Accessibility in the News
XML Feed
What is RSS and how do I subscribe?
Displaying 1561 to 1580 of 2368 News Items
Page:
<
...
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84
85
86
87
>
...
Strathcona Surveyed For Disabled Access
http://www.sherwoodparknews.com/story.php?id=199566
Web site launched to display report on community's facilities. Strathcona County is the first community surveyed in an informative program for people with disabilities. The Community Accessibility program, which officially launched its Web site Friday, is a county-wide report on the accessibility of all businesses and government buildings."We've surveyed every building where people would want to do business," said survey organizer Robert Simpson. The program was a collective effort with Simpson, Robert and Deanna Loewen, the Premier's Council on the Status of Persons with Disabilities, which is chaired by Strathcona MLA Rob Lougheed, and the Office for Disability Issues (ODI). "There was a need in the county for people to know how accessible facilities are," said Simpson. "We have to realize this is becoming more and more necessary."
Contributed on Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:04:59 GMT.
Government Sites 'Fail Disabled'
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/4478702.stm
Almost every government website in Europe fails to meet basic standards for accessibility, a study shows. The report by the UK Cabinet Office found that 97% of official sites were unusable by disabled people, largely because they ignored well-known techniques for making data accessible. This is despite attempts by governments to put more services online. The study found that the best stimulus to making sites accessible were legal penalties for non-compliance.
Contributed on Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:03:35 GMT.
Baby Boomers Will Change The Perception Of Disability
http://www.shns.com/shns/g_index2.cfm?action=detail&pk=DISABILITY-LIVING-11-25-05
There's a train wreck about to happen, and nothing can be done to stop it. All we can do is prepare for it and use it to our advantage. The baby boom generation numbers about 76 million people, and they are rapidly aging. With advancing age, Boomers will increasingly be staring disability in the face. This year the leading edge of boomers turns 59. Retirement will soon become reality. In fact, the Census Bureau tells us that between 2010 and 2020, people age 65-84 will increase by 39 percent (about 13 million people). And that number will go from 34 million in 2010 to 47 million by 2020. The numbers are staggering and fast-approaching. As they get older, Boomers will routinely experience a loss of hearing. It was recently reported about 31 million people have some level of hearing loss. Other ailments facing boomers will include vision impairments and difficulty with mobility. These latter two problems are projected to affect more than 30-40 million people. Issues regarding accessibility will surely come to the foreground.
Contributed on Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:02:38 GMT.
Jodi Awards 2006 - Call for Nominations
http://www.egovmonitor.com/node/3725
Nominations are now being sought for the Jodi Awards 2006, the awards for museum, library and archive website accessibility. This year for the first time the awards have been extended to welcome entries from Wales, in partnership with Cymal (Museums, Libraries and Archives Wales). Launched in 2003, the Jodi Awards recognise museum, gallery, library, archive or heritage websites that demonstrate commitment to meeting web accessibility standards. Nominated sites pass before an experienced panel of judges, supported by formal testing by disability experts and users with disabilities. The awards are developed and sustained by the Museums, Libraries and Archives Council, (MLA), 24 Hour Museum and the British Museum.
Contributed on Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:02:07 GMT.
World Digital Library Planned
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/21/AR2005112101428.html
The Library of Congress is launching a campaign today to create the World Digital Library, an online collection of rare books, manuscripts, maps, posters, stamps and other materials from its holdings and those of other national libraries that would be freely accessible for viewing by anyone, anywhere with Internet access. This is the most ambitious international effort ever undertaken to put precious items of artistic, historical, and literary significance on the Internet so that people can learn about other cultures without traveling further than the nearest computer, according to James H. Billington, head of the Library of Congress. Billington said his goal is to bring together materials from the United States and Europe with precious items from Islamic nations stretching from Indonesia through Central and West Africa, as well as important materials from collections in East and South Asia. Digitized media can be particularly useful for students with disabilities, allowing them to access the material in a format that best suits their need - but only if the materials are developed with accessibility in mind.
Contributed on Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:01:19 GMT.
RNIB And Abilitynet Join Forces To Test Websites
http://www.out-law.com/page-6367
A new service for organisations wanting to have their websites tested to ensure that they can be accessed and used by disabled internet users, as required by UK law, is being launched jointly by the charities RNIB and AbilityNet. There are around two million people in the UK with sight problems and the Royal National Institute for the Blind's (RNIB) work on web accessibility has a high profile. But many people with other disabilities that affect their use of technology - at home, in education or in the workplace - have benefited from the work of AbilityNet. Among other activities, it supplies assistive technology and consultancy for employers on system and workstation adaptations. RNIB's web access consultants have been carrying out accessibility audits of websites since March 2000. AbilityNet has been offering users with disabilities a testing service since the Disability Rights Commission's (DRC) report on web accessibility was published in April 2004, recommending the use of users who are disabled to test websites rather than relying on automated tests.
Contributed on Tue, 06 Dec 2005 00:00:21 GMT.
Top National Advocate For The Disabled Sets Terms For Endorsement Of OpenDocument Format
http://blogs.zdnet.com/BTL/?p=2163
Meet Curtis Chong. Chong is president of the National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science and is considered to be one of the more important shakers and movers in the disability community when it comes to the accessibility of technology. Among the community of people with blindness and serious visual impairments, he is probably one of the country's top three most influential advocates on the accessibility front. For those looking to alter the technology landscape in a way that affects People With Disabilities (PWDs), Chong's opinion can make or break new initiatives like the one in Massachusetts where that state's Information Technology Division (MA ITD) is trying to establish the OpenDocument Format (ODF) as a standard format for creating and saving public documents.
Contributed on Mon, 05 Dec 2005 23:59:29 GMT.
Luminosity Contrast Ratio Algorithm
http://juicystudio.com/article/luminositycontrastratioalgorithm.php
From Juicy Studio: Guideline 1.4 of the draft version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0 requires that it is easy to distinguish foreground information from background images or sounds. The guideline suggests a luminosity contrast ratio algorithm to help determine the contrast between foreground and background colours. To help understand the algorithm, I have provided a Luminosity Contrast Ratio Analyser, along with example luminosity contrast ratios.
Contributed on Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:09:43 GMT.
Interview with Andy Clarke (AKA Accessibility, the gloves come off)
http://accessify.com/2005/11/interview-with-andy-clarke-aka.php
From the Accessify Weblog: Another interview with one of Web Accessibility's luminaries - this time it's the turn of Malarkey (or Andy to his friends). Enjoy!
Contributed on Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:09:06 GMT.
Open Document Format and Accessibility
http://accessify.com/2005/11/open-document-format-and-accessibility.php
From the Accessify Weblog: Peter Korn has a thorough analysis of the accessibility implications of Massachusetts' move to the Open Document Format. In particular, he looks at current assistive technology's support for OpenOffice (one of the leading applications which currently supports ODF) and the accessibility of the file format itself. It's also worth mentioning Joe Clark's take on the matter: A file format cannot be 'accessible'.
Contributed on Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:08:19 GMT.
Joe Clark's ScreenReader Rant
http://www.accessibilityblog.com/2005/11/11/joe-clarks-screenreader-rant/
From Matt Bailey 's Accessibility Outlook Blog: Well, not really a rant, but a well-defined list of problems with screen readers. Each falls under the four categories of; Failing, Ignoring, Mispronouncing or Misunderstanding. There are some surprises in there that I didn;t think of, but I'm sure that regular screen reader users will shout with glee as someone understands their frustrations. There has been a lot of call for screen reader technologies to improve and do a better job of interpreting websites. Currently, the feeling in the industry is that "screen readers suck", and again "screen readers suck" 2. Designers who are aware of the differences have to make allowances for screen readers not acting as a separate user-agent rather than a screenreader acting like a browser and interpreting the information for the user.
Contributed on Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:07:27 GMT.
A Framework for Auditory Data Exploration and Evaluation with Geo-referenced Data Sonification
http://hcil.cs.umd.edu/trs/2005-28/2005-28.htm
We first describe an Action-by-Design-Component (ADC) framework to guide auditory interface designs for exploratory data analysis. Applying the framework to the interactive sonification of geo-referenced data, we systematically explored and evaluated its design space. A data exploration tool, iSonic, was implemented for users with vision impairment. In depth case studies with 7 users who were blind showed that iSonic enabled them to find facts and discover data trends of geo-referenced data, even in unfamiliar geographical contexts. Analysis of user task behaviors and usage patterns confirmed that the framework has captured auditory information seeking actions and components that were naturally adopted by subjects to accomplish geo-referenced data exploration tasks. The results provide evidence for us to extend the framework, and guidance for designers of unified auditory workspaces for general exploratory data analysis.
Contributed on Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:06:26 GMT.
Disability Discourse
http://www.coloradodaily.com/articles/2005/11/11/news/c_u_and_boulder/news5.txt
Today marks the final day of CU-Boulder's week-long conference focusing on using technology to make classroom materials more accessible to students with disabilities. The eighth annual event, called the "Accessing Higher Ground: Accessible Media, Web and Technology Conference," features over 50 presentations and workshops focusing on accessibility of Web pages, new media and online curriculum. Held from Nov. 8 through today at the Millennium Hotel on 28th Street, the event features keynote speaker Henry Claypool, who became disabled while a student at CU. He went on to serve in President Clinton's administration and then became the Senior Advisor for Disability Policy to the Administrator of the Health Care Financing Administration (HCFA).
Contributed on Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:05:49 GMT.
Attention Deficit Disorder? Try Video Games
http://news.zdnet.com/Attention+deficit+disorder%3F+Try+video+games/2100-1040_22...
When her 11-year-old son was diagnosed with attention deficit disorder last year, Janet Herlihey warmed up to an unthinkable solution for his problem: video games. What sold her on games instead of medication was NASA technology. The technology would help "tune" her child's brain to focus and relax while he played fairly innocuous, off-the-shelf games like "Ratchet and Clank" on Sony's PlayStation 2. The system, called Smart BrainGames, essentially monitors her son's brain waves through the use of sensors in a helmet while he plays a game. A box that can be hooked up to PS2 then initiates changes in the game. The more the player concentrates, for example, the faster a car will go in a racing game. The BrainGames technology was originally created at NASA to improve pilots' attention while flying. San Diego-based CyberLearning Technologies obtained an exclusive license for the technology in 2002, and followed up a year later by creating the patented overall learning system.
Contributed on Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:04:54 GMT.
High Accessibility Is Effective Search Engine Optimization
http://www.alistapart.com/articles/accessibilityseo
Many web designers view search-engine optimization (SEO) as a "dirty trick," and with good reason: search engine optimizers often pollute search engine results with spam, making it harder to find relevant information when searching. But in fact, there is more than one type of search-engine optimization. In common usage, "black-hat" SEO seeks to achieve high rankings in search engines by any means possible, whereas "white-hat" SEO seeks to code web pages in a way that is friendly to search engines. In Using XHTML/CSS for an Effective SEO Campaign, Brandon Olejniczak explains that many web design best practices overlap with those of white-hat SEO. The reason is simple: such practices as separating style from content, minimizing obtrusive JavaScript, and streamlining code allow search engines to more easily spider, index, and rank web pages. Two years later, I am going to take Brandon's conclusions a step further. I have been a search engine optimizer for several years, but only recently have become infatuated with web accessibility. After reading for weeks and painstakingly editing my personal website to comply with most W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, I have come to a startling revelation: high accessibility overlaps heavily with effective white hat SEO.
Contributed on Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:03:56 GMT.
Introduction to Web Accessibility
http://www.uigarden.net/english/introduction-to-web-accessibility
Most people today can hardly conceive of life without the Internet. It provides access to information, news, email, shopping, and entertainment. The Internet, with its ability to serve out information at any hour of the day or night about practically any topic conceivable, has become a way of life for an impatient, information-hungry generation. Some have argued that no other single invention has been more revolutionary since that of Gutenberg's original printing press in the mid 1400s. Now, at the click of a mouse, the world can be "at your fingertips" - that is, if you can use a mouse - and if you can see the screen - and if you can hear the audio - in other words, if you don't have a disability of any kind. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Before focusing on the challenges that people with disabilities face when trying to access Web content, it makes more sense to discuss the ways in which the Internet offers incredible opportunities to people with disabilities that were never before possible. The Web's potential for people with disabilities is truly remarkable.
Contributed on Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:02:22 GMT.
March to Your Own Standard
http://www.mikeindustries.com/blog/archive/2004/06/march-to-your-own-standard
So what's up with the little grey button at the bottom of this site? It is my official Invalidation Badge. It's mere presence on every page of this site renders my entire domain XHTML 1.0 Non-Compliant. Invalid. Erroneous. Whatever you want to call it. By invalidating my entire site with this one line of code, I ensure that I am made aware the instant it matters. The instant this stuff starts to break anything in the real world, I will know. If I only had a few small errors on a few random pages around my site, I could easily miss the day when "the big switchover" happens and wind up with broken pages I don't know about. And since this code is in the form of a server-side include, I can freely remove it with a few clicks. Standards exist for the benefit of the web worker almost more so than the end user, and by following the best practices set forth by the best people in our industry, we ensure we are equipping ourselves with a versatile skillset which we can take into any environment. We may never work at a company which requires us to push a big red button to publish our pages, but we almost certainly will work at one which requires some of the methods set forth by these and other pioneers in the web publishing world. If you think standards are all about helping persons with disabilities, you're wrong. Accessibility is about helping the persons with disabilities, and there are both good and bad accessibility standards in use on the web today. Standards, on the other hand, exist so that we can use the minimal amount of labor and energy to create the greatest impact possible.
Contributed on Fri, 02 Dec 2005 00:01:02 GMT.
IBM's aDesigner Disability Simulator
http://www.accessibilityblog.com/2005/11/09/ibm%e2%80%99s-adesigner-disability-s...
From Matt Bailey 's Accessibility Outlook Blog: I downloaded IBM's (AlphaWorks) aDesigner a few weeks ago as a way of testing access to a few of the company's web sites. Building an accessibility initiative into an eight-year old web design/development company is an undertaking. Like going to the gym after a couple years away, it causes some soreness as you go back to working out those long-forgotten mucles, but you know that it's good for you. Within days of giving aDesigner a test drive, I started with a new client who was going to be developing a new web site. In discussing the design, he informed me that he was severely colorblind, so colors really won't matter to him. Needless to say, I was surprised, I never would have guessed. However, I now realized why his old site was so utilitarian. I got the first design from the artist, and I gave aDesigner its first real-world test. I loaded up the jpg image of the homepage, set the simulator to a specific color-blindness setting (to simulate this specific person's view) and I was amazed at the difference. Seeing a side-by side comparison, we were able to quickly identify the elements of the design that did not have enough contrast and where visual color cues would not work.
Contributed on Tue, 15 Nov 2005 01:51:21 GMT.
Accessibility versus Validity
http://www.accessibilityblog.com/2005/11/07/accessibility-versus-validity/
From Matt Bailey 's Accessibility Outlook Blog: The upcoming revision of the Web Accessibility Guidelines is creating some havoc in the standards community. The rift in the argument is that standards proponents want to include HTML validation as a Level 2 Accessibility requirement. The "other half" of the standards crowd is shouting back that validated code is not and should not be a requirement for an accessible website. I see the logic in this disagreement. Unvalidated code can be just as accessible as validated code. Requiring valid code for accessibility is not a logical step; it's a step in a different direction. While valid code is a strong recommendation and can help accessibility, it should not be required. Matt May at bestkungfu Weblog goes into detail with his argument for keeping standards and accessibility separate. Good job, Matt, and well done.
Contributed on Tue, 15 Nov 2005 01:49:54 GMT.
iPods Are New Class Substitute
http://www.thedailyaztec.com/media/paper741/news/2005/11/02/City/Ipods.Are.New.C...
When Purdue University senior Marcos Kohler skipped a physics class to attend a concert in Chicago, he didn't have to borrow a classmate's notes to catch up. Instead, he connected his silver iPod to a computer, downloaded the lecture, and from the comfort of a campus coffee shop, listened to the two-hour discussion on particle physics. "It recreates the entire class experience," said Kohler, 22, who missed another lecture at the West Lafayette, Ind. campus when he overslept for the 1:30 p.m. class. A videoconference class would be even better, he said, but "to go from paper printouts to audio, this is a step in the right direction." It's a step that a small but growing number of professors are trying. By turning class lectures into podcasts - free audio shows that students can download to their iPods or other portable players - students can skip the lecture hall but still hear the lecture. Supporters said podcasts help students who miss a class or want to review the material, while professors get points for being flexible and using the latest, hippest gadget. Podcasting lectures is an ever growing trend. Here are additional articles on the podcasting boom: Stanford using iTunes to take lectures global, University Podcasting is Good for All Involved, Students who miss class can catch up with `podcasting', and Pods put lectures on the go Podcasting can be useful for some students with disabilities. Students with mobility impairments no longer have to rely on someone else to take notes for them, and students with cognitive disabilities can play the material as often as they like and in increments that suit their needs. However, for students who are deaf or have hearing loss, podcasting can bar them from important information - unless transcripts are also made available.
Contributed on Tue, 15 Nov 2005 01:48:46 GMT.
Page: < ... 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 > ...
