Ocean 3D, a renowned creator of interactive tours, is thrilled to announce a strategic collaboration with AVA Inclusivity to include WAI-ARIA accessibility within our virtual tours. Together, the two entities are introducing a suite of innovative features designed to ensure a more inclusive and enriching experience for users, including those with physical and hidden conditions. As part of the testing process, the tours were used as web training for a blind Veterans group in San Diego, USA.
The example tour below uses Brownsville South Padre Island International Airport in Texas, adjacent to SpaceX’ Boca Chica site. The additional accessibility options, including keyboard navigation, can be toggled on and off using the menu. This article continues below the tour.
The latest enhancements to Ocean 3D’s interactive tours, developed in partnership with AVA Inclusivity, include optional high contrast, location-triggered audio, and alternative navigation methods. These features aim to provide a comprehensive and accessible virtual exploration, catering to the diverse needs of users and promoting inclusivity across various abilities.
Features include:
- All of the text, buttons and menus are available to WAI-ARIA compliant screen readers, and ensured of that by our use of WAI-ARIA attributes such as alt attributes and tab index,
- Importantly, the use of the keyboard tabbing to navigate and menus to move to different spaces is crucial for people who are blind or have low vision to go to different spaces and ensures that individuals with varying motor skills or cognitive conditions can navigate through the tours in a way that suits their unique requirements, further promoting inclusivity and accessibility.
- The AVT is also programed so that a text modal that a screen reader will read opens whenever a space is “entered”.
- Any video embedded within a tour clients are advised to follow best practice guide that suggests always having the captions displayed.
- High Contrast for Enhanced Visibility. Recognising the importance of visual accessibility, the tours include an optional high contrast. This feature ensures that users with visual impairments can engage comfortably with the tours, offering a clear and distinct visual experience tailored to individuals with varying levels of vision.
Chris Wood, Director of Ocean 3D, expressed excitement about the collaboration with AVA Inclusivity and the impact on accessibility. “Our goal is to create an interactive tour of every location in the UK where some users may be currently discouraged, excluded, or discriminated against visiting. These new features, developed in collaboration with AVA Inclusivity, represent a significant leap towards achieving that goal, making our tours truly accessible to almost everyone.”
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with Chris Wood and the incredible team at Ocean 3D.” said Gregg Leonard, Co-Founder of AVA Inclusivity. “Our belief is that virtual space is public space, and public space must be accessible to all. Ocean 3D is doing wonderful and important work opening access to public spaces by creating incredible virtual tours and we are excited that our AVT software has become a part of their solution”
Ocean 3D and AVA Inclusivity remain dedicated to their joint mission of creating more accessible, engaging and informative spaces. The tours are particularly useful for individuals with physical and hidden conditions such as autism, anxiety, PTSD, continence problems, and dementia who may need to familiarise themselves with a location in advance.
For media inquiries, please contact:
Chris Wood – Director
Ocean 3D
+44 (0) 1736 339405
www.ocean3d.co.uk
About Ocean 3D:
Ocean 3D is an international thought leader and creator of interactive tours based in Penzance, in The Duchy of Cornwall, United Kingdom. Passionate about making spaces more accessible and inclusive, the company’s cloud-based tours work seamlessly across various devices, including VR headsets, smartphones, tablets, and desktops.
About AVA Inclusivity:
AVA Inclusivity is a leading accessibility solutions provider, dedicated to creating inclusive environments for individuals with diverse needs. The collaboration with Ocean 3D underscores AVA Inclusivity’s commitment to advancing accessibility in the virtual space.
Legal Opinion Reference:
The company’s commitment to accessibility aligns with the legal opinion provided by Louise Mankau of Barristers, Doughty Street Chambers. For more information, refer to the legal opinion document titled “The ability to journey and destination plan, should it be a reasonable adjustment under the Equality Act?”
Visit Ocean 3D’s official website at https://www.ocean3d.co.uk for more details.
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