Using a Screen-Reader on the Web. The California community colleges Distance Education Access Guidelines for Students with Disabilities require that all web based instructional resources be WAI Priority 1 compliant. A large number of Priority 1 guidelines address access considerations for persons who are blind. Recently, web accessibility standards were implemented through the Section 508 Standards for Electronic and Information Technology. These standards identified methods to make HTML code more accessible to those using screen reading technology.
However, not all of the standards are currently supported by screen reader technology. Additions to JAWS version 4.5 greatly improve the capacity of this screen reader navigate more complex web pages. The following web pages provide simple examples of the types of web page formats which can now be read with JAWS and the JAWS keystroke commands for reading these pages. We will be providing a version for the Window-Eyes Screen Reader shortly. AlphaWorks : aDesigner : Overview. Software-Based Resources. Screenreader applications read aloud a variety of content formats via TTS, while other applications are designed for use with digital talking books. Other programs facillitate the use and management of digital libraries, convert files from one format to another, transfer files or e-books and related content between devices and accounts, etc. Screenreaders & Text-to-Speech Applications Screenreader applications read aloud a variety of content formats via TTS (text-to-speech).
Software for DTBs These applications are designed for use with digital talking books, such as DAISY format DTBs. Other Software These software programs can create book management lists and categories, digital libraries, DTBs out of other content formats, transfer e-books and related content between devices and accounts, etc. Online Resources These resources gather together a variety of information resources such as comparison, details, features, and supported formats of software designed for use with digital content. Online Resources. Hardware-Based Resources. See below for information and a compilation of sources of hardware-based resources for digital content.
Sources gathered include freeware, open source, and commercial products; including handheld readers and players, hybrid devices, and more. If you would like to contribute to this compilation, email the AIM Center at aim.cast.org. e-Book Readers & DAISY Players These devices read (process) a variety of digital content, such as DAISY DTBs (digital talking books), ePUB, and HTML, etc. Hybrid Devices Hybrid devices offer a variety of features and work with the greatest number of formats, including many of those processed by other readers and players, as well as video, animation, wireless Internet capability, etc.
Online Resources These resources gather together a variety of information resources such as comparison, details, features, and supported formats of hardware designed for use with digital content.
Blind & Physically Handicapped. Welcome to The Information Technology Industry Council (ITI) The Voluntary Product Accessibility Template®, or VPAT®, is a tool used to document a product's conformance with the accessibility standards under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. The purpose of the VPAT is to assist Federal contracting officials and other buyers in making preliminary assessments regarding the availability of commercial "Electronic and Information Technology" products and services with features that support accessibility. It is assumed and recommended that offerers will provide additional contact information to facilitate more detailed inquiries. To download a Word Version of the VPAT Click Here In January 2009, the Information Technology Industry Council (ITI), the premiere industry organization for global IT accessibility, asked HiSoftware to develop a specification for an XML file that could be used for ITI's VPAT. The first table of the Template provides a summary view of the section 508 Standards.
Date: Name of Product: Criteria Supporting Features. Disability Resouces - June Isaacson Kailes, Disability Policy Consultant. Order Form - No charge for shipping and handling except for international orders * Cutting Edge Disability Resources Advocacy: Advocacy: Reality or Rhetoric Inventory, 1999, 5 pages, $10. A popular questionnaire tool that helps evaluate an independent living center's or other disability related organization's level of commitment to advocacy and systems change. Item # 97-1 Beyond Oppression: Feeling the Movement and its Power! December, 1996, 11 pages, $15. Makes the case that, as leaders, we must take the time to help others move from being held back and locked out by internalized oppression to moving toward adopting a rights-bearing attitude.
Includes hard-hitting questions to ask before you join a board, group, committee, task force, panel or advisory council, and a checklist for those behaviors that may represent tokenism in the context of being a member of any of these groups. Identifying People Who May Be Able To Assist You, 1994, 5 pages, $4. ADA - Americans with Disabilities Act: AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE EMPLOPMENT BY JUNE ISAACSON KAILES, DISABILITY POLICY CONSULTANT.