If you'd like to post an announcement here, please E-mail it to Amy Ruell, VIBUG President.
WebAIM is conducting a survey of screen reader users - http://webaim.org/projects/screenreadersurvey/
Web accessibility experts often say something like, "Screen reader users prefer." followed by some accessibility recommendation. However, many of these recommendations are based on personal preference or conjecture - often from sighted users who only test with screen readers. The fact is that there is little data about screen reader usage to back up these recommendations.
This survey will ask screen reader users about their usage and preferences. If you are a full-time, part-time, or even occasional screen reader user, please take a few minutes to complete the survey and provide us with a few details on your screen reader usage and preferences. We will be comparing results between those that rely on screen readers and those that primarily use them for evaluation and testing, so all screen reader users are invited to respond. Your feedback will help influence the accessibility techniques that web developers implement and that experts recommend. We'll be posting the survey results in a few months.
Jared Smith
WebAIM
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June, 2008
Michael Feir creates a free computer guide for blind people with a unique style and focus. He wants more people to start using computers and the Internet for personal pursuits.
Many blind people have the mistaken impression that computers are strictly tools for work and education only. They needlessly miss out on opportunities for pleasure and personal growth which have made a profound difference in his life. After encountering countless blind people with expensive machines who only used them for basic reading and writing tasks, the creator of Audyssey Magazine began work on Personal Power. This free guide is the culmination of a two-year quest to rectify this situation.
Written as more of a traveller's gazette than a manual, Personal Power offers a fun and easy entrance into digital life beyond education and work. Housed in a rich text file which can be opened on practically any modern computer, Personal Power makes for a small but informative portable partner in fun time. From the very basics of using Windows, Personal Power takes blind owners of accessible computers beyond their hard drives onto the information superhighway. Topics as diverse as online shopping, accessible computer games, computer defence and maintenance, blog's, email, instant messengers, and much more are discussed.
Comprising a total of around fifty thousand words, the guide strikes a balance of providing enough information to inspire the confidence to explore further without overloading newcomers to digital life with excessive techno speak. The focus is on making people aware of the many possibilities for leisure and personal growth through sharing many of my own experiences. Why not get your digital feet wet? Go to:
www.blind-planet.com/content/personal-power
and pick up your free copy of Personal Power and the three fireside chat lectures today. Become alive in the digital world. Use your personal power!
Contact:
Michael Feir, author
michael.feir@gmail.com
7-128 Software has just released free resources for teachers who want to use accessible computer games in their classrooms.
The Accessible Learning through Entertainment and Recreation Tools (ALERT) project is a joint effort with the Game Developers Association. It addresses accommodations for students who are blind, visually impaired, color blind, deaf, motion impaired, or cognitively impaired.
The ALERT project provides:
The ALERT resources are totally free. No registration. No spam. No ads. They are available now at www.7128.com.
As mentioned at the January meeting, VIBUG has been asked to help document experiences in using Itunes. This has become increasingly important as many university professors have now put course content on something called Itunes U. If you are interested in helping to document your experience with and difficulty accessing Itunes content, contact:
Christine M. Netski
netski@srbc.com
Sugarman, Rogers, Barshak & Cohen, P.C.
101 Merrimac Street
Boston, MA 02114
tel: 617-227-3030
fax: 617-523-4001
www.srbc.com
It's Back!!!
With a brand new host, and a brand new format, main Menu Live returns to ACB Radio Mainstream at 02:00 UTC, that's 10 pm Eastern, 7 pm Pacific. If you can't hear the show then, it's repeated throughout the broadcast day.
Main Menu live is a show completely independent of the Main Menu program. However, subjects mentioned in Main Menu, which runs in the previous hour at 01:00 UTC, will no doubt be dealt with, as well as other questions posed by listeners. So, do join Mark for Main Menu Live.
Please join me this week on Main Menu for a show you will not forget. We have a very important announcement which may interest you greatly.
Also on this week's show we will look at the OurPlace chat client, we will have a tip for GoldWave users, and we will hear about a few very good data bases for internet radio stations.
Main menu first airs on Wednesdays at 1UTC, that's 9pm US eastern and 6pm US Pacific on Tuesday evening, and is repeated every four hours throughout the broadcast day on ACB Radio Mainstream at www.acbradio.org/mainstream.
Don't forget, ACB Radio Mainstream is now in broadband. The broadcasts will be repeated throughout Wednesday and will also be available as downloads.
Feel free to join our main menu friends list, just send an e mail to mainmenu-friends-subscribe@acbradio.org and to check out our wonderful website at www.acbradio.org/mainmenu.
Sincerely,
Naama Erez
Executive producer
Main Menu
The John R. Mattioli Jr. Technical Innovation award recognizes individuals or companies whose contributions demonstrate innovation and excellence in the work of technology developed for, or provide clear benefit to, blind and visually impaired persons.
Through their developments in software and/or hardware, Award nominees have made significant contributions to the way we work and live. This award is given on an annual basis as warranted by the Blind Information Technology Specialists affiliate through its established award committee.
To be eligible for the John R. Mattioli Jr. Technical Innovation award, the individual or company must have created or introduced a technology product and/or service that has had a positive effect in the lives of visually impaired persons.
For more information, please visit the BITS Website at http://www.acb.org/bits/
Click here to find out how Internet Explorer 7 works with various screen readers and screen magnifiers.
For those who are willing to test ATMs for accessability in Cardtronics
locations, such as Walgreens, Tedeschi's, etc., Please contact ASAP:
Mehgan Sidhu Capek
Brown, Goldstein & Levy, LLP
120 East Baltimore Street, Suite 1700
Baltimore, Maryland 21202
410-962-1030 x1324
410-385-0869 (fax)
msc@browngold.com
Last updated: Monday, March 16, 2009