Accessibility in the News
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Star HTML and Microsoft IE7
http://webstandards.org/buzz/archive/2005_12.html#a000598
From the Web Standards Project (WaSP): Chris Wilson, Group Program Manager for IE Platform and Security at Microsoft, and Position is Everything's Big John Gallant have been having a conversation about * html in Microsoft's upcoming Internet Explorer 7 for Windows (IE7). Wilson has been encouraging CSS designers and developers to repair any bug-specific hacks for several months now. Gallant remains unconvinced the solution is that easy and is afraid countless, unpaid hours of repair work will wind up on the shoulders of those designers and developers who have employed * html related hacks in their designs.
Contributed on Fri, 13 Jan 2006 02:13:03 GMT.
Kineo Survey Shows Audio Learning is Back
http://www.newswiretoday.com/news/2735/
Kineo's survey on the use of audio learning indicates that it's back, and it's here to stay. As mobile learning devices become ubiquitous, Kineo predicts that 2006 will see a major increase in audio learning. The survey shows that over 50 percent of respondents use audio learning at least occasionally, both in formal and informal contexts. 50 percent stated that an MP3 player was their preferred means of accessing audio learning. When asked what types of content are best suited to audio learning, the top response was leadership and management, followed by sales. This is not surprising as these subjects rely heavily on personality, storytelling and immediate relevance to learners' issues - needs which audio learning delivers on excellently. What is being done to ensure that learners who are deaf or hard of hearing are not left out?
Contributed on Fri, 13 Jan 2006 02:12:09 GMT.
Podcast My Class! Tegrity and Blackboard Bring Enhanced Podcasting to Colleges and Universities Nationwide
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=105149
Tegrity, a worldwide leader in student achievement systems, and Blackboard Inc., a leading provider of technology to educational institutions, are making it possible for college students to watch and listen to class lectures on their iPods at any time and from any location. Through Tegrity Campus enterprise software and the Blackboard Learning System, recorded instruction from every class can now be automatically converted to enhanced podcasts for students to review later. The Tegrity Campus enterprise software seamlessly integrates with Blackboard, and includes a Blackboard Building Block. Blackboard Building Blocks are third party applications which enable academic institutions to extend and customize their Blackboard application. The Tegrity Campus Blackboard Building Block enables institutions to automatically capture, store and index every class on campus for later replay by every student. The on-demand content is accessible through Blackboard on any computer, and is now available on iPods as well. Each podcast is automatically indexed and enhanced with instructor audio, slides and annotations from class, making it much more engaging than audio-only podcasts. Podcasting is one of the hottest new trends in education the following are just a sample of articles taken from the past two weeks: Podcasting: Transforming Middle Schoolers Into 'Middle Scholars'; University professor takes iPods to the classroom;RETC's 'Podcast for Teachers' Receives National Award; 7 Things You Should Know About Podcasting;and finally: Podcasting could be the next big thing. Podcasting can be very helpful for some students with disabilities: it can replace a notetaker for a student who is blind or mobility impaired and allows students with cognitive disabilities to listen to the material at their own pace and as often as they like. However, for students who are deaf or hearing impaired, podcasting can leave them out of the loop.
Contributed on Fri, 13 Jan 2006 02:10:34 GMT.
UC Podcasting Trial Merges Education With Technology
http://news.enquirer.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060105/NEWS0102/601050350/...
Something strange is strapped to Nancy Jennings' arm. Standing at the front of a classroom, Jennings is reviewing the syllabus of her Introduction to Mass Communication course, which started Tuesday at the University of Cincinnati. She gives the students her e-mail and phone contacts and tells them they need to score 462 points to get an A in her class. And then she says this: "I am strapped in. We are recording. This is very new. This is experimental. This is the first time it's been done on UC's campus." That thing on her arm? It's recording everything she says. This quarter, at least seven instructors at UC will wear digital recorders and record lectures and student presentations as part of a university experiment with podcasting. "What's a podcast?" a student in Jennings' class murmured to his neighbor. The word itself is a merger of "broadcasting" and "iPod," that ubiquitous little media player that Apple makes and that everyone's teenager wanted for Christmas. Podcasting can be very helpful for some students with disabilities: it can replace a notetaker for a student who is blind or mobility impaired and allows students with cognitive disabilities to listen to the material at their own pace and as often as they like. However, for students who are deaf or hearing impaired, podcasting can leave them out of the loop. What can be done to include them?
Contributed on Fri, 13 Jan 2006 02:09:10 GMT.
Interactive Learning Fails Reading Test
http://www.smh.com.au/news/technology/interactive-learning-fails-reading-test/20...
INTERACTIVE computers used in British schools to teach children to read are harming their learning, research shows. Specially designed software is increasingly replacing traditional teaching in the classroom as part of the Government's 1.7 million Pounds($4 million) push to integrate computers into all lessons. Parents have also bought into the enthusiasm for technology, spending millions on educational computer games for their young. However, research published in the journal Education 3 to 13 has found that pupils who use interactive programs cannot remember stories they have just read because they are distracted by cartoons and sound effects. The overuse or misuse of media can also create problems for students with learning or cognitive disabilities, creating distractions and emphasizing the wrong parts of a learning experience.
Contributed on Fri, 13 Jan 2006 02:08:03 GMT.
E-Book Program Expands
http://wiredcampus.chronicle.com/2006/01/ebook_initiativ.html
A new program to encourage college students to buy digital textbooks is expanding this month. And many of the books will be sold at a greater discount than originally offered. MBS Textbook Exchange Inc., of Columbia, Mo., the textbook distributor that is leading the project, announced that an additional 30 bookstores at colleges across the country will start selling as many as 400 digital textbooks. The distributor said the program it launched in the fall with five academic publishers at 10 college bookstores was a success. Digital books can be very beneficial to students with disabilities, allowing the access the material in a format that best suits their needs, but only if they are created to be accessible.
Contributed on Fri, 13 Jan 2006 02:07:01 GMT.
Real-Time Texting For Deaf People
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4546924.stm
Software has been developed which enables people who are deaf to have real-time text conversations using a mobile phone. But the charity that has created the service says some mobile operators have yet to fulfill a legal obligation to make their services accessible. The Royal National Institute for Deaf people (RNID) says only Vodafone has a relay service that uses the technology. Landline users can already make such calls using the Typetalk facility. Relay services allow a person who is deaf or hearing impaired to make and receive a call via an operator, who turns the voice part of the conversation into text and relays the text replies into speech.
Contributed on Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:21:18 GMT.
Etre launches a Web Usability/Accessibility Newsletter
http://www.usabilitynews.com/news/article2865.asp
The Etre consultancy has launched a monthly email newsletter to provide insights and observations from usability, accessibility and findability work. Each newsletter is a chatty discussion of one issue. And the company says there is a strong emphasis on 'news you can use'. 'We're talking about small, practical changes you can make to your website, intranet or application that will dramatically increase performance.'
Contributed on Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:20:37 GMT.
Usability And Accessibility In 2006
http://www.it-analysis.com/business/compliance/content.php?cid=8260
By: Peter Abrahams, Practice Leader: Happy New Year and a successful 2006 to all my readers. Having recently set up the new Accessibility Practice at Bloor it seems only right that I should stick my neck out and make some predictions for 2006.
Contributed on Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:19:55 GMT.
Make Sure Your Website Is Accessible To All
http://icwales.icnetwork.co.uk/0300business/0100news/tm_objectid=16543933%26meth...
CARDIFF e-business development firm Fusion believes many companies are still paying lip-service to the legal rights of the disabled to online access. Company websites are increasingly becoming the first point of contact for potential clients and customers, and as far as the UK disability laws are concerned they are as much a part of the business as the reception desk at the main office headquarters. "The fact is that website accessibility to all is now the law," said Fusion client services director Paul Owens.
Contributed on Thu, 12 Jan 2006 00:19:21 GMT.
Bionic Ear Transformed Royer's Life
http://www.fcw.com//article91693-12-12-05
IRS computer specialist motivated to champion Section 508 programs. Michael Royer blends in with the crowds filling the Metro trains each morning in the suburbs of Washington, D.C. He carries an iPod and listens to music or recordings of sermons that he downloads from his church's Web site. "It's very easy to do; just download the audio file and put it in into your iTunes program," he said. The difference is the iPod is plugged into Royer's cochlear implant, an electronic device that compensates for damaged or nonworking parts of the inner ear. Many schools are now offering lectures on podcasts and this technology could help some students with hearing impairments to take advantage of these recordings.
Contributed on Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:40:42 GMT.
Status on Fangs update for Firefox 1.5: Real Soon Now
http://standards-schmandards.com/index.php?2005/12/18/32-fangs-update-ff15
From the Standards Schmandards Blog: An update to make Fangs compatible with Firefox 1.5 is in the works. It almost works, but Firefox 1.5 broke the default setting for how developers can access the document object in javascript. I will try to update it as soon as possible. To receive a notification when the new version is available, please sign up to the Fangs mailing list over at the Sourceforge project page. For those who are adventurous I can report that if you manually recompile the Fangs extension XPI and update the maximum allowed Firefox version number you will get an almost working version (you will have to click the Fangs reload button every time).
Contributed on Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:40:02 GMT.
Writing a Good Accessibility Statement
http://juicystudio.com/article/writing-a-good-accessibility-statement.php
From Juicy Studio: Accessibility statements are an ideal place to empower visitors to your website. Most accessibility statements are too technical, and don't necessarily address the needs of the visitor. Those that do address the needs of visitors often have the information lost in a myriad of other information that is unlikely to be understood by the average visitor to the website. What should and shouldn't be included in an accessibility statement?
Contributed on Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:39:20 GMT.
Required Elements, and Required Tags
http://juicystudio.com/article/required-elements-required-tags.php
From Juicy Studio: The difference between required elements and required tags has received a fair amount of attention recently, but the difference between the two is rarely (if ever) explained in detail.
Contributed on Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:38:48 GMT.
User-Defined Access Keys
http://juicystudio.com/article/user-defined-accesskeys.php
From Juicy Studio: Access keys are a contentious area of accessibility, as they can sometimes clash with the shortcut keys used by user agents. One method to get around this problem is to allow users to define their own access keys. This post suggests a PHP class that allows users to define their own access keys.
Contributed on Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:38:01 GMT.
Disney backs away from Accessibility
http://www.accessibilityblog.com/2005/12/12/disney-backs-away-from-accessibility/
From Matt Bailey 's Accessibility Outlook Blog: In the category of "WHY", DisneyUK removes its standards-compliant website and replaces it with one that does not even meet the simplest accessibility functions. Anyone familiar with this is appreciatively confused by this action. While most companies see the need for accessibility and eventually implement it in newer versions, this is an amazing step for a company this large to take a step backwards. Really, there are just no explanations or any words that can capture this decision by Disney to leave people out of their website.
Contributed on Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:37:02 GMT.
UK Accessibility Failure
http://www.accessibilityblog.com/2005/12/12/uk-accessibility-failure/
From Matt Bailey 's Accessibility Outlook Blog: Not a good month for Accessiblity in the UK. No sooner do I write an entry about Disney UK going to a new, inaccessible website, than I start going through my news archives and see this story: Only 3% of public UK websites fully comply with the minimum standard of accessibility. Apparently, in a study commissioned by the government, the government found out that it is the biggest culprit in not creating accessible web sites.
Contributed on Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:36:04 GMT.
Increased Accessibility for Mobile Devices
http://www.accessibilityblog.com/2005/12/20/increased-accessiblity-for-mobile-de...
From Matt Bailey 's Accessibility Outlook Blog: While browsing the latest press releases, this release caught my attention. "Nuance introduces the Nuance Accessibility Suite; provides unprecedented User Accessibility to Mobile Devices." Now, I'm usually skeptical of hype, especially when it is provided in the form of a press release, but this seemed very interesting, especially when most of my search engine referral traffic to the accessibility blog is made up of people looking for mobile accessibility solutions.
Contributed on Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:35:37 GMT.
Touch User Interface Links Podcasts To Printed Text
http://www.informationweek.com/news/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=175004600
Somatic Digital LLC said Friday it has developed technology that lets publishers integrate podcasts into their paper and ink content. The tool is offered through the BookDesigner software suite. The software tool allows publishers tie a podcast to a paper-based text, supplement or magazine, the company said. The reader touches the page in a printed book and a podcast is directed to the reader's computer or download to an MP3 player through Bluetooth technology. The podcast can serve as a supplement to the paper-based product bringing new revenue opportunities to publishers and authors, the company said. The capability is made possible by Touch User Interface (TUI) technology that enables a reader to press the picture or word in the printed book and retrieve the digital content from a computer or PDA. The TUI technology developed by Somatic Digital is based on sensors embedded into the cardboard of the hardback book or paper product. Jason E. Barkeloo, president and founder of Somatic Digital, founded the company in June and has been working to develop the technology for two years. "We are working toward the ability to download the content to a television, rather than a computer, from a DVD," he said. "We just signed a deal with the National Federation for the Blind."
Contributed on Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:34:41 GMT.
Feds Invest $9.5M In Tech-Based Tutoring Services
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryRSS.cfm?ArticleID=6007
Pilot project will test use of mobile technology in NCLB-mandated programs: In an effort to strengthen the federal government's after-school tutoring program, known as Supplemental Educational Services, or SES, the U.S. Department of Education (ED) plans to invest $9.5 million in a new test project that will explore the use of mobile devices such as cell phones and other technologies in delivering targeted remediation to struggling students. Supporters of the project, made possible through a federal Star Schools grant, contend more innovation is necessary to extend the benefits of tutoring services to students in traditionally underserved areas, especially in rural communities, where access to SES--created to help states meet the demands of President Bush's No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB)--has reportedly been spotty. Will these new services be accessible to all students, including those with disabilities?
Contributed on Fri, 06 Jan 2006 23:33:14 GMT.
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