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Making technology accessible by everyone, Part 1

By Linda Musthaler
Network World Technology Executive Newsletter, 09/23/02

In the mid-1980s, I had a very remarkable client. At the time, I was working at a help desk, doing PC support at NASA's Johnson Space Center. Occasionally I would get a call from this client, and I was always eager to visit her office to help her because I found her so amazing. Why? Because she had a physical disability that might prevent many from even attempting to use a PC. You see, my client had no arms. And, she stood less than four feet tall.

Neither condition stopped her enthusiastic use of this wondrous new tool, the PC on her, um, floor. That's right, she placed her " desktop " PC and keyboard on the floor so she could type with her toes. Since she had no arms (and no prosthetic devices), her only option was to type her words and data with her toes. As you might imagine, her typing was a bit slow and sloppy, but she kept at it with perseverance and patience. And, you should have seen her swap out her floppy disks with the flick of a foot!

In 1987, if my client wanted to use the PC technology that was taking the JSC campus by storm, she had no choice but to adapt to the way the computer worked. Today, the tables have turned. Her employee, the U.S. Federal government, has instituted laws that dictate that all PCs purchased for Federal government use must be accessible to people with disabilities.

Today, instead of typing with her toes, my client could use voice for dictation into the computer, and give voice commands for activities such as opening, saving and printing files. For mouse movement, she could use a head-mounted pointing device. She could even have her keyboard presented on the screen, using her pointing device to " type " words and characters. The infinitely adaptable device - the common PC - is adapting to the way disabled people can use it best.

Altruism isn't the only motivation for hardware and software companies to make their computing products accessible; they don't want to be locked out of the lucrative Federal government market. In 1998, the Feds strengthened an existing law called the Rehabilitation Act. Known simply as Section 508, the new amendments to the law require that when Federal agencies develop, procure, maintain or use electronic and information technology, they must ensure that it is accessible to people with disabilities, unless it would pose an undue burden to do so.

The law doesn't require hardware and software manufacturers to support the law, unless they want to sell to the Federal government. Most large manufacturers have chosen to support the specifications dictated by the law because the market implications are huge, and this is to everyone's advantage. In fact, it's not just people with disabilities who enjoy the benefits, but able-bodied people as well.

For example, closed captioning for television was developed to assist people with hearing disabilities. Yet who makes extensive use of this technology today? Sports bars, restaurants, airports and other places where it is too noisy to hear the TV broadcast. The entire public benefits. Then there are PC keyboards and telephone keypads that now have little raised bumps on the " home " keys to allow people with impaired sight to feel which keys their fingers should be on. But, they also help busy drivers feel phone keypads without looking, or notebook and PDA users to feel for the proper keys in low-light conditions.

Manufacturers also are considering the number of people impacted by physical and mental impairments. Approximately 54 million people in the U.S. have a permanent disability or impairment. Many more people experience temporary impairments caused by illness or accident. Our aging population also means that more people will develop impairments or disabilities as we age, including poor eyesight, hearing loss and the reduction in mobility.

Unless you work for a government agency - most state and local governments use Federal guidelines - your organization may not be required by law to acquire and deploy accessible or assistive technology for disabled employees. However, there is real business value in integrating accessible technology into your organization. Such technology helps organizations retain or attract talented employees who have or develop temporary or permanent disabilities. It can improve productivity by enhancing collaboration and communication among all employees, regardless of disabilities. And, it can help your organization reduce the costs of time lost and money spent when an employee develops a temporary disability, such as a broken arm or wrist.

Next week we'll look at what technology companies are doing to address the needs of the disabled community. The extent of what's available to make people and computers more productive may surprise you.