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. These example pages are meant to be explored using Microsoft Internet Explorer 5.5 or 6.0 and JAWS version 4.0 or later. We will be providing a version for the Window-Eyes Screen Reader shortly. Important: All JAWS reading commands use the Num Pad keys. 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. Online Resources. Skip Navigation | Site Map | Glossary | 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.
The Diagram Center, funded by OSEP, is an organization established to "create innovative technology solutions that solve social challenges" (from the web site). They have created a series of comparison tables that "present the features and functional testing results for ... devices or applications" including DTB and e-book hardware and software and image authoring software. Or view tables by category via the following pages: cnet's e-Book Readers ReviewsA respected commercial source for technology-related information, cnet.com provides reviews and information about thousands of technology products. cnet's e-Book Readers Reviews page includes cnet staff and site user reviews of 79 different e-book reader models.
Share. 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.
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: 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! 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. AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT: QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS ON THE EMPLOPMENT BY JUNE ISAACSON KAILES, DISABILITY POLICY CONSULTANT.