The digital world must be accessible to all users, no matter how they perceive the information.

What takes us a few seconds can be a real challenge for blind users, especially if they are students and young people who are just beginning learning the latest technologies.

Therefore, the museum in the dark “Three after midnight” in partnership with the Training and Information Computer Center UTOS, which specializes in training people with profound visual impairments in the field of computer technologies, with the support of SAP, Resource Center GURT and TechSoup, organized two online events for children and young people (14 to 24 years old) with profound visual impairments.

During October, more than 30 blind participants (from 12 to 24 years old), from all over Ukraine (Kharkiv, Lviv, Kyiv, Kryvyi Rih, Ternopil) participated in a kind of experiment, because the online format is new to such events.

There were organized two online events: a crash test of sites and an online quest, which included a variety of tasks to perform and test sites, and also two online zoom lectures.

Crash test of sites

Participants tested the accessibility of many functions on five sites, some of which the users already knew - https://www.ukr.net/,https://sinoptik.ua/, and some were new and useful for them, such as the site https: //helsi.me/ (online doctor’s appointment).

It was a great opportunity for participants to learn about the principles of web navigation, non-standard solutions for interaction on sites, and share their experiences. Also, at the end of the project, there was a lecture held by a web accessibility specialist, SoftServe employee - Oleg Shpay, who told more about the profession of web accessibility tester and inspired many participants to think about working in this area in future.

Online quest for the blind

Participants performed 10 different tasks, during which they got acquainted with the applications. Some of them the participants already knew (Google Translator, YouTube, browser, and Google Drive) as well as specialized applications for the blind (special application for listening to audiobooks AV3715, Sullivan plus, and Lazarillo GPS for blind).

Pupils of Lviv and Kharkiv boarding schools for the blind have a particularly high level of knowledge in the field of new technologies.

“I would like to thank everyone who was involved in the project. We have received a lot of information that needs serious study, and participants now have new interesting applications, knowledge, and understanding of how to use them ” - Igor Kushnir, Chief Speaker of “Online Quest” and “Crash Test”, IT and guide in the  museum in the dark “Three after midnight”.

The organizers are convinced that such initiatives are useful and draw attention to the problems of learning the latest technologies by blind young people.

The project also showed that an online format of learning is possible and can be used again in the future. So the organizers promise not to stop there, but to prepare new events!