There is a short bit here about access to the WEB that you might be
interested in.
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 3 Jan 1996 09:24:21 -0500
From: PROF NORM COOMBS <NRCGSH@RITVAX.ISC.RIT.EDU>
To: Multiple recipients of list EASI <EASI@SJUVM.STJOHNS.EDU>
Subject: EASI FLASH V03 N01 1996 Web Access
EASI Flash V03 N1 1996
Access to the Web for Users With Disabilities
Dear EASI friends:
First let me wish all of you a Happy New Year. As the world of computers and
information technology rushes forward, it is hard to tell whether the new
changes make things easier or harder for persons with disabilities. It is hard
to keep up, and it is even harder to make intelligent judgments. Some time
ago, I tried to give an informal newsletter once or twice a month providing my
personal views and insights and hopefully providing all of you with some sense
of what EASI is trying to do. I got overwhelmed, and the EASI flasses
flickered and went out for a while. This is to say, we have lit the flame
again, and I'll try to provide this informal newsletter especially as it gives
a little sense of family and cohesion to EASI which is spread across several
continents.
For this first issue, I want to point you at a recent article:
" (From the January 5, 1996, issue of The Chronicle of Higher Education)
New Tools May Help the Disabled to Use the World-Wide Web
Software developers showed off several new tools and ideas at the
Fourth International World-Wide Web Conference last month that are
intended to make the Web friendlier for people with disabilities."
This is quoted from the article written by David L. Wilson who has had a
continuing interest in disabilities and information technology.
The article points out that while many changes has made accessing the web more
difficult for persons with varius disabilities, that others are at work trying
to rectify this.
"Adobe Systems Inc. is working on software that will let those with
visual impairments interpret documents that are displayed in its
increasingly popular "Acrobat" software. For instance, the new
software will let a computerized voice read text from such documents
aloud." The article continued by pointing out that other access features
included "an audio description of what's happening on the screen, as well as
closed captioning of video clips."
Thanks to David Wilson for covering the story and to the software developers
who are working on this project.
Information about the conference is available at:
http://www.w3.org/hypertext/Conferences/WWW4/
Norman Coombs, Ph.D. www url http://www.rit.edu/~nrcgsh
Professor of History Rochester Institute of Technology
(716) 475-2462 (secretary at 475-6095)
Chair, EASI Equal Access to Software and Information
EASI www url http://www.rit.edu/~easi
EASI's phone (714) 830-0301 (714) 830-2159 (Pacific time zone)
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