JAN Profile: Tom
In Tom Wlodkowski’s office, there is a poster that says “If a man who is blind can get to the top of Mount Everest, then he should be able to get anywhere he wants on AOL.” As AOL’s Director of Accessibility, it’s Tom’s job to make sure this is the case. In fact, it’s Tom’s job to ensure AOL’s products and services are accessible to not only customers who are blind, but also those with other disabilities, including auditory, cognitive and mobility impairments. As part of his responsibilities, he works closely with AOL’s engineers and product developers and helps educate company employees about the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities in the Internet age. He also collaborates with disability and business organizations to increase understanding and awareness of accessibility issues. By its very nature, Tom’s job necessitates using different types of assistive technology.
Electronic & Information Technology (Section 508) Homepage
The Board’s Section 508 Standards apply to electronic and information technology procured by the federal government, including computer hardware and software, websites, phone systems, and copiers. They were issued under section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act which requires access for both members of the public and federal employees to such technologies when developed, procured, maintained, or used by federal agencies. The Section 508 Standards are part of the Federal Acquisition Regulation (FAR) and address access for people with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities. They contain technical criteria specific to various types of technologies and performance-based requirements which focus on functional capabilities of covered products. The Board is updating the section 508 standards, which were issued in 2000, jointly with its Telecommunications Act Accessibility Guidelines.
SSB BART Group - IT and Web Accessibility Solutions - ADA, WCAG, Section 504, and Section 508 Compliance Experts
Triple amputee on a trike » Cyclelicious
Travis Prebble “puts people to pedals” by adaptings bikes and trikes for people with physical limitations. He writes about a Catrike recumbent that was modified for a 12 year old missing both legs and a his right hand. Using prosthetics, the rider will be able to strap into clipped pedals. This will be a step up from the method used with his last bike: duct taping himself to the pedals. He specifically requested that calf supports not be used as they gave away his disability from a distance. Travis writes about equipping the trike so this pre-teen with a single hand can have mobility on the trike. More at BikeAble: Trike for Triple Amputee. Photo by Travis Prebble under CC BY NC ND license. P.S.
ABOUT « The Campaign For Disability Employment
About the Campaign for Disability Employment The Campaign for Disability Employment is a collaborative effort between several disability and business organizations that seek to promote positive employment outcomes for people with disabilities by encouraging employers and others to recognize the value and talent they bring to the workplace as well as the dividend to be realized by fully including people with disabilities at work. People with disabilities can and do make important contributions to America’s businesses every day. By implementing good workplace practices, like maintaining a flexible and inclusive work environment, businesses can capitalize on the talents of qualified people with disabilities, benefitting everyone. The Campaign is a collaborative effort between several organizations that are working to raise awareness and change attitudes about disability and employment, including: The Campaign is funded by the U.S. The What Can You Do?
Centre for Disability Studies - Home Page
Touchscreen Braille Writer Lets the Blind Type on a Tablet | Gadget Lab
One group of people has traditionally been left out of our modern tablet revolution: the visually impaired. Our slick, button-less touchscreens are essentially useless to those who rely on touch to navigate around a computer interface, unless voice-control features are built in to the device and its OS. But a Stanford team of three has helped change that. Tasked to create a character-recognition program that would turn pages of Braille into readable text on an Android tablet, student Adam Duran, with the help of two mentor-professors, ended up creating something even more useful than his original assignment: a touchscreen-based Braille writer. Currently a senior at New Mexico State University, Duran arrived at Stanford in June to take part in a two-month program offered by the Army High-Performance Computing Research Center (AHPCRC). “How does a blind person orient a printed page so that the computer knows which side is up? “The solution is so simple, so beautiful.
