Hello Colleagues:
I thought the article +03: Finnish Trial For Touch-Screen Braille On
Mobiles would be of interest. I have included the complete E-Access
Bulletin.
Regards,
Robert
----- Original Message -----
From: "Dan Jellinek" <dan@headstar.com>
To: <eaccess@headstar.com>
Sent: Monday, April 20, 2009 8:53 AM
Subject: E-Access Bulletin: Issue 112, April 2009
> ++E-ACCESS BULLETIN
> Access To Technology For All, Regardless Of Ability
> - ISSUE 112, April 2009.
>
> A Headstar Publication.
> http://www.headstar.com/eab/ .
>
> Sponsored by:
> Ford Motor Company
> ( http://www.ford.co.uk ).
>
> Please forward this free bulletin to others (subscription details at the
> end). We conform to the accessible Text Email Newsletter (TEN)
> Standard:
> http://www.headstar.com/ten/ .
>
>
> ++Special Notice: E-Access '09: Technology For All
> - Access To All Technologies By People With Disabilities
> - Fifth Annual Conference And Exhibition
> - Event Runs Thursday - Sign Up While Places Remain!
> http://www.headstar-events.com/eaccess09/ .
>
> In an ageing population, and in tough economic times, ensuring all
> your customers, service users and staff are included in everything you
> do is more vital than ever, from your externally-facing websites to
> internal IT systems.
>
> E-Access Bulletin's fifth annual conference and exhibition on access to
> technology by people with disabilities is taking place on 23rd April
> 2009 at Olympia Conference Centre in London. Our keynote speaker is
> Bill Thompson, technology critic and broadcaster. Other speakers
> include Graeme Whippy, Senior Manager, Lloyds TSB IT
> Accessibility Group; and Shadi Abou-Zahra, of the W3C Web
> Accessibility Initiative, on the new international web access guidelines
> WCAG 2.0.
>
> Places cost just £195 +VAT for public sector delegates; £295 +VAT
> for private sector; and £165 + VAT for small charities and non-profits
> (turnover less than £150k a year). To find out more and sign up today,
> visit:
> http://www.headstar-events.com/eaccess09/
>
> [Special notice ends].
>
>
> ++Issue 112 Contents.
>
> 01: Disability Redefined As E-Learning 'Mismatch'
> - New approach from international standards body.
>
> 02: Concerns Raised Over Australian Mobile News Service
> - Analyst says site fails to meet access guidelines.
>
> 03: Finnish Trial For Touch-Screen Braille On Mobiles
> - Research finds pulses can be read with high accuracy.
>
> News in Brief: 04: Outstanding contribution - Lloyds TSB accessibility
> manager Graeme Whippy wins award; 05: London Calling - Olympic
> accessibility survey; 06: BlackBerry Speech - first screenreader for
> smartphones; 07: Our Survey - Bloor research linked to Headstar
> event.
>
> Section Two: 'The Inbox' - Readers' Forum.
> 08: Discrimination Complaint - E-Book speech function removal; 09:
> Permission Pending - online video vaults; 10: Second Guess - British
> Standard committee question.
>
> Section Three: Special Report - Web Accessibility Statements.
> 11: The Best Of Intentions, Clearly Stated: Local authority websites
> are not always following best practice on the development and display
> of accessibility statements on their websites, an important part of
> ensuring sites are accessible to all, new research finds. However, they
> have a better track record in this area than private sector sites.
>
> [Contents ends].
>
>
> ++Section One: News.
>
>
> +01: Disability Redefined As E-Learning 'Mismatch'.
>
> An attempt to redefine or reframe the term 'disability', in the context
> of online learning as a mismatch between a learner's needs and the
> education process delivered, is enshrined in a new international e-
> learning standard.
>
> ISO/IEC 24751:2008, 'Information technology - individualised
> adaptability and accessibility in e-learning, education and training' (
> http://fastlink.headstar.com/iso3 )
> has been published by the International Organization for
> Standardisation (ISO) with the International Electrotechnical
> Commission (IEC).
>
> The standard says it views disability as "a consequence of a mismatch
> between the learner's needs (or preferences) and the education or
> learning experience delivered.
>
> "For example, an individual who is blind is not disabled when the
> lesson is delivered in audio. However, an individual who does not have
> the necessary background knowledge to understand the lesson, or who
> is listening to the lesson in a noisy environment, is disabled.
>
> "Thus, the needs and preferences of a user may arise from the user's
> context or environment, the technical requirements of the user's device,
> the tools available (e.g. assistive technologies such as Braille devices,
> voice recognition systems, alternative keyboards, etc.), the user's
> background, or a disability in the traditional sense.
>
> "Given this reframing of the meaning of "disability", a learning
> environment is deemed as "accessible" when learner needs can be
> addressed or matched."
>
> The new standard is published in three parts. Part 1 offers a framework
> and reference model to describe and specify learner needs and
> preferences and the corresponding description of the digital learning
> resources. Part 2 sets out "access for all" criteria on personal needs and
> preferences, including how they can be ranked by priority. Finally, Part
> 3 provides a 'digital resource description', a common language for
> describing aspects of a computer system to facilitate their being
> matched to learners' needs and preferences.
>
> The standard or individual parts are available at a charge from ISO
> national member institutes such as the British Standards Institution, or
> from the ISO Central Secretariat.
>
> And you can comment on this story now, on EAB Live:
> http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=273
>
>
> +02: Concerns Raised Over Australian Mobile News Service.
>
> The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) has failed to
> adequately address accessibility problems with its new mobile web
> news service, one of the country's leading accessibility analysts has
> told E-Access Bulletin.
>
> Tom Worthington, a senior lecturer in the Department of Computer
> Science at the Australian National University, examined 'ABC Mobile'
> (
> http://www.abc.net.au/innovation/mobile/ )
> for accessibility on its launch. In a report posted to his blog, he said:
> "The home page does not appear to have been designed in accordance
> with guidelines for web accessibility for the disabled, and may be
> unlawful. The site also fails several mobile phone and other web
> guidelines." One of the key faults had been with a lack of proper
> alternative text tags for information conveyed as images, he said.
>
> Following Worthington's initial comments, the ABC took action to
> address accessibility concerns. In a public response to Worthington's
> comments, the corporation's Chris Winter said his organisation was
> working to comply with WAI guidelines, and had updated the home
> page with alt tags integrated so text-to-speech software can now
> recognise most images for visually impaired people.
>
> Worthington's original comments and the ABC response can be read
> on his blog at:
> http://fastlink.headstar.com/abc3 .
>
> However, Worthington has now told E-Access Bulletin the changes do
> not go far enough.
> "If anything, the web site appears to be less compliant than it was
> when first released," he said. "Senior management need to make sure
> they get advice from competent staff. The ABC has competent web
> designers, as shown by their main web site. But these staff do not
> appear to have been consulted on the mobile web site."
>
> Much of the academic's concern centres around the potential of mobile
> news services to act as early warning systems in major emergencies,
> such as the recent Australian bushfires. But in a recent talk on the
> subject Worthington warned that if services were not accessible they
> could not act as effective emergency warnings:
> http://fastlink.headstar.com/tomw1 .
>
> And you can comment on this story now, on EAB Live:
> http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=275
>
>
> +03: Finnish Trial For Touch-Screen Braille On Mobiles.
>
> A method for presenting Braille characters as a sequence of strong and
> weak pulses on the touch-screen of a mobile device has been
> developed by a research team at the University of Tampere in Finland.
>
> The most successful method tested by the team involved sending
> sequences of pulses about a third of a second apart to a single point of
> the screen of a Nokia 770 Internet Tablet. Almost all participants could
> accurately recognise individual characters sent in this way, though
> faster speeds reduced the recognition rate.
>
> Further studies are needed to evaluate how well people can recognise a
> series of multiple characters forming words, the team says. The full
> research paper is available from the international technology standards
> and research organisation IEEE at a cost of 29 US Dollars:
> http://fastlink.headstar.com/ieee1 .
>
> And you can comment on this story now, on EAB Live:
> http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=279
>
>
> ++News in Brief:
>
> +04: Outstanding Contribution: Graeme Whippy, Senior IT
> Accessibility Manager at the high street bank Lloyds TSB and
> prominent accessibility standards campaigner, has won the
> 'Outstanding contribution to the industry' prize at this year's
> prestigious
> Financial Sector Technology Awards:
> http://www.fstech.co.uk/awards/winners09.htm
> Whippy is among the plenary speaker's at this year's E-Access '09,
> hosted on 23 April by E-Access Bulletin:
> http://www.headstar-events.com/eaccess09
>
> +05: London Calling: A survey to gather information to help make
> London more accessible ahead of the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic
> Games is being conducted by the office of the Mayor of London. The
> research aims to highlight areas in need of immediate improvement
> including access to restaurants, hotels and tourist attractions by people
> with mobility issues including disabled people, older people and
> parents with small children. Take part until 31 May by telephoning
> 01344 360 101 or online at the web address below:
> http://fastlink.headstar.com/london8 .
>
> +06: BlackBerry Speech: The first text-to-speech screenreader for
> BlackBerry smartphones has been released by access technology
> specialist HumanWare. 'Orator' is based around software developed by
> technology partner Code Factory and supports multiple languages:
> http://fastlink.headstar.com/blackberry1 .
>
> +07: Our Survey: Anyone involved in using or selecting accessibility
> tools for their organisation is invited to participate in a survey to find
> out how seriously organisations take accessibility issues. The study is
> being conducted by Bloor Research, who are partners at Headstar's
> annual conference on the topic, E-Access '09, on 23 April. Take part
> now at:
> http://fastlink.headstar.com/bloor1
> And the E-Access '09 website is at:
> http://www.headstar-events.com/eaccess09/ .
>
> [Section One ends].
>
>
> ++Sponsored Notice: BrowseAloud - E-Access '09 Preview
>
> BrowseAloud can improve the Accessibility of your Website - Visit E-
> Access'09 Stand 23 to learn more.
>
> BrowseAloud is the world-leading text-to-speech solution from
> Texthelp Systems Ltd which is designed to improve website
> accessibility for those with literacy difficulties, learning difficulties
> such as dyslexia, mild visual impairments or where English is a second
> language. With a choice of 17 high quality voices covering nine
> international languages and a number of unique features, BrowseAloud
> is quickly being adopted by organisations within public and private
> sectors worldwide.
>
> For more information contact Donna on 028 9442 8105 or email
> d.thomson@browsealoud.com. Alternatively, visit
> www.browsealoud.com.
>
> [Sponsored notice ends].
>
>
> ++Special Notice: Fortune Cookie
> - Web Sites That Really Work.
>
> Fortune Cookie's dedicated web accessibility team makes sure that
> everyone finds the web sites we design easy to use. As well as being
> accessible, Fortune Cookie sites are beautiful and deliver stunning
> return-on-investment. They're award-winning too. In 2007, our work
> was nominated for major web design awards 11 times.
>
> Legal & General, Kuoni, Diabetes UK, FT Business - just some of the
> big name brands on Fortune Cookie's client list.
>
> Every business can benefit from making its web site more accessible.
> If you'd like to know what accessibility can do for your business, talk
> to Fortune Cookie.
>
> Visit our web site at:
> http://www.fortunecookie.co.uk
>
> Julie Howell is our Director of Accessibility. Email Julie at:
> Julie.Howell@fortunecookie.co.uk .
>
> [Special notice ends]
>
>
> ++Section Two: 'The Inbox'
> - Readers' Forum.
>
> Please email all contributions or responses to:
> inbox@headstar.com .
>
>
> +08: Discrimination Complaint: In a comment left on our website on
> last issue's article 'Row Brewing Over E-Book Speech Function
> Removal' (
> http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=244 ),
> reader Dave Garside raises some questions about the apparent inequity
> behind a refusal to allow text-to-speech automation for electronic
> books.
>
> "When a paper book is purchased a royalty is paid and it is not an issue
> whether the book is read by sight, a second person out loud or by
> mechanical means," he says. "With an e-book the royalty has also been
> paid.
>
> "Are the objections because those who prefer an audio copy are being
> ripped off by paying a higher royalty fee? Or is it not a royalty but a
> profit issue?
>
> "Either way, it forces the blind to pay extra for a service that could be
> supplied at the same price as to a sighted customer, and that is a
> discrimination issue."
>
> Further responses please via the web link above or to
> inbox@headstar.com .
>
>
> +09: Permission Pending: Mary Watkins, Director of Communications
> and Outreach of the Media Access Group at the Boston-based public
> service broadcaster WGBH (
> http://access.wgbh.org ),
> writes in following a request in our last issue for information about
> online databases of movies in audio formats (see 'Movie Vaults',
> Inbox, March 2009).
>
> Mary points out that the 'DVS' format for films in audio form
> combining soundtracks with audio description as MP3 files is the
> property of WGBH and is not currently licensed for free circulation.
>
> "The movies and TV shows the Media Access Group at WGBH
> describe are protected by both the movie/TV studios' copyrights as
> well as our own for the description, and no permission has been
> granted for internet or any other form of distribution," she says.
>
> "WGBH is working to migrate this described content to additional
> outlets, including online distribution."
>
> [Further comments please to inbox@headstar.com].
>
>
> +10: Second Guess: Gustaw Kon, a reader living in Germany, writes in
> to question the reasons behind Julie Howell's recent decision to step
> down as chair of a committee developing a British Standard on web
> accessibility. He writes: "Julie Howell has resigned as chair of a
> British Standards Institution committee on web accessibility. She is
> rather knowledgeable on the matter, and we were not told why she left.
>
> "If I am wrong in thinking that it was because of the convoluted failure
> to progress, I apologise to Julie Howell for second-guessing her."
>
> [Further comments please to inbox@headstar.com].
>
> [Section Two ends].
>
>
> ++Sponsored Notice: Adept Transcription
> - Alternative Formats At Affordable Prices.
>
> When you want alternative formats for disabled colleagues, customers
> and staff, call Adept.
>
> Formats we produce include audio, audio description, Braille, BSL,
> Easy Read, e-docs for websites, large print, Makaton, Moon and sub-
> titles, at prices from a penny a word.
>
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> service leaflet, contract or consultation, we provide:
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>
> Contact us at:
> Tel: 0208 133 5418 (precede with 18001 for typetalk)
> Email transcription@adept-uk.org
>
> [Sponsored Notice ends]
>
>
> ++Section Three: Special Report
> Web Accessibility Statements.
>
> +11: The Best Of Intentions, Clearly Stated.
>
> Just 10 per cent of accessibility statements on local government
> websites are 'excellent', with a further 37 per cent deemed
> 'satisfactory', according to new research from the Society of IT
> Management (Socitm
> http://www.socitm.gov.uk ).
>
> The research is published this week as a special supplement to Better
> Connected 2009, the society's annual snapshot review of all UK
> council websites.
>
> The accessibility statement is seen as central to having a website that is
> accessible to all users, including people with disabilities, the report
> says. However, despite the low level of excellent practice found, local
> authority sites fare well when compared with the private sector, it says.
> No private sector statements were found to be excellent, and just 16 per
> cent were satisfactory.
>
> A much higher percentage of local authority websites (79 per cent)
> have a link on their home page to an accessibility statement than
> private sector websites (44 per cent). On a number of other points
> about facilities on the home page (such as changing text size), local
> authorities are significantly better than the private sector, Socitm says.
>
> Taken together, the results of the survey show that local government
> has a much stronger awareness of accessibility policy and
> implementation than the private sector, it says.
>
> Central Office of Information guidance states that website accessibility
> statements should contain four features, the report says.
>
> The first feature is a clear statement that demonstrates the
> organisation's commitment to web accessibility. The percentage of
> sites that show this commitment from those that have accessibility
> statements is very high, the new report finds, and more or less the same
> across the two sectors.
>
> The second feature is information about any areas of the website that
> do not yet conform with the overall accessibility targets of the website.
> Here, the percentage is low in both cases, at no more than 10 per cent.
>
> The third feature concerns contact details for people wishing to report
> problems with the website. On this feature there is some differentiation
> between the two sectors with local government (60%) much more
> likely than the private sector (43%) to provide contact information.
>
> Finally, Socitm tested for a link to an accessibility policy. Just four
> councils and no private sector website tested featured such a link.
>
> The researchers then looked at other types of accessibility practice,
> starting with ways of making the site more flexible to use by people
> with disabilities.
>
> Local authority websites are much more flexible (71 per cent) than
> private sector websites (25 per cent) in offering an option to change
> text size on web pages. Many organisations provide information for
> visitors on how to change text size in their browser. However, many
> also made it easier by offering links from the home page which
> increase text size. Some provided both options.
>
> Similarly, local authority websites are more flexible (41 per cent) than
> private sector websites (11 per cent) in offering an option to change
> colour contrast, but in both cases this option is less common than
> changing text size. A 'Yes' answer counted if there was information on
> how to change colours, or if there was a link to an external site such as
> 'MyWebMyWay' in context.
>
> Overall, the Socitm research recommends that an accessibility
> statement should be central to an organisation's commitment to an
> accessible website. It is no surprise that having an accessibility
> statement increases the likelihood of having an accessible website (by
> 23 per cent according to this research), but it is no guarantee of having
> one, as the intention has to be matched with the practice, the report
> finds.
>
> It concludes with three recommendations for website owners: to review
> their accessibility statements against best practice criteria; to
> redevelop
> statements according to the findings of that review; and to adopt the
> best practices for implementing the intentions set out in the statement.
>
> And you can comment on this story now, on EAB Live:
> http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=281
>
> [Section Three ends].
>
>
> ++Special Notice: Web Accessibility Forum.
>
> Accessify Forum is a discussion forum devoted to all topics relating to
> web accessibility. Topics cover everything from 'Beginners' and 'Site
> building and testing' through to projects such as the new accessibility
> testing tool WaiZilla and the accessibility of the open source forum
> software itself.
>
> All you need to register is a working email address, so come along and
> join in the fun at:
> http://www.accessifyforum.com .
>
> [Special notice ends].
>
>
> ++End Notes.
>
> +How to Receive the Bulletin.
>
> To subscribe to this free monthly bulletin, email
> eab-subs@headstar.com
> with 'subscribe eab' in the subject header. You can list other email
> addresses to subscribe in the body of the message. Please encourage all
> your colleagues to sign up! To unsubscribe at any time, put
> 'unsubscribe eab' in the subject header.
>
> Please send comments on coverage or leads to Dan Jellinek at:
> dan@headstar.com .
>
> Copyright 2009 Headstar Ltd http://www.headstar.com .
> The Bulletin may be reproduced as long as all parts including this
> copyright notice are included, and as long as people are always
> encouraged to subscribe with us individually by email. Please also
> inform the editor when you are reproducing our content. Sections of
> the bulletin may be quoted as long as they are clearly sourced as 'taken
> from e-access bulletin, a free monthly email newsletter', and our web
> site address:
> http://www.headstar.com/eab
> is also cited.
>
> +Personnel:
> Editor - Dan Jellinek.
> Reporter: Tristan Parker.
> Editorial advisor - Kevin Carey.
>
> ISSN 1476-6337.
>
> [Issue 112 ends.]
>
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