995 and first released on November 1, 1996, in Japan. The medium can store any kind ...
s and
new media
New media describes communication technologies that enable or enhance interaction between users as well as interaction between users and content. In the middle of the 1990s, the phrase "new media" became widely used as part of a sales pitch for ...
, by providing information about technological solutions that make audio-visual media accessible to people with disabilities. These solutions include
audio description
Audio description, also referred to as a video description, described video, or more precisely called a visual description, is a form of narration used to provide information surrounding key visual elements in a media work (such as a film or te ...
,
captioning
Closed captioning (CC) and subtitling are both processes of displaying text on a television, video screen, or other visual display to provide additional or interpretive information. Both are typically used as a transcription of the audio po ...
, and mainstream new media technologies. M.A.A .supports improvements in media access in Australia towards international
best practice
A best practice is a method or technique that has been generally accepted as superior to other known alternatives because it often produces results that are superior to those achieved by other means or because it has become a standard way of doing ...
by identifying mainstream technological solutions and cost-effective ways to promote and implement them.
M.A.A. works collaboratively with
consumer organizations;
Government
A government is the system or group of people governing an organized community, generally a state.
In the case of its broad associative definition, government normally consists of legislature, executive, and judiciary. Government is ...
and
industry
Industry may refer to:
Economics
* Industry (economics), a generally categorized branch of economic activity
* Industry (manufacturing), a specific branch of economic activity, typically in factories with machinery
* The wider industrial sector ...
in Australia and internationally.
Background
Media Access Australia was formerly the Australian Caption Center (A.C.C.), co-founded by Adam Salzer and Alexandra Hynes in 1982. In 2005, A.C.C. sold its commercial operations, including captioning services to
Red Bee Media
Red Bee Media, formerly Ericsson Broadcast and Media Services (EBMS), is an international broadcasting and media services company and the largest access provider in Europe. Red Bee has its headquarters in London, England, with branch offices in ...
,
Red Bee Media
and became Media Access Australia (M.A.A.). M.A.A. is an independent not-for-profit organization that currently helps those with disabilities reach their full potential.
References
{{reflist
External links
Media Access AustraliaMedia Access Australia: Audio Description
Disability organisations based in Australia