Web Accessibility--the Basics

Written by Rosemarie Punzalan, Communication Specialist and resident web accessibility expert, CFILC


Whether you are a novice with little or no web development experience or new to accessibility, it doesn't hurt to understand the basics of POUR Web Usability. POUR stands for Perceivable Operable Understandable Robust. Below are just some examples to give you a basic understanding of POUR.


Many of us surf the Internet to access communication, commerce, entertainment, information, and other important aspects of life that we take for granted. The most common senses we use when surfing the internet are hearing, sight and touch. These senses are important to our daily Internet access. It is very important that a user has the ability to perceive the web content. Not only is the ability to perceive web content important, but inputting the information into our brains is very important!


PERCEIVABLE
Hearing
There are many kinds of audio interactions we use when surfing the Internet. Some examples of audio interactions are: hearing music, listening to web radio, and watching videos. If you operate a web site, to make your audio information available to individuals who cannot hear, provide captioned audio. Below is an example of a video with closed captions that was posted on http://www.dor.ca.gov/rd_life.wmv.


Sight
Web sites provide enormous information with content that consists of graphics, multimedia, and text. Individuals who can see can read text, view images, understand the web page layouts, and understand the meaning of colors in certain cultural perspective (for example,– red and green street lights). To make your web content available to individuals who are blind or have low vision, prior to your web design, structure your content (i.e. headings, subheadings, lists, etc.). They rely on screen readers and keyboards to navigate through a web site.


Touch
Imagine an individual who is deaf and blind. How would this individual access information? There are ways a person who is deafblind can access information. 1) Through sign language where individuals use their hands to feel one another’s body movements, gestures and sign language; OR 2) A Braille device – a text can be converted to Braille.


OPERABLE
A standard keyboard and mouse is often used to access web content, but not everyone can use them. Some individuals use adaptive or alternative devices depending on their disability (for example, a mouth stick to manipulate a keyboard). Blind users depend on a keyboard and screen reader to navigate web content.


UNDERSTANDABLE
To ensure your web site is usable to people of all abilities, you should make sure the web content's language is as easy to understand as possible.


ROBUST
Technology changes and can be very expensive as well as time consuming. There are different operating systems and different versions of browsers. People who use adaptive devices or alternative devices such as screen readers or screen magnifiers to navigate web content do not always update their devices or software to keep up with other changes in computer technology. Ensure your web site is robust through all operating systems and different versions of browsers by testing it on multiple web browsers and operating systems.

Blind DJ back at Work

Greetings everyone as you know my name is DJ Ken. You’ve probably heard about me on the blog at the EmpowerTech web site. Before we get started, let's talk about a man who’s been truly blessed, taught some of the best techniques in technology by some of the most genuinely committed, experienced, passionate & accomplished teachers in the educational industry over at the Empowertech school of computer technology. Now just imagine a man who was one of the top broadcast professionals on the air in America, and the regional manager for one of the top telecommunications providers in the USA. Then out of nowhere Glaucoma had struck & attacked him like a Visual Virus. Would you believe I never saw it coming? Although, I had been advised by my medical physicians that it would immediately impact my future, personal & business relationships. Actually, he simply explained to me that my life will unfortunately change completely if I didn’t agree to at least one more surgery, although I had recently endured five excruciating operations within the last two years and was refusing to tolerate another one. I went totally blind in just a few weeks, not knowing that my highly successful career would change like I could never imagine. I didn’t start crying or feeling sorry for myself. I kept on pushing but after awhile, I needed a way to communicate with my colleagues, employees, representatives & most of all the clients. Now if you know anything about me, this tragic event had to be dealt with at once. So I resigned immediately to take some time and find the resources to better myself for my four boys & my beautiful wife Barbi. And there it was, EmpowerTech. Most would not know this, but when I arrived at EmpowerTech, I did not know how to type, email, download, or even go on the internet. I could not use a computer at all. & yes thanks to Chris, Eric, Joan, Julie, Joanne, Rosemarie & the man Tom Lange my Teachers I became the computer geek that I am today. Now when I head out to the radio station I’m able to get my show going without an intern or an assistant. I just walk into the control room & pop in my NVDA flash drive then it starts talking; now I’m on my way. Once everything’s up & going I can find out which commercials & songs that I need to play next. Also it tells the time & the order in which to play them. Yes I am on the air & it's time to be the number one DJ in L A again. Thanks to the fine people over at Empowertech, yo’ boy Ken has his independence back! ”that’s Y I say every day I’m Empowered!
Ken

NEW COOL STUFF!

Center for the Partially Sighted and the San Fernando Valley chapter of the National Federation of the Blind of California held an event called The Best In Tech 2010 conference at the Radisson Hotel in Culver City. Attending this free annual event offered a rare chance to learn from actual users of the latest assistive technology about their favorite solutions (cell phones, GPS, CCTV's, note takers, etc.), attend workshops to learn how to use the latest solutions, including the Open Book Pearl Camera, latest features of JAWS 12, Transformer, Eye Pal Solo, Apex, Victor Reader, and Trekker Breeze, and get hands on experience by visiting the booths of the most popular vendors of assistive technology for the blind and visually-impaired.
Several event sponsors raffled off the Pebble portable video magnifier and the IBill currency identifier, a handy little item that's scarcely larger than a packet of chewing gum.
At Best in Tech, some of the products could be purchased at substantial discounts. The Open Book Pearl Camera, for example, was available at nearly a 50 percent discount, which, incidentally, will be extended through the end of March, 2011.
"At events such as this, I'm like a kid in a candy store," said Tom Lange, director of EmpowerTech's Blind/Low-Vision Computer Training Program. "I was wowed by the Pearl Camera demo, and when I found it at the Sweetman Systems booth at such a killer price, I bought it on the spot; I just had to have it now," Tom said. Tom received the product shortly thereafter and promptly set about putting it through its paces.
"Combined with my laptop, Open Book and Pearl is a portable reading solution that gives me highly accurate access to printed material in mere seconds compared to what I used to have with a desktop computer and a flatbed scanner; it's absolutely awesome!", Tom said.
If you missed Best in Tech 2010, you'll definitely want to attend next year's event. It's easy to get to and well worth the time spent.

Tesitmonial Success Story...

It is a pleasure to announce to the community the positive outcomes for our client/student Paul R. from Santa Monica High School Young Adult Transition Services Program.

Paul R. is highly motivated to continue his training with EmpowerTech. He recognizes the advancement in his skills and is proud to demonstrate his proficiencies to others. This morning, Paul interviewed with the Silver Crest Senior Living Community in Santa Monica. The interview team was impressed with his manner, polish and clarity inviting Paul to return for a second level interview. He was asked to submit his resume and letter of interest to the main headquarters for Silver Crest's program, The Salvation Army of Santa Monica.

As you may know, securing a second level interview with the Salvation Army is a cu do for Paul! The Army is seeking only the best and Paul is approaching the grade.

Needless to say, Paul was delighted! He immediately proceeded to the public library and prepared his resume. The skill set required to produce the document was clearly the result of his training with EmpowerTech.

Eric, you and the devoted friends of Empower Tech are to be congratulated on your contribution to this young adult's adjustment to the world of work.

I am looking forward to referring additional clients to your program and sharing in their successes with your organization.

All Non-Profit organizations need full community support to continue their tremendous contributions. On behalf of our shared customers, please ask me to assist in fund raising activities sponsored by Empower Tech. My team and I at SAMOHI want to see EmpowerTech thrive not merely survive.

With sincerity,

Carol

Carol Gassman-Proud
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
Transition Specialist Young Adult Program
Santa Monica High School

JAWS 12 Sneak Preview

JAWS version 12 is due out later this year, and we've got the latest scoop on its most exciting changes!
The JAWS Configuration Manager is replaced with the Settings Center, where you can search for the setting that you want to change and simply change it, with no need to hunt through a variety of menus to track down where, for instance, you can change the level of punctuation that JAWS speaks or increase the JAWS speech rate. Also, the Settings Center remembers your last 25 changes and displays them at the bottom of the tree view, making it easier for you to fix a setting that you might have adjusted incorrectly or adjust settings that you change frequently.
Braille display users, take note! JAWS 12 lets you operate your computer from the Braille keyboard of any connected refreshable Braille display. Using the Braille keys, you can enter any character that would be entered through a standard QWERTY keyboard, and this includes all JAWS commands, too. If you're a whiz at Grade II Braille, you'll also be able to enter text in contracted Braille and have the result reverse-translated to text on the fly.
Finally, if you just can't seem to make your way around Office 2007 or 2010's new Office Fluent User Interface (OFUI) without getting frustrated and saying oh phooey!, JAWS 12 lets you choose whether to use the Office ribbon as is or to use a Virtual Ribbon interface that feels more like the old traditional Office menu system.
Stay tuned, and EmpowerTech will bring you the latest details on these and other exciting developments as we receive them.

Sendero Maps by Tom Lange

Sendero Maps is the recently-released PC-based counterpart to the Sendero GPS software package that runs on a BrailleNote. I use Sendero GPS to keep track of where I am when I'm traveling around. Sendero Maps is essentially Sendero GPS in virtual mode. Using maps that Sendero gives you with the package, you can virtually explore any area on a map, calculate pedestrian or vehicle routes from point A to point B, as well as retrieve point-of-interest information. So, on the PC, I could open Sendero Maps, tell it that I'm located at 6234 W. 87th Street, calculate a route from here to an address such as 333 Wilshire Boulevard (a DOR office), , and explore the route. Or, I could doo a point-of-interest search for banks, schools, restaurants, or other points of interest and get addresses and phone numbers. Using the address info, I can set that as a destination and calculate how to get there. It's a great tool.

Still Living the American Dream...

Still Living the American Dream...

When Namundi and his wife set out for America in the early 70's life was filled with a bright kaleidoscope of dreams, a land of endless possibilities. He set his sights on progressing up the career ladder beginning as a bookkeeper for Weyerhaeuser Mortgage Company and before the company was sold ended up as the Vice President of the Mortgage Division.
Not one to rest on his laurels and loving the world of numbers he also held a variety of honorary positions with the West LA Chapter of the National Association of Accountants. In 2006, while working as a senior loan officer with Clarion Mortgage Capital Namundi noticed that something was happening with this eyesight, things were blurry and objects began to have halos around them.
Soon he was diagnosed with acute glaucoma in both eyes. In 2007, he was legally blind and the mortgage market had collapsed. I know what you are thinking, raise the white flag of surrender, give in, give up. Namundi did none of these things. You see Namundi loves numbers. He viewed the stats, weighed the odds, calculated with fierce determination that he would once again work with numbers. To help him win his independence back, is where EmpowerTech steps in. Over the course of several months in our Blind/Low Vision Program, Namundi has been reunited with his numbers. The kaleidoscope of dreams and endless possibilities don't end with the loss of eyesight, they begin again as they have with Namundi. Currently he is being vetted for a position as a disbursement officer with the FBI, yup that's right folks the FBI!