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Making technology accessible by everyone, Part 3

By Linda Musthaler
Network World Technology Executive Newsletter, 10/07/02

Lately, I've been writing about accessible technology, which accommodates impairments in vision, hearing, mobility and language, plus learning difficulties. With all of the accessible and assistive technologies on the market today, people with disabilities can be as productive as (or even more than) your employees without disabilities. The range of tools, and the extent to which they help people with special needs, is astounding. It means that no one has to be left out of the job market.

Freedom Scientific is a company that proves that point. Freedom Scientific, in Florida, manufactures technology-based products that those with vision impairments and learning disabilities use in the workplace and educational environments. Executive vice president Sharon Spencer says that one-third of the company's employees are vision impaired, yet they hold every job function you can imagine in the company: programmers, engineers, sales representatives, executives, and so on. Says Spencer, " The tools we develop and use make it possible, and the people we have make the difference " in making the company successful. Indeed, Freedom Scientific's JAWS for Windows screen reader holds a commanding lead in its market, so they must be doing something right.

Today, the common PC is infinitely adaptable to accommodate many special needs. By reconfiguring existing hardware or software or adding on another product, the PC becomes a tool that virtually any person with a disability can use. The Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA) is an organization devoted to bringing together the key players in the information technology (IT) and assistive technology (AT) industries to ensure that the best products and services are delivered to people with disabilities. The organization is working to establish compatibility standards and fosters partnerships among vendors.

Assistive technologies are generally categorized according to the disability, such as vision impairment, restricted mobility, speech or hearing impairment, or dyslexia /cognitive impairment. There are many products in each category. Because every person has different needs, the products usually are very adaptable. Many manufacturers will give the user a trial use of the product to ensure it meets his or her exact needs before purchase of the tool.

There are numerous databases where you can find listings of assistive technologies. Perhaps the granddaddy of them all is ABLEDATA, sponsored by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education. You also can search the databases of major computer and software manufacturers to find products that are most compatible with those specific systems. Links to these databases are listed below.

Here's a small sample of the kinds of tools that may turn up in your searches. (For a more extensive listing of types of assistive technologies, visit: www.microsoft.com/enable/at/types.htm) Another good resource from Microsoft Press is the book " Accessible Technology in Today's Business: Case Studies for Success, " ISBN 0-7356-1501-2.

For vision impairments:

*Screen enlargers (or screen magnifiers) enlarge text and graphics on the screen increasing the legibility for users. Some include speech options to increase accessibility.

*Screen readers are software programs that present graphics and text as speech, including names and descriptions of control buttons, menus, text and punctuation.

*Scanning and reading hardware and software gives those the option of scanning documents that is read aloud through a speech synthesizer or enlarged on the monitor or television screen for greater accessibility.

*Speech recognition systems, also called voice recognition programs, allow people to give commands and enter data using their voices rather than a mouse or keyboard.

*Braille embossers transfer computer generated text into embossed Braille output.

For mobility impairments:

*On-screen keyboard programs provide an image of a standard or modified keyboard on the computer screen. The user selects the keys with a mouse, touch screen, trackball, joystick, switch, or electronic pointing device.

*Touch screens are devices placed on the computer monitor (or built into it) that allow direct selection or activation of the computer by touching the screen. These devices can benefit some users with mobility impairments because they present a more accessible target.

*Alternative input devices allow individuals to control their computers through means other than a standard keyboard or pointing device.

This list goes on and on.

To experience for yourself how enabling these types of technologies can be, take a demonstration of text-to-speech technology from Voice Web Solutions. This company's product, VANGUARD Producer, converts text to speech using voice XML. Using a set of common commands, you can have any text document read to you via a speech browser. Call (416) 736-9731, extension 24580 to take the demo.

Next week, we'll close out this series on accessible technology by looking at how to make your Web site accessible to all visitors, including those with disabilities.

Linda Musthaler is vice president of Currid & Company. You can write to her at Linda.Musthaler@currid.com