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IT Accessibility Review
Volume 1, Number 7
Breaking News
Best Practices for Accessible Flash Design
This whitepaper, written by Bob Regan, describes the framework to approach accessible design using Macromedia Flash. This document will help designers and developers to understand and implement accessibility best practices in their web applications.
- To read the full text of this whitepaper:
http://www.macromedia.com/resources/accessibility/ - To learn more about Accessibility and Macromedia Flash, and to get more design techniques and developer resources, please visit Macromedia at: http://www.macromedia.com/macromedia/accessibility/features/flash/
2005 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Theme Announced
Contributed By: Evelyn Kaiser, Northern Virginia Region, VA Dept. of Rehabilitative Services
WASHINGTON -Secretary of Labor Elaine L. Chao has announced the official theme for October´s National Disability Employment Awareness Month - Workers with Disabilities: Ready for Tomorrow´s Jobs Today.
"This year´s theme emphasizes that people with disabilities are a vital part of America ´s workforce; they are important to our country´s future economic success!" said Chao. The President´s New Freedom Initiative recognizes the tremendous contributions and potential of persons with disabilities and promotes greater job opportunities in high growth sectors of the economy, such as healthcare and advanced manufacturing.
The theme will be used by the private sector, federal, state and local governments, and advocacy organizations to plan events and programs that showcase the abilities and skills of job candidates who have disabilities.
"People with disabilities are and will continue to be an important part of the nation´s labor pool, and this year´s theme reflects that fact," said Roy Grizzard, Assistant Secretary of Labor for disability employment policy.
The Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) is the nation´s first assistant secretary-level office specifically addressing policies that impact the employment of people with disabilities. Collaborating with other Labor Department agencies, the Employment and Training Administration and the Civil Rights Center ODEP has developed methods, including a disability checklist, to make the 3500 One-Stop Career Centers nationwide better serve people with disabilities.
Public Law 176, enacted by Congress in 1945, designated the first week in October as National Employ the Physically Handicapped Week. President Harry S. Truman designated the President´s Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities to carry out the law. Congress changed the name to National Disability Employment Awareness Month in 1988. The responsibility for leading the nationwide recognition was transferred to ODEP in 2001.
Source:
ODEP News Release: [ 06/21/2005 ]
Contact Name: Peggy Abrahamson or Camille Anderson
Phone Number: (202) 693-4679 or x7909
Release Number: 05-1102-NAT
Designing Websites for Older Adults
From: AARP NEWS
AARP´s Older Wiser Wired Initiative has announced the release of two reports in their "Designing Web Sites for Older Adults" series.
Commissioned by AARP and researched by usability experts Janice (Ginny) Redish and Dana Chisnell, the first report is an extensive, annotated literature review that concentrates on research from the disciplines of interaction and navigation, information architecture, presentation or visual design, and information design.
The second report, also by Redish and Chisnell, "Expert Review of Usability for Older Adults at 50 Web Sites" applies a newly derived set of heuristics (based on the previous literature review) to 50 websites that are likely to be used by an older adult in the normal course of their day. These may range from news sites to financial sites to health care and hobbies.
This second report also describes a new model for framing the needs of older adults that focuses as much on their potential abilities as their disabilities.
Visit http://www.aarp.org/olderwiserwired to download either report.
Access-Board.Gov Unveils New Website
From: access-board.gov
The Board has implemented a complete redesign and overhaul of its website at http://www.access-board.gov .The revised site features a new look and organization, improved navigational and search features, and additional on-line services. Visitors can now order Access Board publications through the site in addition to subscribing to the Board´s newsletter or filing a complaint under the Architectural Barriers Act. The new site´s design provides a portal page or "mini-homepage" for each of the Board´s guidelines and standards, including those under development, which contain links to all relevant materials and related resources for easier one-stop shopping.
The Access Board plans to develop new content and features for the website in coming months.This next phase will explore ways in which guidance and training on the Board´s design criteria and accessible design can be delivered most effectively through the site.
Source:
Access Currents
Volume 11, No. 3 May / June 2005
Doug Wakefield, Board´s Section 508 Specialist, Has Retired
From: access-board.gov
Doug Wakefield, the Access Board´s expert on accessible information technology, has retired from government service.Wakefield joined the Board in 1998 to lead its work writing new standards for electronic and information technology under Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.This law, as amended, assigned the Access Board the task of issuing new standards for covered technologies procured by Federal agencies. After these standards were issued in 2000, he provided technical assistance and training on them, conducting numerous sessions across the country.He also oversaw the development of related guidance material and represented the Board at various interagency and international forums on Section 508 and accessible information technology.Prior to his work at the Access Board, he provided consultation on accessibility for employees with disabilities, at the General Services Administration´s Center on Information Technology Accommodation and before that ran his own consulting firm, which specialized in adaptive computer equipment.
Source:
Access Currents
Volume 11, No. 3 May / June 200
