If you really want to present info to blind people, lose the goofy symbols
preceding the information below. They are annoying when read with speech:
=09=09=09 Contact: Brian Johnson
=09=09=09=09=09 Vice President, Client Services
=09=09=09=09=09 602-667-0775
--Ted
----------
> From: gregory j. rosmaita <oedipus@HICOM.NET>
> To: Multiple recipients of list <nfb-rd@lothlorien.nfbcal.org>
> Subject: On Target Marketing Press Release (fwd)
> Date: Thursday, October 09, 1997 11:31 PM
>
forwarded on behalf of the author...
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Thu, 9 Oct 1997 07:48:55 -0700
From: Gary Crunk <gcrunk@NETVALUE.NET>
Subject: On Target Marketing Press Release
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
=09=09=09 Contact: Brian Johnson
=09=09=09=09=09 Vice President, Client Services
=09=09=09=09=09 602-667-0775
MULTIMEDIA FIRM DEVELOPS FIRST VOICE PROMPTED AUDIO
WEB SITE FOR THE BLIND AND VISUALLY IMPAIRED
PHOENIX, Ariz., 10/8/97 --- OnTarget Marketing is pleased to announce the
introduction of TALKS=D4 (Total Access Linking Kiosk System) a whole new
w=
ay
for visually impaired individuals to "surf the web" and truly experience
the information and entertainment benefits the World Wide Web provides. The
OnTarget Marketing (OTM) web site, www.ontargetmkt.com, has been programmed
with TALKS to take a visually impaired person via audio instructions to
every section of the site and read back ALL of the information on each
screen. All navigation can be done by placing the mouse over a particular
"voice-prompting" icon that tells the user what the topic of the section is
and then by clicking on it takes the user to a "real voice" reading the
information on that page.
Without any additional hardware or expensive line readers sometimes costing
close to $1,000, a visually impaired person can now access information from
the web with the assistance of FREE downloadable programs that TALKS
allows. The only requirements for "viewing" the OTM web site with the TALKS
program are a Java=D4 capable browser (Internet Explorer=D4 3.0 or higher
=
or
Netscape Navigator=D4 3.0 or higher), sound card with speakers and the Real
Audio=E2 plug-in. With these items installed, the user can click on the
"voice-prompting" icon window on the OTM home page and enter the TALKS
audio section to navigate everywhere in the OTM web site and hear the
entire content within the site.
"The objective of TALKS is to provide everyone with the ability to obtain
information about any company from the web. What amazed us was that no one
was providing a way for blind individuals to access information FREE
without expensive software and equipment add-ons and with any true instant
"real-voice" readings," states Gary Crunk, Chief Technical Officer. "What
started out as a way for us to show what we could do with voice and audio
technology grew into a sincere effort to provide visually impaired
individuals with an excellent source for retrieving information and
entertainment from their computer and the Internet. The "voice-prompting"
interface technology we have developed with TALKS also provides easier menu
navigation and a clearer understanding of the content in any web site for
any
- more -
"surfer". Another plus is that an average page with TALKS audio is about
the same size as a page with an average amount of graphics, making an audio
page easy to download off the web" continued Mr. Crunk.
Ray Evtuch, Vice President =96 Project Services, states, "After doing
extensive research we found out there are not many resources for the 12
million blind and visually impaired to get information easily from the web.
Right now, they need to purchase expensive add-on readers that do nothing
but read a page line by line with a mechanical voice. Not only did we think
this was a long frustrating process, but also one that would give little
enjoyment for the user. That's when we decided to develop TALKS to make
visiting the web for the blind and visually impaired a truly gratifying
experience."
The OnTarget Marketing web site portion for the visually impaired includes
a destination section that includes 1) MIDI music files of classical,
Beatles, "standards", country and children's songs,
2) Recordings of famous historical speeches, 3) Readings of children's
stories and nursery rhymes,
4) Readings of novel excerpts, prose and poetry and 5) Audio of syndicated
news, sports and columns. "We are proud to be able to contribute something
for people who up to now have had minimal access to the majority of what
the Internet provides," said Brian Johnson, Vice President =96 Client
Services. "We hope to be able to expand the content on our web site soon
and encourage other companies to expand the reach on their sites to give
access to a greater number of visually impaired individuals looking for
information on the Internet. What's great about the TALKS audio navigation
system is that it can be created from the ground up in a new web site or
added as an overlay into an existing web site to give total access to
everyone visiting a web site," he continued.
OnTarget Marketing is a multimedia marketing agency that specializes in
creating computer-based interactive applications and video presentations
for companies to use in presentations to buyers and promotional efforts
aimed at consumers. The company's services include: 1) CD-ROM & Floppy Disk
Presentations, 2) Web Site Design, Management and Hosting, 3) Corporate
Video Production,
4) Electronic Catalogs & Brochures, 5) Employee/Sales Training
Applications, 6) Promotional Marketing/Incentive Procurement, and 7)
Collateral Material Development.
To learn more about OnTarget Marketing visit its web site,
www.ontargetmkt.com. You can also contact Brian Johnson, Vice President =96
Client Services at 602-667-0775, e-mail us at gcrunk@hotmail.com or fax us
at 602-667-0780.
end
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