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AOL Gets It Right, Sort Of.
http://www.accessibilityblog.com/2005/09/07/aol-gets-it-right-sort-of/
From Matt Bailey 's Accessibility Outlook Blog: After posting examples of access-obstructing captcha's from the major search players Google, Yahoo and MSN, I was very happy to notice that AOL has the right idea. I went to AOL to register a screen name for pathetic reasons, namely, my fantasy football league is moving to AOL, instead of CBS Sportsline. Why? It's cheaper, as in "free" cheaper. Now I have to learn to use another website for this futile social custom of playing fantasy football. Anyway, I had to get an AOL screen name. After all of the typical registration "stuff", I was happy to see two links on the captcha security measure; "What is this?" and "Can't see this image". Very nice, AOL. Way to go.
Contributed on Tue, 13 Sep 2005 23:52:09 GMT.
Disaster Aid For Windows Users Only?
http://webstandards.org/buzz/archive/2005_09.html#a000563
From the Web Standards Project (WaSP): If you're not using Windows + IE, it appears that you won't be able to file a disaster assistance claim on Fema.gov. A Javascript enabled browser is another requirement. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) offers federal aid to disaster areas in the United States, such as the recent Katrina hurricane disaster. The Online registration requires Microsoft's Internet Explorer 6.0 or above. If you do not have Internet Explorer 6.0 or higher, you may still be able to access the Individual Assistance Center where you can check the status of your application and update your information. Software requirements are not the only problem for users or victims, however. If a blind or low vision user, or a person accesses the site with a device that does not display images and tries to start the registration process, the first item they will encounter is a captcha when they visit the *Register for Assistance* link . Captcha is server generated characters in picture format that must be entered and submitted before the application process begins. Users that cannot see or make out these images will not be able to enter the characters into the form. Applications are not accepted via mail. Information packets can be mailed to the applicants, though are mail services or mailing addresses available for displaced victims?
Contributed on Tue, 13 Sep 2005 23:50:45 GMT.
Quiz 5.2.14: Speaking form labels - 2
http://www.access-matters.com/2005/09/01/quiz-5214-speaking-form-labels-2/
From Access Matters: In part 1 we hid form labels using display:none and found that some screen readers treat display:none on form labels differently than they treat display:none on other elements. Intent on hiding the form labels (again I disagree with the premise) another technique uses the title attribute on the form control and does not use any label element at all. We have already learned that the default verbosity settings in some screen readers keeps them from speaking title attributes. The user has to turn them on, if they ever learn the setting exists. However, it seems some screen readers automatically speak titles for form labels. Another inconsistency?
Contributed on Tue, 13 Sep 2005 23:49:57 GMT.
Quiz 5.2.15: Speaking Form labels - 3
http://www.access-matters.com/2005/09/05/quiz-5213-speaking-form-labels-3/
From Access Matters: Speaking of labels on form controls, Patrick Lauke brought up an interesting question. The spec for labels says "More than one LABEL may be associated with the same control by creating multiple references via the for attribute." There are all sorts of questions that come to mind. First of course is simply "Why?" Then, what would it look like? Are all labels displayed? For screen readers, what does it sound like? Are all labels spoken? In what sequence? Tell us why you might use multiple labels and what you think will happen.
Contributed on Tue, 13 Sep 2005 23:48:55 GMT.
How To Improve Usability For Screen Reader Users
http://www.dmeurope.com/default.asp?from=f&ArticleID=10058
Simply ensuring your website is accessible to screen reader users is unfortunately not enough to ensure these users can find what they're looking for in a reasonably quick and efficient manner. Even if your site is accessible to screen reader users, its usability could be so incredibly poor that they needn't have bothered coming to your site. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple-to-implement guidelines you can follow, which not only drastically improve usability for screen reader users, but for all web users:
Contributed on Mon, 12 Sep 2005 22:03:08 GMT.
Web Accessibility of the Banner Web Site (Version 6.2) Report Draft
http://tap.oregonstate.edu/research/TAP-Banner62_Report_2005.doc
The Oregon State University Technology Access Program recently published the draft "TAP Banner Report 2003: Web Accessibility of SCT BannerWeb v 6.2". This report describes the accessibility and usability of a popular student information system used at the university. The report's author is an NCDAE affiliate. *This link is directly to a Microsoft Word Document*
Contributed on Mon, 12 Sep 2005 22:02:03 GMT.
Accessibility: Why Can't We All Just Get Along? SXSW2005 panel transcript
http://www.accessify.com/2005/09/accessibility-why-cant-we-all-just-get.asp
From the Accessify Weblog: Thanks to Glenda Sims and James Craig the panel discussion Accessibility: Why Can't We All Just Get Along? from this year's SXSW - featuring Glenda, James, Ian Lloyd and Derek Featherstone - is finally available as MP3 and text transcript.
Contributed on Mon, 12 Sep 2005 22:01:23 GMT.
What Makes us Buy?
http://www.accessibilityblog.com/2005/09/02/what-makes-us-buy/
From Matt Bailey 's Accessibility Outlook Blog: While on vacation, I read a book that was sort of for business, but mainly for curiosity, Paco Underhill's Why We Buy: The Science of Shopping. This was one of the most fascinating books I've read in the past few years. While it briefly touches on Web sites and Internet marketing, I felt there were a lot of crossover ideas for both on and off-line retail. It was amazing as methods of signage, store and product layout, dressing room decor, the impact of males shopping with or without females, and other elements that surround our shopping experience. In one of the chapters, Underhill goes into detail about the aging Baby Boomer generation, and how retailers will be forced to change their marketing, packaging, sales techniques and methods of reaching this economically powerful group. He cites research that shows how vision weakens as we grow older.
Contributed on Mon, 12 Sep 2005 22:00:36 GMT.
Harnessing the Power of User Groups
http://webstandards.org/buzz/archive/2005_09.html#a000560
Web sites in a university environment are, more often than not, micro-managed within individual faculties, colleges and administrative units. It stands to reason; each department is often responsible for their own content. However, it is a common problem that resources are not evenly spread across the different areas of an academic environment such that all webmasters and web content providers have a common level of knowledge in order to undertake their responsibilities. As a result, lack of standardisation from technological, content and stylistic standpoints ensues. From the perspective of a student visiting a university Web site and searching for information across different academic areas, inconsistency in the presentation and delivery of information is more than likely to provide a less than satisfactory experience. How can this be addressed? In the case of the Pennsylvania State University, interested parties, including Rose Pruyne, attacked the root of the problem with the formation of the Web Standards Users Group. It started out as a vehicle for those of us who were interested in the technologies to swap information. It wasn't too long before we were working with Penn State's administration to revise its Web policy to include standards/accessibility compliance.
Contributed on Thu, 08 Sep 2005 08:06:43 GMT.
Digital Libraries: 'Opening' A Digital Library
http://www.campus-technology.com/article.asp?id=11727
Digital libraries are not new, but open source, video, and collaborative digital repositories are changing the face of library science. If only Melvil Dui (nee Melville Dewey) could see what's become of library sciences today. How would the father of the Dewey Decimal system categorize Web pages, which grow at an alarming rate of nearly seven million per day? How would he organize the hundreds of thousands of video files, and hundreds of thousands of audio files or podcasts that now supplement written words as content? Most importantly, how on Earth would Dewey-perhaps the most famous librarian of all time-manage to represent the body of any one university's research notes, white papers, dissertations, and other assorted scholarly content in one card catalog? For modern-day librarians whose mission is to build collections and transmit today's intellectual, cultural, and historical output to the future, the challenge is equally daunting. While many schools have responded with efforts to digitally scan their physical collections, a new wave of digital repositories designed to save only certain types of content are changing the face of library science everywhere. In particular, efforts at Stanford University (CA), Harvard Business School (MA), the University of California system, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology stand out as innovations that could forever revolutionize the way we think about storing content. Good ol' Dewey - spelling-reform eccentricities and all - would be proud. It is essential to also ensure that the libraries are accessible to all users, including those with disabilities.
Contributed on Thu, 08 Sep 2005 08:05:48 GMT.
Purdue Makes Lectures Available As Podcasts
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryRSS.cfm?ArticleID=5860
Some students who miss classes at Purdue University in Indiana no longer have to bug classmates to fill them in on what they missed. Instead, they can download audio files of class lectures to their MP3 players or personal computers using the school's new podcasting service. BoilerCast has logged 533 downloads in its first week, although only about 50 of the university's 2,500-plus tenured, tenure-track, and adjunct faculty members had signed up one of their classes for the service at press time, according to Michael Gay, manager of Broadcast Networks and Services for Purdue's information technology department. Students can subscribe to the service at the BoilerCast web site. After that, new lectures are automatically sent directly to their iPod or home computer. This could be of great value to students with disabilities, eliminating the need for note-takers and allowing them to listen to the lectures at their own pace with the opportunity to review the material as often as they like. However, this could create problems for students who are deaf or hard of hearing - is equivalent information (e.g. a text transcript) being made available for those students who require it?
Contributed on Thu, 08 Sep 2005 08:04:40 GMT.
Google Extends Book Scanning Operation
http://www.internetnews.com/xSP/article.php/3531221
Google isn't backing down from its plan to scan every book in the world. On Tuesday, the search goliath rolled out stand-alone book search services in 14 countries. The same day, the Text and Academic Authors Association (TAA) became the latest publishers' organization to call Google's opt-out strategy backwards. The international book search services let users in the UK, Australia, Canada, India, New Zealand, Ireland, South Africa, Pakistan, American Samoa, Trinidad and Tobago, Kenya, Jamaica, Mauritius and Uganda search English-language books via keyword, then read passages from the books where those words appear. As in the United States, searchers can search only books via domain-specific search services similar to print.google.com; results from books also may appear at the top of regular Web search results in their countries' versions of Google.com. In either case, the book search results will include links to online retailers to allow searchers to buy the books. However, the indexes of books may differ from country to country, in order to comply with local copyright laws, according to Jim Gerber, Google's director of content partnerships. Converting books to a digital media can be of great benefit to users with disabilities, allowing them options for accessing the materials in a manner that best suits their needs. Is Google scanning the books in a manner to make them accessible?
Contributed on Thu, 08 Sep 2005 08:03:33 GMT.
Saying It With Feeling
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/09/05/AR2005090501067.html
Jeff Kelly used to tell his girlfriend, Terri Vincent, that before calling him at work, she should "be prepared with what you want to say." Kelly, a 29-year-old Frederick resident, wasn't being rude; he was just acknowledging the time-consuming nature of their calls. Because Vincent, 25, is deaf, she had to type her message into a computer or hand-held pager and transmit it over the Internet to a go-between in a remote location. This intermediary would call Kelly, read Vincent's words to him and then keyboard Kelly's reply into a computer and forward it to Vincent. This slow, cumbersome process, known as Internet protocol relay (IP Relay), stripped conversations of emotion, nuance and spontaneity. But many people who are comfortable with American Sign Language (ASL) have begun using a faster, easier system called video relay service (VRS), one of several emerging technologies designed to improve life for people who are deaf or hard-of-hearing. To reach Kelly from her home in Frederick, Vincent now uses a videophone connected to a standard television monitor. When her call to a VRS interpreter is connected, Vincent's TV shows a split screen of two live images: the interpreter on one side and Vincent herself on the other. (The videophone includes a camera and transmits images over a high-speed Internet connection.)
Contributed on Thu, 08 Sep 2005 08:02:26 GMT.
Many E-Business Sites Still Failing Disabled Users, Says BCS Charity
http://www.computerweekly.com/Articles/2005/08/30/211552/Manye-businesssitesstil...
Shops, banks and other businesses are turning away six million potential customers because their websites prevent visitors with disabilities from accessing them fully, according to BCS charity AbilityNet, which advises on IT to support people with disabilities at work and at home. "When we look for information, services or goods online we are not seeking a life-changing experience but speed and efficiency," said Robin Christopherson, web consultancy manager at AbilityNet. "Accessible sites are easier to use for everyone. Research by the Disability Rights Commission shows that able-bodied users find sites designed for access by disabled people are 35% faster and easier to use. Some retailers offering different versions of their sites for disabled and non-disabled people report big demand for the more accessible versions from all types of customers."
Contributed on Wed, 07 Sep 2005 08:01:23 GMT.
Tech Helps Special-Needs Kids Pass Key Tests
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/showStoryts.cfm?ArticleID=5859&page=1
Whether, how, and how much educators should deploy technology to help special-needs students on high-stakes tests are complex issues in the era of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB). As mandated by the federal law, teachers and administrators around the nation must strive to make sure special-needs kids meet the same high standards as their peers. That struggle was underscored in July, when the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) released a report highlighting the difficulties inherent in giving achievement tests to special-needs learners. To achieve NCLB's goal of testing every child, regardless of need, researchers concluded the Education Department must do a better job of providing guidance for alternative forms of testing. "A number of state officials told us that the regulations and guidance did not provide illustrative examples of alternative assessments and how they could be used to appropriately assess students with disabilities," the report's authors noted. The federal analysis was conducted in response to concerns from state education agencies--many of which have struggled to devise alternative assessments for more than 6 million students with severe cognitive and physical disabilities. While state and federal officials continue to debate the percentage of disabled students who should be exempt from mandatory achievement tests, others question whether metrics designed to assess less challenged learners can accurately reflect the progress of special-needs students.
Contributed on Wed, 07 Sep 2005 08:00:45 GMT.
Virtual Classrooms Abound on Internet
http://www.heartland.org/Article.cfm?artId=17651
Just as online college and graduate programs have broadened the range of options in higher education, virtual charter schools and online classes are gaining popularity among the K-12 set. To the delight of homeschooling parents and others wanting a different kind of education for their children than what is found in the local public school, entrepreneurs are flooding the Internet marketplace to offer everything from individual courses to entire schools. Improving technology is providing more opportunities for interactive features on Web sites, such as live chats, videos, and downloads. Virtual K-12 education began to develop over the past five years as a way to support homeschool students. First, books and materials were made available for purchase and mail order, followed by programs that facilitated learning, and then video-linked instructors. Supplemental programs and tools--often targeted toward students who rely on their parents and/or online schools for the majority of their education--are also being used in traditional classrooms. Programs can be used to supplement the main lesson plan, providing children with another means to learn. Some parents of children in traditional schools use online education programs at home to enrich their children's education, give them remedial work, or assist them with unique situations such as a disability or unusual extracurricular or athletic training schedules.
Contributed on Wed, 07 Sep 2005 07:59:49 GMT.
Shoreline And Kent Schools Go High-Tech
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2002456619_schooltech30m.html
FORGET THE THREE-RING binders and the spiral notebooks. Students in Kent and Shoreline this fall will tote different school supplies. The two school districts are launching the state's first large-scale efforts to put technology at the front of the classroom. The Shoreline School District has started a laptop-leasing program at three schools, while the Kent School District on Thursday will open the Kent Technology Academy, a computer-immersion "school within a school" at Mill Creek Middle School. With little more than a week to go before the first day of school, Shoreline officials handed out Apple iBooks yesterday at Kellogg Middle School. The pilot program allots more than 1,000 take-home laptops, one for every Kellogg student and all fourth-, fifth- and sixth-graders at Echo Lake Elementary. Families must pay $60 and sign an agreement in order to receive a laptop; scholarships are available to those who can't afford to pay. Converting to laptops may offer options for independence and inclusion for students with disabilities, if the materials are designed for accessibility. However, the move toward technology is not without its problems - savvy students do not always follow the rules governing the use of school issued computers: 'Kutztown 13' hackers quietly offered deal.
Contributed on Wed, 07 Sep 2005 07:59:05 GMT.
Leapfrogg launches Optimum Accessibility Site
http://www.usabilitynews.com/news/article2527.asp
Leapfrogg, a company which specialises in search optimisation, has had a site makeover to comply with and exceed accessibility standards. The company says it 'takes an ethical approach and is dedicated to promoting its clients' online business only through legal methods'. In line with these values, the company has worked with Sigmer Technologies to launch an Accessibility Priority Level 3 website. In attaining the highest levels of accessibility, Priority Level 3, Leapfrogg goes beyond adhering to UK Government requirements and demonstrates that as a SEO company, it is doing the best job possible in ensuring that its own website is highlighted on all major search engines. Leapfrogg's brief posed particular challenges, as Sigmer had to combine three major requirements all to the highest standard: achieving accessibility Priority Level 3; maintaining design quality for site users and Leapfrogg management; and integrating a web-content management system. In addition to the integration of these factors, the brief required the site to be easily updated by Leapfrogg itself, as well as to be search engine-friendly.
Contributed on Wed, 07 Sep 2005 07:57:50 GMT.
SHARK Spells Relief For Tired Thumbs
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2002455293_btsoho29.html
SAN JOSE, Calif. - Humans in their long history have invented only two ways for individuals to produce text: handwriting and typing on a keyboard. Shumin Zhai, an IBM scientist, may have invented another way: SHARK, an abbreviation for ShortHand-Aided Rapid Keyboarding. SHARK is intended for writing text with a stylus on small touch-sensitive screens, such as those found in cellphones and personal digital assistants. It uses a radically different approach that is easy to learn and fast. Can this technology help users with disabilities?
Contributed on Wed, 07 Sep 2005 07:57:02 GMT.
Online Tutors Offer Students Round-The-Clock Assistance
http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2005/0825/life/stories/02life.htm
WASHINGTON - When students in Leslie Chernila's English class at the Art Institute of Washington write an essay about the work of Garrison Keillor, she has them send it off to a critic halfway across the country before turning it in. The paper soon returns, complete with comments about structure and word choice. The service, offered by Washington-based Smarthinking Inc., is part of a growing educational trend that has millions of students logging on for help with reading, writing and arithmetic. Once a dot-com pipe dream, online education is now maturing into a viable market. More than 2.6 million U.S. students were expected to study online through courses and tutoring last fall, up from 1.9 million in 2003, according to the Sloan Consortium, an online research group. More than 500 institutions subscribe to Smarthinking, which says it has signed up 19 institutions for this fall. Terry Coye, director of tutorial and instructional programs at Gallaudet University, said his school turned to Smarthinking to supplement its limited tutoring services for graduate students. With many of Gallaudet's deaf and hard-of-hearing students accustomed to learning online, the service was a good fit, Coye said.
Contributed on Wed, 07 Sep 2005 07:55:44 GMT.
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