Prayatna Nepal, a self-help organization dedicated to empowering visually impaired women and girls, conducted four rounds of consultations on digital accessibility on national and international laws, policy, frameworks, universal design and accessibility standards to content developers, IT professionals, government representatives, private sector stakeholders, and representatives from Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs). The organization, established by a group of women both with and without visual impairments, possess a diverse board with 71% of its members, including the chairperson, being visually impaired. This inclusive approach aims to foster a comprehensive understanding and collaborative effort to enhance the social, cultural, economic, environmental, and political lives of visually impaired women.
The consultations commenced with a warm welcome from Ms. Sarita Lamichhane, Chairperson of Prayatna Nepal, Ms. Jalasa Sapkota, General Member of Prayatna Nepal followed by a brief round of introductions. Mr. Sagar Prasai, the facilitator, initiated the session with a pretest using Google Docs. Participants were then asked to share their expectations via menti.com.
Ms. Sarita Lamichhane then began the educational portion of the event with an in-depth presentation on disability concepts. She covered various types and severity levels of disabilities, as well as the classification system used for disability cards. This comprehensive overview provided attendees with a solid foundation for understanding the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities.
Mr. Prasai then delved into the core topic of digital accessibility. His presentation covered several key areas:
The second session focused on the technical aspects of digital accessibility:
Mr. Prasai elaborated on the different aspects of digital accessibility, including:
He also discussed practical applications such as writing accessible Nepali content, using ALT text, incorporating sign language, captions, and audio descriptions. Additionally, Mr. Prasai shared exciting news about YouTube's upcoming Multiple Track Audio feature.
The presentation highlighted essential considerations for creating accessible content:
Following a lunch break and an energizing activity led by the assistant facilitator, participants viewed a video on accessibility produced by Prayatna Nepal. The assistant facilitators (Ms. Sarita Lamichhane, Mr. Arya Niraula and Mr. Suyog Dhungel) then provided practical demonstrations of the theoretical concepts discussed earlier. Attendees had the opportunity to practice creating accessible digital content using Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and various social media platforms.
The consultations concluded with closing remarks from representatives of Prayatna Nepal, who expressed gratitude for everyone's time, enthusiasm, and active participation. Each participant made a commitment to apply their newly acquired knowledge in their personal and professional lives, ensuring a lasting impact from the event.
