ARTICLES/PUBLICATIONS

1. GEORGIA TECH STUDENT BUILDS ROBOTIC HAND AS SIGN LANGUAGE TOOL

Graduate students in the Georgia Institute of Technology's School of Mechanical Engineering built an 18 inch tall robotic hand that could eventually sign the 26 letters of the English alphabet as part of a final graduate project introductory course-Mechatronics.

Mechatronics is an emerging technique in engineering that deals with the study of integration of familiar mechanical systems and components with new electronic components and intelligence-based software. The idea behind the project was to build an instructional tool that could lend a hand to children who want to learn.

With fingers made from soldered brass tubing and rods, and strung together by cables connected to a series of small motors, the robotic hand is surprisingly agile. It takes about five seconds to sign a letter. The hand rests on a microprocessor unit that controls the motion and all the circuitry to power the motors. The unit includes an LCD panel and a series of switches that allows the user to enter the letter or number they would like the hand to display.

To read the full Georgia Tech News Release, access: http://www.gatech.edu/news-room/release.php?id=168.

2. FLASH MOBS: A NEW SOCIAL PHENOMENON?

In an effort to bring news about items of interest about accessible electronic and information technology and telecommunications to our readers, ITTATC offers this article on the newly emerging social and technological phenomenon of "flash mobs" -groups of people organized by use of email and other personal communication technology to form sudden spontaneous mass public gatherings of people. This is happening around the world, in the U.S., Europe and Asia.

Perhaps some day this phenomenon may be a way that individuals with disabilities bring new attention to issues surrounding electronic and information technology accessibility.

A recent article in Science, discussing the phenomenon, may be accessed at: http://www.abc.net.au/science/news/stories/s913314.htm.

Portions of the article are excerpted below.

Flash mobs: a new social phenomenon?

Giles Hewitt in New York
Agençe France-Presse
Wednesday, 30 July 2003

Is it performance art or the ultimate surprise party? A social phenomenon known as the 'flash mob', which began in New York and relies on e-mail, appears to be spreading worldwide.

Using mass e-mailing, the organisers bring together what their invitations describe as 'inexplicable mobs' - large crowds that materialise in public places and suddenly dissipate 10 minutes later.

Since the first flash mob was organised in Manhattan in May, by a mischievous underground group called the Mob Project, the practise has already spread to other U.S. cities, while plans are being drawn up for events in London, Rome and Vienna.

Smart mobs emerge when communication and computing technologies amplify human talents for cooperation. The impacts of smart mob technology already appear to be both beneficial and destructive, used by some of its earliest adopters to support democracy and by others to coordinate terrorist attacks. The technologies that are beginning to make smart mobs possible are mobile communication devices and pervasive computing - inexpensive microprocessors embedded in everyday objects and environments. Already, governments have fallen, youth subcultures have blossomed from Asia to Scandinavia, new industries have been born and older industries have launched furious counterattacks.

Street demonstrators in the 1999 anti-WTO protests used dynamically updated websites, cell-phones, and "swarming" tactics in the "battle of Seattle." A million Filipinos toppled President Estrada through public demonstrations organized through salvos of text messages. Please see the rest of the article at URL listed above.

3. 2003 NASCIO RECOGNITION AWARDS


For the fifteenth consecutive year, NASCIO [National Association of State Chief Information Officers], representing Chief Information Officers of the States, will honor outstanding achievements in the field of information technology through its Recognition Awards Program. Emphasis will again be placed on recognizing those information technology initiatives which best assist government officials in innovatively executing their duties and providing cost-effective service to citizens.

One of the several award categories is for Accessibility and Participation." This award recognizes "...exemplary leadership activities and program development initiatives that assure expanded access to and independent use of information technology by people with disabilities...," among others. Access initiatives could address web sites, commerce, information kiosks, interactive telecommunications systems or other IT applications in government. Additionally, this category includes innovative programs in government service and participation in government processes. Initiatives could include digital democracy or electronic libraries.

This summer, NASCIO will select the outstanding achievements for 2003. Award winners are announced in press releases and letters to governors and other elected officials. In the past, the NASCIO Recognition Awards have been featured in several national publications and award winners have gone on to win in other prestigious competitions. The award winners will be honored at the 2003 NASCIO annual conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. In addition, the executive summaries of all nominations are posted on the NASCIO website to share these best practices with other states.

Awards will be given in nine categories. Winners will be posted by September 16, 2003.

For more information about previous award programs, visit http://www.nascio.org/awards/2002awards/.

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PAST EVENTS

1. ITTATC WEBCAST
PROCUREMENT OF ACCESSIBLE IT AT A FEDERAL LEVEL: MULTIPLE FEDERAL AGENCY PERSPECTIVES

On August 13, 2003, the Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC) hosted a Webcast on IT accessibility strategies, targeting state and local government entities. The Webcast, Procurement of Accessible IT at a Federal Level: Multiple Federal Agency Perspectives, provided information on federal approaches to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Processes, policies, and tools that have been implemented to effectively and efficiently improve federal agency accessibility procurement and training programs were also highlighted.

To view the archive of the Webcast, and to access electronic copies of materials provided by the presenters, access: http://www.ittatc.org.

2. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCE ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGIES EXHIBITION

The Center for Assistive Technology & Environmental Access (CATEA) and the Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC) participated in an exhibition held at the Department of Commerce on July 24, 2003, at the invitation of the Secretary of the Department of Commerce. The exhibition, "Technology for All Americans," showcased assistive technologies and federal AT programs, in conjunction with the White House's commemoration of the 13th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Thirty-one organizations, including federal agencies, private assistive technology companies, and not-for-profit advocacy and technology organizations participated in the exhibition. ITTATC staff demonstrated the website (www.ittatc.org), along with the ITTATC training materials available on accessible electronic and information technology. Under Secretary for Technology, Phillip J. Bond, who spoke at the event, came over to the ITTATC booth and reviewed the ITTATC website and the training materials.

During the event, Under Secretary Bond discussed the Department's new eight-point initiative to support the development of assistive technologies for persons with disabilities. The initiatives were developed in response to recommendations contained in a report issued by the Department in February 2003, "Technology Assessment of the U.S. Assistive Technology Industry."

The purpose of the initiatives is to develop a more robust U.S. AT industry, both domestically and internationally. These support the President's New Freedom Initiative, whose purpose is to help Americans with disabilities realize their potential and to achieve their dreams. The New Freedom Initiative is a commitment to address accessibility barriers and to increase the development of, and access to, assistive and universally designed technologies.

To see the full text of the report, as well as the eight initiatives articulated by Under Secretary Bond, and released on July 24th and other Department of Commerce AT initiatives, access: http://www.technology.gov/.

ITTATC looks forward to working with the Department on these initiatives by providing training and technical assistance on accessible electronic and information technology for persons with disabilities.

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RESOURCES

1. WEBSITES OF INTEREST

a. Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with Disabilities

Access the U.S. Department of Justice, Civil Rights Division, Disability Rights Section (http://www.ada.gov/websites2.htm) to learn more about "Accessibility of State and Local Government Websites to People with Disabilities." The URL links to the DOJ technical assistance paper on the ADA and IT/web access.

b. The Hub

The Hub is a free online service that connects people with disabilities to assistive technology vendors. The Alliance for Technology Access's website "The Hub" (http://www.ATAccess.org/hub) bills itself as "a central exchange for people, both sellers and users of technology tools, to interact and exchange information." Vendors include Microsoft, Apple Computer and Sun Microsystems.

According to Gary Moulton, Product Manager in Microsoft's Accessibility Technology Group, The Hub allows potential customers to "…get the information they need on hundreds of assistive technologies that they can use to be more independent at home, at work, at school and at play."

2. ADA MATERIALS NOW AVAILABLE IN FOREIGN LANGUAGES

One of the main responsibilities of the Northwest ADA & IT Center is to disseminate materials about the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) to anyone who requests them. Several of these core resources are available in languages other than English. For example, "ADA Questions and Answers" in Spanish, Japanese, Tagalog, Cambodian, Laotian and Hmong; and "Your Responsibilities as an Employer under the ADA" is available in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Cambodian, Laotian, Hong, Hmong, Vietnamese and Tagalog. Highlights of Title II and Title III of the ADA are also available in Spanish. For a complete listing of ADA publications that come in other languages and how to request materials access http://www.adata.org/pubs/pubs-otherlang.html.

3. PROGRAMMER'S GUIDEBOOK ON ELECTRONIC & INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY ACCESSIBILITY
August 2003

The guidebook was developed by the Information Technology Support Center. The purpose of this paper is to provide guidelines and concrete examples for programmers to develop Windows based applications using Visual Basic 6 or VB.NET, and Internet applications using HyperText Markup Language (HTML) that are compliant with these provisions.

To view/download the guidebook in .PDF format, access: http://www.itsc.state.md.us/whats_new.htm (click on the link to the guidebook)

4. FDA APPROVES STAIR CLIMBING WHEELCHAIR

On August 13th, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved the iBOT, a battery-powered wheelchair that relies on a computerized system of sensors, gyroscopes and electric motors to allow indoor and outdoor use on stairs, as well as on level and uneven surfaces. The iBOT represents a breakthrough technology with the potential to benefit an estimated 2 million people in the United States who use wheelchairs.

To read the full FDA News Release, access:
http://www.fda.gov/bbs/topics/NEWS/2003/NEW00933.html.