[mose]

I am in the middle of an amazing project. For years now my battle cry in the lectures and teaching I do is "The more the Web is like TV, the less we need it." And it is about relationships, utilities and tools. Not content.

That being said theODA is a very interesting challenge and I have been retained to assist in making the Government websites accessible to those folks with disabilities. ie stop putting "jumping bunnies" and crap on the web. Text please ... lots of it and unless you are selling Flash don't use it. PDFs are a whole other nightmare.

However there doesn't seem to be a viable software product for the diabled I have found as yet for the Mac. All MS and all PC.

So if anybody has a lead or two - or knows of some software please help. I know there has to be - but can't find it yet. Yet being the operative word.

Ta much

 

[Alesh]

What do you mean? Are you looking for a web browser that filters out pictures and other content and displays only text? or what?

 

[minnes]

Do you want magnification program?
Gravity well mice?
Imput devices for physically handcapped folks?
Or do you mean educational software for the learning disabled?
There may be programs existing that you could use if you search around.
I may also need to justify a Macintosh system when i apply for an assistive devices grant in January or so, they are very pro wintel., wish me luck.
Mark

 

[mose]

Basically looking for screen readers

There is Window Eyes, and Jaws for the PC I just found outspoken for the Mac ... will check it out.

I am in the process of trying to put together a suite of programs to test


Results so far

 

[gordguide]

This field has been dominated by one or two PC-only programs for at least 8 years. It's a major issue with schools who must tender for computers with a Disabled-Friendly mandate. They simply go PC and that's it.

When you or I go to a web page we consume the information visually; when a visually or hearing impaired person surfs, they do one of two things.

They make the text larger and easier to read or they have a program that reads out text elements (text to speech).

It is possible to design websites to make this easy, the problem being nobody does. Thus the programs, which have some tools to make the job easier.

An example is a page with lots of grahic elements, being viewed by a blind person. Say, there are four graphics, each in a folder, which comprise part of the site. You can name them like this (most do):

ACC234.gif
ACC235.gif
AFFE12.jpg
AFFE14.gif

Or, you could name them thusly:
Welcome.gif
Site Map.gif
Enter.jpg
Exit.gif

Guess which site the disabled user (who has a program that reads out descriptions of a graphic rather than displaying that graphic) can navigate?

A very brief overview of what is required for disabled access can be found here: http://www.lbl.gov/Education/CSEE/cup/Su01/Sum01Web/Mo/wad/508.htm

For an idea as to how few Mac resources there are for the disabled, check this link: http://www.w3.org/WAI/References/Browsing.html#1

 

[minnes]

doesnt IBM via voice have screen reading functions?
I thought it had more OS integration functionality..
Mark