[Blindtlk] Article: Landmark Program To Give Fans With Visual Impairments Enhanced Access To MLB.com Continues Expansion

[Steven Johnson]

This is in response to a recent discussion regarding access to
baseball.although it is an effort through the ACB, I commend any progress
that benefits the greater blind community.

The following article is forwarded to you by the Great Lakes ADA Center (
<http://www.adagreatlakes.org> www.adagreatlakes.org) for your information:

 

 

 

PRNewswire

June 5, 2012

 

Landmark Program To Give Fans With Visual Impairments Enhanced Access To
MLB.com Continues Expansion

NEW YORK, June 5, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Fans with visual impairments will
gain expanded accessibility to baseball through the continuation of a joint
collaboration between MLB Advanced Media, L.P. (MLBAM), the interactive
media and Internet company of Major League Baseball, the American Council of
the Blind, Bay State Council of the Blind and California Council of the
Blind. MLBAM has maintained its leadership position among sports and
entertainment companies through its continued implementation of technologies
to ensure fans with visual impairments have access to online content,
features and mobile applications.

Today's announcement furthers an initiative begun by MLBAM in February 2010,
when it began the landmark program to implement functional improvements for
access by the visually impaired to MLB.com, the official Web site of Major
League Baseball, and all 30 individual Club sites. In July 2011, MLBAM was
awarded the American Council of the Blind's prestigious Vernon Henley Media
Award for its efforts and most recently was named a recipient of the
American Foundation for the Blind's 2012 Access Award.  

A key component of the 2012 MLB season will be enhanced capabilities for
visually impaired fans within MLB.com At BatT, its award-winning mobile
application for iPhone and iPad. Like sighted fans, blind fans also are
increasingly turning to mobile devices to access their baseball content.
MLBAM's commitment to continued accessibility enhancements for fans with
visual impairments has been praised by leaders of organizations representing
those constituents. 

"The accessibility of applications for mobile devices is a critical step in
ensuring that blind consumers are able to keep pace and are afforded easy
access to changing technologies," noted ACB officer and Seattle Mariners fan
Marlaina Lieberg.  "MLBAM's efforts break new ground as being the first by a
major U.S. sports and entertainment content provider involving improved
accessibility for the visually impaired to mobile applications.  We applaud
MLBAM and urge others in these industries to follow its lead."  

MLB.com will continue to abide by guidelines issued by the Web Accessibility
Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to ensure improved
accessibility for the blind to its websites and mobile applications. The web
content accessibility guidelines are of particular benefit to blind baseball
fans who use a screen reader, through which information on a page is read
aloud, or magnification technology on their computers, as well as those who
rely on a keyboard instead of a mouse.

About MLBAM

Established in June 2000 following a unanimous vote by the 30 Major League
Baseball club owners to centralize all of Baseball's Internet operations,
MLB Advanced Media LP (MLBAM) is the interactive media and internet company
of Major League Baseball. MLBAM manages the official league site,
<http://www.mlb.com/> www.MLB.com, and each of the 30 individual Club sites
to create the most comprehensive Major League Baseball resource on the
Internet. MLB.com offers fans the most complete baseball information and
interactivity on the web, including up-to-date statistics, game previews and
summaries, extensive historical information, online ticket sales, baseball
merchandise, authenticated memorabilia and collectibles, fantasy games, live
full-game video webcasts and on-demand highlights, live and archived audio
broadcasts of every game, Gameday pitch-by-pitch application,
around-the-clock hosted and specialty video programming and complete
blogging capabilities. MLB.com offers more live events on the Internet than
any other website in the world.

About the American Council of the Blind (ACB), Bay State Council of the
Blind (BSCB) and the California Council of the Blind (CCB)

The American Council of the Blind is a national consumer-based advocacy
organization working on behalf of blind and visually impaired Americans
throughout the country, with members organized through seventy state and
special interest affiliates. The Bay State and California Councils are the
Massachusetts and California affiliates of the ACB. The ACB, BSCB and CCB
are dedicated to improving the quality of life, equality of opportunity and
independence of all people who have visual impairments. Their members and
affiliated organizations have a long history of commitment to the
advancement of policies and programs which will enhance independence for
people who are blind and visually impaired. Many members of ACB, BSCB and
CCB are baseball fans. More information about the organizations can be found
by visiting  <http://www.acb.org/> www.acb.org,  <http://www.ccbnet.org/>
www.ccbnet.org, and  <http://www.acb.org/baystate/>
http://www.acb.org/baystate/.

Source:  <http://s.tt/1dpAY> PR Newswire ( <http://s.tt/1dpAY>
http://s.tt/1dpAY)