December 1, 2003 (Vol 4, Issue, 14)

In This Issue:

UPCOMING EVENTS

1. IP Telephony Economics: Does It Add Up to Savings and Productivity?
2. NIST Symposium on Voting Systems Technology
3. Connecting the Commonwealth: Making IT in MA Accessible to All

FCC TELECOMMUNICATIONS/REGULATIONS

1. FCC Announces VOIP` Forum to be held December 1, 2003
2. Network Reliability And Interoperability Council To Hold Meeting On December 5, 2003
3. Statement of Commissioner Kathleen Abernathy on the Implementation of Wireless Local Number Portability

ARTICLES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. Public Policy Issues: Access to Information and Information Technology
2. Section 508: Built Into Business
3. Federal Technology Spending expected To Grow Four Percent a Year
4. Building Accessible Websites with FrontPage 2003
5. Universities Legal Web Accessibility Update
6. National Disability Groups File Brief in Support of Web Access
7. Visually Impaired Students and Apple (MAC) Computers
8. GAO Report--Homeland Security: Challenges in Achieving Interoperable Communications for First Responders
9. Resignation of U.S. Department of Education's Assistant Secretary Robert Pasternack
10. Troy Justesen Named Deputy Commissioner Of Rehabilitation Services Administration
11. California's Secretary of State Announces Electronic Voting Directives
12. CTIA Voluntary Consumer Code for Wireless Service

FOR YOUR ACTION

1. Deaf and Hard of Hearing subjects needed for Fire Safety Research Project
2. Blind and Low Vision subjects needed to test Mobile Narrative Description System at Walt Disney World

PAST EVENTS

1. Section 508 Forum
2. Enable Your Home: Five Part TV Series

RESOURCES

1. Accessible Web Publishing Wizard Version 1.0 for Microsoft Power Point
2. HHS announces availability of new guidelines to improve web-based communication
3. Accessing the Internet for Individuals who are Blind

 

UPCOMING EVENTS

1. IP Telephony Economics: Does It Add Up to Savings and Productivity?

Nick Lippis of the Lippis Report will host and moderate a panel of experts in a discussion of their IP Telephony deployments on December 4, 2003 at 11am Eastern. Discussion will include what worked, what didn't, the economics of the project, both pre- and post-deployment and answer questions directly. Featured speakers will include network architects from Lehman Brothers, Edward D. Jones, The Seattle Times, and Prudential Northwest Properties.

You can register for the webcast at www.en2004.com. The session will be archived for on demand viewing one week after the webcast.

The webcast is being sponsored by Avaya and 3COM.

2. NIST SYMPOSIUM ON VOTING SYSTEMS TECHNOLOGY

As part of its responsibilities under the Help America Vote Act of 2002 (HAVA), the Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) will hold a symposium on building trust and confidence in voting systems at the agency's Gaithersburg, Md., headquarters on Dec. 10-11, 2003. The two-day event will bring together a host of people with an interest in election technology, including federal, state and local election officials; university researchers; independent testing laboratories; election law experts; hardware and software vendors; and others concerned about or involved with the latest developments in voting systems.

Enacted by Congress in October 2002, the HAVA legislation gave NIST a key role in helping realize nationwide improvements in voting systems by January 2006.

NIST plans to use the December symposium as a springboard for its collaboration with the election community prior to the implementation of the HAVA. The meeting agenda will include four panel discussions on key issues for improving voting systems: specification, testability and qualification; security and openness; usability and accessibility; and next steps/consensus issues.

For more information including an overview, agenda, and registration information, access: http://vote.nist.gov/.

3. CONNECTING THE COMMONWEALTH - MAKING IT IN MA ACCESSIBLE TO ALL

The Massachusetts Office on Disability, the New England ADA & Accessible IT Center, and Northeastern University are sponsoring a day-long training on accessible IT. It will be held on Tuesday, December 9, 2003, at Northeastern University, Boston, Massachusetts.

The purpose of the training is to make state and municipal agencies, colleges, universities, public school districts, IT professionals and others aware of the need for web accessibility, and empower them to make their own web sites and other IT more accessible. The training will help attendees become aware of issues facing people with disabilities using information technology. They will gain tools for integrating accessibility into websites and other IT.

This training is intended for: IT professionals, state and municipal IT coordinators, students, faculty, ADA coordinators, disability commission members, IT professionals.

For more information, see: http://www.NewEnglandADA.org/dec9_2003.php.

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FCC TELECOMMUNICATIONS/REGULATIONS

1. FCC ANNOUNCES VOIP` FORUM TO BE HELD DECEMBER 1, 2003
Where: Federal Communications Commission / Commission Meeting Room
445 12th Street, NW
Washington, D. C.
When: 10:30 AM to 3:00 PM

The purpose of the Forum is to gather information concerning advancements, innovations, and regulatory issues related to VoIP services. To see the agenda, get directions and a list of presenters, access: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-03-3777A1.doc.

2. NETWORK RELIABILITY AND INTEROPERABILITY COUNCIL TO HOLD MEETING ON DECEMBER 5, 2003. (DA No. 03-3747)

The Council originally was established by the Federal Communications Commission to bring together leaders of the telecommunications industry and telecommunications experts from academic, consumer and other organizations to explore and recommend measures that will enhance network reliability and security.

At this sixth and last meeting of the Network Reliability and Interoperability Council VI, the Council will consider and vote on its final recommendations.

To view the agenda and get directions, access: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DA-03-3747A1.doc.

Contact: Jeffery Goldthorp at (202) 418-1096, TTY: (202) 418-2989, JefferyGoldthorp@fcc.gov

3. STATEMENT OF COMMISSIONER KATHLEEN Q. ABERNATHY ON THE IMPLEMENTATION OF WIRELESS LOCAL NUMBER PORTABILITY.

The implementation of wireless local number portability by the FCC on Monday, November 24, 2003, ushers in a new era of consumer choice. Consumers who seek to switch wireless providers or move from a local exchange carrier to a wireless carrier will be able to retain their existing telephone numbers. The implementation of wireless local number portability is the advent of true intermodal competition. [taken in part from Commissioner Abernathy's remarks on the implementation of wireless local number portability in the top 100 markets.]

To see the full text of Commissioner Abernathy's remarks, access: http://hraunfoss.fcc.gov/edocs_public/attachmatch/DOC-241537A1.doc.

Or contact the FCC News Media Contact: Jennifer A. Manner at (202) 418-2530.

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ARTICLES/ANNOUNCEMENTS

1. PUBLIC POLICY ISSUES: ACCESS TO INFORMATION AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY

[From the Vol. 9, No. 1, October, 2003 issue of Information Technology and Disabilities (ITD), a newsletter of the Equal Access to Software and Information (EASI). EASI is the premier provider of online training on accessible information technology for persons with disabilities.]

This resource represents the first installment of ITD's two-part special series on public policy issues. This collection of articles, and those that will follow in the upcoming issue, are part of ITD's special theme to address the public policy aspects relating to the emerging civil right of access to information.

Special Theme Articles in this issue include:

THE STATE OF THE LAW ON TECHNOLOGY AND THE BLIND: WHAT IT IS AND WHAT IT OUGHT TO BE
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv09n1/gashel.htm
James Gashel, Director of Governmental Affairs, National Federation of the Blind

FEDERAL REGULATION CREATES ECONOMIC INCENTIVES FOR COMPETITION, INNOVATION AMONG TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv09n1/ruby.htm
Laura Ruby, Program Manager, Regulatory and Industry Affairs, Accessible Technology Group, Microsoft Corporation

STATE IT ACCESSIBILITY POLICY: THE LANDSCAPE OF TODAY
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv09n1/golden.htm
Diane Cordry Golden, Director, Missouri Assistive Technology and Deborah V. Buck, Director, State IT Accessibility Initiatives, ITTATC

FROM POLICY TO PRACTICE: ACHIEVING EQUITABLE ACCESS TO EDUCATIONAL TECHNOLOGY
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv09n1/hendricks.htm
Patricia Hendricks, Technology Coordinator, Mid-Atlantic Regional Technology in Education Consortium, Lisa Wahl, Consultant, Alliance for Technology Access, Judith Stull, Senior Research Associate, Temple University, Center for Research in Human Development and Instruction, and Julie Duffield, Research Associate, WestEd- Regional Technology in Education Consortium Project

SHOW ME THE MONEY: MAKING CURRENCY ACCESSIBLE TO PEOPLE WHO ARE BLIND
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv09n1/brunson.htm
Melanie Brunson, Director of Advocacy and Governmental Affairs, American Council of the Blind

THE CHAFEE AMENDMENT: IMPROVING ACCESS TO INFORMATION
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv09n1/lingane.htm
Alison Lingane, Senior Product Manager, Bookshare.Org, The Benetech Initiative and Jim Fruchterman, President and CEO, The Benetech Initiative

THE IMPORTANCE OF ACCURATELY MEASURING THE ACCESSIBILITY OF THE FEDERAL ELECTRONIC GOVERMENT: DEVELOPING THE RESEARCH AGENDA
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv09n1/jaeger.htm
Paul T. Jaeger, Senior Research Associate and EBSCO Fellow, Information Use Management and Policy Institute

Other Articles include:

WHAT COLOR IS THAT COMMENT: THE MECHANICS OF ONLINE COLLABORATION FROM A BLIND STUDENT'S PERSPECTIVE
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd/itdv09n1/watts.htm
Stephanie Watts, Freelance Assistive Technology Consultant

To view previous issues of Information Technology and Disabilities, access: http://www.rit.edu/~easi/itd.htm.

2. SECTION 508: BUILT INTO BUSINESS

[Taken from the November 24, 2003, Vol. 18, No. 17, issue of Washington Technology]

Two years ago, few agencies required contractors to provide information in their bids describing how their solutions would be made accessible to people with disabilities. Two years ago, many Web designers thought designing for accessibility would "dumb down" their sites.

And two years ago, when people considered the government's information technology accessibility requirements, most thought only about altering Web sites to work with assistive technologies, such as screen readers for the blind. Few people thought about altering hardware, software and telecommunications.

Now, more than two and a half years since the Section 508 regulation for IT accessibility went into effect, thoughts have changed. Government employees and IT contractors have learned that while Section 508 requires that new material added to federal websites must be accessible to people with disabilities, it also means that new electronic and information technology purchased by federal agencies must be accessible as well.

To read the full article, access: http://www.washingtontechnology.com/news/18_17/cover-stories/22186-1.html.

3. FEDERAL TECHNOLOGY SPENDING EXPECTED TO GROW FOUR PERCENT A YEAR

[Taken from the November 19, 2003 Daily Briefing section of GovExec.com e-newsletter]

Information technology spending by the federal government will continue to rise over the next five years, according to the 15th annual forecast released Tuesday, November 18th, by the Government Electronics and Information Technology Association (GEIA).

The group predicts that the total federal IT budget for fiscal 2004 will be $59.3 billion, with $31.4 billion to be spent on civilian agencies. For the next five years, GEIA predicted that total federal IT spending will rise 4.1 percent annually, to $72.5 billion, by fiscal 2009.

GEIA had estimated a higher growth rate of 4.8 percent last year but lowered it after considering a trend toward greater efficiency and consolidation by federal agencies, as well as the negative impact of the federal budget deficit on discretionary funding.

To read the full article, access: http://www.govexec.com/dailyfed/1103/111903td2.htm.

4. BUILDING ACCESSIBLE WEBSITES WITH FRONTPAGE 2003
White Paper / July 2003

[In an effort to provide information on new products and services available to improve the accessibility of electronic and information technology, ITTATC presents the following excerpts from a White Paper on Microsoft FrontPage® Web site creation and management tool. This is not intended to be an endorsement of a product or service, and is informational only. ]

The Internet provides us with an easy way to publish and find information. However, information on the Internet is not always readily available to all users. Some people are unable to access the Internet through traditional Web browsers such as Microsoft® Internet Explorer without the use of assistive technologies that enhance the way they interact with information. These assistive technologies include screen readers and Braille devices, audio browsers, screen magnifiers, text-only browsers, and voice input software. Other users, such as mobile professionals, are increasingly turning to alternative technologies to browse the Web-technologies such as cell phones and handheld computers with low-resolution displays. For each of these groups of users, it is important that a Web site provide alternatives.

Tim Berners-Lee, World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Director and developer of the World Wide Web, said it best: "The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." It is estimated that 10 percent of the population in the United States has some kind of disability that affects their ability to use computers and access the Internet. Additionally, adhering to accessibility standards may be the law or a policy in your country, state or municipality, school, or organization.

Web programming today facilitates many types of non-text Web elements such as images, frames, applets, and tables. Yet most assistive technologies provide input to their users by interpreting text. What happens when an assistive device encounters a non-text element? In some cases, the device might stall. In other cases, the device simply provides no information about the element.

Today it is quite possible for Web developers to enable anyone to access the information on a Web page. When information on the Internet is accessible, everyone-including users of assistive and alternative technologies-can find and benefit from it. With every release of the Microsoft FrontPage® Web site creation and management tool, the focus on making accessible Web pages is getting stronger. And Microsoft Office FrontPage 2003 is the best release yet.

With help from FrontPage 2003, Web designers can reach the largest audience possible. This white paper provides information on features, design techniques, and suggestions for creating accessible Web content, with special emphasis on using and modifying the new accessibility checker. These tips are intended to help you make your Web site more accessible. This is not a complete list, but it will offer some ideas and things to think about as you design and edit your Web site with FrontPage.

To download a copy of this White Paper, access: http://www.microsoft.com/office/frontpage/prodinfo/accessibility.mspx and then link to the "AccessibilityPaper.doc" found on the right hand side of the screen.

For more information about creating accessible web pages with FrontPage 2003, access: http://office.microsoft.com/assistance/category.aspx?TopLevelCat=CH790018031033&CategoryID=CH010001241033&CTT=4&Origin=CH063545761033

This page includes links to:
**Accessibility features in FrontPage
**About check Web pages for accessibility
**Run an accessibility report

5. UNIVERSITIES LEGAL WEB ACCESSIBILITY UPDATE

[The content in this "Update" is taken from the UsableNet.com listserv and is from the makers of Dreamweaver Plug-In, and does not necessarily represent the opinions of ITTATC or the Dept of Education. The Update briefly outlines their opinions regarding some of the laws affecting the accessibility of University websites. To see the full Update, access: www.UsableNet.com.]

An increasing number of Universities create policies around web accessibility and every day many people ask, "what are the legal requirements for our university's website"? Below is a summary:

Section 508 may not apply to a particular University or College but Section 504 and the ADA do. Even if Section 508 does apply, a University or College only has to worry about meeting these standards for content created after June 21st 2001. With focus on solutions many Universities, including Penn State University, have adopted a solution to address these two areas:

1. Content not affected by Section 508 -
   Create a text mode dynamically based on the graphics mode: LIFT Text Transcoder - see the Penn State page and how they use this tool: http://www.equity.psu.edu/access_psu/text.asp
   Get a product demo: http://www.usablenet.com/frontend/demoform.jsp?prod=tt
   
2. Content affected by Section 508 -
   Provide web designers with a tool that plugs into their authoring environment and builds compliant content as-they-go: - see how Penn State is using LIFT for Dreamweaver: http://www.equity.psu.edu/access_psu/lift.asp
   Get product demo: http://www.usablenet.com/frontend/demoform.jsp

6. NATIONAL DISABILITY GROUPS FILE BRIEF IN SUPPORT OF WEB ACCESS

On November 4, 2003 ten national disability rights groups filed a friend-of-the-court brief in Miami urging the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit to ensure that the web is accessible to persons with disabilities.

In October 2002, U.S. District Court Judge Patricia Seitz in Miami, Florida ruled that the Americans with Disabilities Act does not apply to the on-line services of Southwest Airlines (http://www.raggededgemagazine.com/drn/10_02.shtml#455). "To expand the ADA to cover 'virtual' spaces would be to create new rights without well-defined standards," wrote Judge Seitz in her ruling.

The groups filing the brief are asking the three-judge appellate panel to overrule the Seitz ruling. Websites can be made accessible with very little expense and without compromising creative design, say the groups in their brief. "Making the Web accessible to people with disabilities is not difficult, and includes such things as designing and generating web pages so that information is available to a wide range of people, including those who may be unable to hear audible content; who may be unable to use a mouse because of a physical impairment; or who access the Web using software that reads the content of a web page out loud to persons who cannot see the screen content."

For more information including a list of the ten national disability groups that filed the Brief, along with the full text of the Amicus Brief, access: http://www.icdri.org/ or http://www.accessiblesociety.org/topics/webaccess/brief1103adawebaccess.html.

7. VISUALLY IMPAIRED STUDENTS AND APPLE (MAC) COMPUTERS

[Taken from the November 12, 2003 issue of BusinessWeek Online]

On June 10th, small software developer ALVA Access Group announced that it would no longer support or build new versions of two products for blind and visually impaired Apple users. One product allows users to zoom in on a section of the screen, making the letters, numbers, and outlines appear much larger. It became redundant when Apple included that capability in OS X.

The other program, outSPOKEN, was a screen reader that could speak text and describe graphics and pictures. Such devices are essential to people with severe visual impairment who can't use computers otherwise. And outSPOKEN was the only such screen reader for Macs on the market. So the announcement elicited a good deal of concern from the blind community.

Without screen reader software, Apple will not be able to support the needs of visually impaired and blind students. It will become increasingly difficult for school districts to buy these Apple computers, because by doing so they would be knowingly buying computers that can not be used by all students, which runs counter to the Americans with Disabilities Act.

To read the full BusinessWeek article, including ways in which Apple may address this issue, access: http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/nov2003/tc20031112_9773_tc056.htm.

8. GAO REPORT--HOMELAND SECURITY: CHALLENGES IN ACHIEVING INTEROPERABLE COMMUNICATIONS FOR FIRST RESPONDERS
GAO-04-231T -- November 6, 2003

This GAO report provides testimony by William O. Jenkins, Jr., director, Homeland Security and Justice, before a joint hearing of the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and the Census and the Subcommittee on National Security, Emerging Threats, and International Relations, House Committee on Government Reform.

The inability of first responders- police officers, firemen, hazardous materials teams, emergency medical service personnel, and others-to communicate effectively with one another as needed during an emergency is a long-standing and widely recognized problem in many areas across the country. When first responders cannot communicate effectively as needed, it can literally cost lives-of both emergency responders and those they are trying to assist. At the request of the Chairman of the full committee, barriers to improved interoperability and the roles that federal, state, and local governments can play in improving wireless interoperability communications is being examined. Because this work is ongoing, no recommendations are being offered at this time. However based on work to date, the report identifies that federal, state, and local governments face several major challenges in addressing interoperability in their wireless communications.

• The first challenge is to clearly identify and define the problem. For example, it is important to recognize that interoperable communications is not an end in itself, but it is rather one component for achieving an important goal--the ability to respond effectively to and mitigate incidents that require the coordinated actions of first responders.
• The second challenge is whether and how to establish national interoperability performance goals and standards and balance them with the flexibility needed to address differences in state, regional and local needs and conditions.
• The third challenge is defining the roles of federal, state, and local governments and other entities in defining the problem, implementing any national goals and standards, and assessing alternative means of achieving those goals and

9. RESIGNATION OF U.S. DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION'S ASSISTANT SECRETARY ROBERT PASTERNACK

[Taken from a U.S. Department of Education Press Release dated 11-18-03]

Dr. Robert Pasternack, Assistant Secretary for the Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS) within the U.S. Department of Education will resign his post effective January 2, 2004. Mr. Pasternack has held this post since August 2001.

U.S. Secretary of Education, Paige remarked, "I want to thank Bob for his service to the department and commend him for his work to improve the lives of America's 6.5 million children and youth with disabilities. 'No child left behind' means every child -- and that certainly includes students with disabilities. Bob has been an effective advocate on their behalf, and we wish him well."

In a letter to the president, Pasternack said he feels he "can continue to serve children with disabilities and their families in the private sector while at the same time trying my best to achieve the educational goals that you have set for our country."

To view the Press Release, access: http://www.ed.gov/news/pressreleases/2003/11/11182003.html.

10. TROY JUSTESEN NAMED DEPUTY COMMISSIONER OF REHABILITATION SERVICES ADMINISTRATION

[An October 23, 2003, U.S. Department of Education Press Release]

Troy R. Justesen, former associate director for domestic policy at the White House, has been named deputy commissioner of the U.S. Department of Education's Rehabilitation Services Administration (RSA).

In that position, Justesen will work closely with Joanne Wilson, commissioner of RSA, and direct programs to implement the collaborative provisions of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, which includes the Rehabilitation Act of 1973. He will provide leadership and oversight to RSA programs, including the public Vocational Rehabilitation Program, the Independent Living Program, and the Demonstration and Training programs.

"Dr. Justesen is recognized as a national leader on issues of employment and vocational rehabilitation for people with disabilities," Assistant Secretary Robert H. Pasternack said. "His extensive disability policy background coupled with his experiences as a vocational rehabilitation counselor make him uniquely qualified to assist us as we continue to help people with disabilities find meaningful, gainful, integrated employment and live more independently."

He most recently served as associate director for domestic policy at the White House where he was responsible for providing management and direction in the implementation of Bush's New Freedom Initiative.

The initiative is the president's comprehensive program to promote the full participation of people with disabilities in all areas of society by increasing access to assistive and universally designed technologies, expanding educational and employment opportunities, and promoting increased access into daily community life. Justesen's other White House duties included policy and program development around government-wide issues affecting people with disabilities, including education, vocational rehabilitation, social security and employment.

Before that, Justesen served as deputy executive director of the President's Commission on Excellence in Special Education where he helped draft a report to the president recommending policy reform for the 2003 reauthorization of the IDEA.

Justesen holds a bachelor's degree in education and a master's in vocational rehabilitation counseling from Utah State University in Logan, as well as a doctorate of education from Vanderbilt University. He began his career as an assistive technology coordinator for northern Utah at the Northern Utah Center for Independent Living in Logan.

The Rehabilitation Services Administration is one of three components within the Department of Education's Office of Special Education and Rehabilitative Services. RSA oversees formula and discretionary grant programs that help individuals with physical or mental disabilities to obtain employment and live more independently through the provision of such supports as counseling, medical and psychological services, job training and other individualized services.

For more information on the Rehabilitation Administration, visit www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/rsa/index.html.

11. CALIFORNIA'S SECRETARY OF STATE ANNOUNCES ELECTRONIC VOTING DIRECTIVES

[Taken from a November 24, 2003 Government Technology News Release]

California Secretary of State Kevin Shelley announced Friday that beginning July 1, 2005, no county or city may purchase a touch-screen voting system that does not include an accessible voter verified paper audit trail (VVPAT). As of July 2006, all touch-screen voting systems used in California, regardless of when they were purchased, must have a VVPAT that can be used by all voters, including the visually impaired, to verify that their preferences are accurately recorded.

To see the full story, access: http://www.govtech.net/news/news.php?id=78499.

12. CTIA VOLUNTARY CONSUMER CODE FOR WIRELESS SERVICE

At the Consumer Advisory Committee Meeting, held at the FCC on November 20, 2003, Andrea Williams, Assistant General Counsel for Cellular Telecommunications and Internet Association(CTIA), gave a presentation on the CTIA Consumer Code for Wireless Service. The Consumer Code is a voluntary code adopted by CTIA and wireless carriers to establish principles, disclosures and practices for wireless service provided to individual consumers. The ultimate aim of the voluntary code is to help consumers understand their wireless telephone service and rate plans, and to assist them in making informed choices when selecting wireless service, and to continue to provide wireless service that meets the needs of consumers.

For more information about the code, including a list of the ten principles, access: http://www.wow-com.com/pdf/The_Code.pdf.

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FOR YOUR ACTION

1. DEAF AND HARD OF HEARING SUBJECTS NEEDED FOR FIRE SAFETY RESEARCH PROJECT

Subjects needed for a National Institutes of Health (NIH) funded research project. The goal of this research project is to provide a level of fire safety to the deaf community equal to that currently provided to the hearing population by standard smoke detectors.

Combustion Science & Engineering, Inc (CSE) was awarded a NIH Phase II research grant in March of this year to continue this line of research after a successful Phase I proof of concept study, also funded by NIH. Subject's participation will involve spending one night in a sleep laboratory and being awakened several times. The Sleep laboratory is operated by Sleep Services of America. A fee of $200 will be paid to study participants for one, overnight stay (approximately 8 hours) in the sleep laboratory. During their time in the Sleep Laboratory, subjects will be under the supervision of trained sleep technicians and CSE engineers trained in human subject testing.

Participants are needed in Maryland, Oklahoma, Texas and New Jersey. There is an application that interested people need to submit and it is located at the CSE website, www.csefire.com. Or e- mail sleep@csefire.com.

2. BLIND AND LOW VISIONS SUBJECTS NEEDED FOR TESTING OF MOBILE NARRATIVE DESCRIPTION SYSTEM AT WALT DISNEY WORLD

ATIA is pleased to announce an exciting opportunity during the ATIA 2004 Conference, taking place January 14-17, 2004 in Lake Buena Vista, Florida. Walt Disney World, in its efforts to accommodate guests with disabilities, will partner with Hewlett-Packard to perform "proof of concept" testing of a mobile device intended to provide descriptive narrations for theme park guests who are blind or with low vision. ATIA's exhibit hall will be used as a demonstration site to assist attendees in their exhibit hall experience.

Your help and feedback is needed to develop this new device. Walt Disney World engineers and HP invite you to participate in the testing process. The goal of the testing is to solicit feedback on the form, fit and function of various unit types powered with an HP mobile device.

If you have a visual disability and are interested in participating in the testing and demonstration, ATIA encourages you to indicate your interest on your registration form or via e-mail. If you have not yet registered for the ATIA 2004 Conference, visit http://www.atia.org to learn more about the event and http://www.atia.org/conf_2004.html#RegForm to obtain a registration form. Under the special assistance section on the form, please insert "Disney testing" in the "Other" field. If you have already submitted your registration for the conference, please e-mail info@atia.org and note that you have registered and are interested in participating in the Disney testing. Please also include your contact information. Non-disabled attendees will also be given the opportunity to see a demonstration of the mobile device on a first-come, first-served basis.

Information regarding date, time and location of the testing will be available soon. On behalf of Walt Disney World and HP, we look forward sharing this new technology at our conference.

For more information, access: www.ATIA.org, E-mail: Info@ATIA.org, call 877-OUR-ATIA (687-2842), or Fax: 312-673-6659. Correspondence may be directed to: Assistive Technology Industry Association, 401 North Michigan Avenue, Chicago, Illinois 60611-4267 USA.

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PAST EVENTS

1. SECTION 508 FORUM

Making federal agency websites accessible to people with disabilities remains a mountain of work for federal agency accessibility experts and Web designers. On November 25, 2003 Terry Weaver, director of the Center for Information Technology Accommodation at the General Services Administration, engaged in a question and answer session during a live, online forum.

To view the archive of this forum, and other past forums, as well as to learn about upcoming forums, access: http://www.washingtontechnology.com/forum/.

2. ENABLE YOUR HOME: FIVE PART TV SERIES

The growth in the Do-It-Yourself (DIY) movement continues, but now it's grown to include universal design and accessibility. During the month of November, the DIY, a program created by the producers of HGTV, aired "Enable Your Home," aired five episodes to inspire homeowners to make each room of the house more accessible, regardless of the owners' age or physical condition. The consecutive episodes document a kitchen remodeling project that incorporates many elements of universal design. The series aired each night during the week of 11/24 through 11/28.

Access the Do It Yourself Network to learn more information about the series, and to see when it will be archived online. That information was unavailable at the time of the writing of this newsletter. (http://www1.diynet.com/diy/shows_deyh/0,2044,DIY_15456,00.html).

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RESOURCES

1. ACCESSIBLE WEB PUBLISHING WIZARD VERSION 1.0 FOR MICROSOFT POWER POINT

The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) reports that this new program allows authors to create highly accessible HTML versions of Power Point Presentations with little or no knowledge of accessibility or HTML coding techniques. The tool makes it easy to not only conform to Section 508 requirements, but also to conform at the Double-AA level to the W3C Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

AFB reports that the free download is available from: http://cita.rehab.uiuc.edu/software/office/index.html. The project was funded by the National Institute on Disability Rehabilitation Research and the Illinois Board of Higher Education. If you have questions, contact Jon Gunderson, Ph.D., ATP at the University of Illinois at Urbana/Champaign at jongund@uiuc.edu.

2. HHS ANNOUNCES AVAILABILITY OF NEW GUIDELINES TO IMPROVE WEB-BASED COMMUNICATION

The Department of Health and Human Services announced the availability of a new research-based guide to website design and usability. In partnership with the National Cancer Institute (NCI), part of HHS' National Institutes of Health, HHS issued Research-Based Web Design & Usability Guidelines, a resource that will help government, academic, commercial and other groups involved in the creation of websites make decisions based on user research, not personal opinions.

The complete set of guidelines is available at http://usability.gov/pdfs/guidelines.html.

3. ACCESSING THE INTERNET FOR INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE BLIND

[Taken from the Job Accommodation Network, JAN E-News, Vol. 1, Issue 3]

Most jobs today involve accessing the Internet or an Intranet. Individuals with vision impairments can access web pages with the use of Assistive Technology (AT). Many individuals may use screen reading software, which converts text into a computerized, synthesized voice and "reads" the text to the user. This technology also allows a person who reads Braille to use a Braille computer display to access the information on the screen. An alternative to using screen reading software is to use "talking" web browsers or web access software designed for users who are blind. For more information on the products mentioned above, refer to the resource section below.

Businesses are increasing their use of Intranets to communicate information to employees about policies, procedures, and office news. To provide equal access to employees with vision impairments, consider designing the Intranet so that individuals can access it with the use of AT. Some simple design techniques might include:

1. Using standard HTML code
2. Attaching "alt" tags to graphics (this allows the screen reader to "read" a description of the corresponding graphic)
3. Using contrasting colors for background and text to make the page more readable
4. Testing the Web pages for accessibility