Accessible IT at work Issue 73 Spring 2009 73 ebook.… · goodbye to the keyboard? Accessible IT...

Gathering the fruits oftechnology research

■ Digital TV industry hasaccessibility in its sights

■ Access to Work puts £8m inemployees’ pockets

■ Why popular programs are findinga voice

■ Will gestural computing wavegoodbye to the keyboard?

Accessible IT at work Issue 73 Spring 2009

01 Front cover A73 70C/32M:Layout 1 1/4/09 15:55

RSI, Dyslexia, MS, Visually Impaired Computers ‘used to be a real pain…’

With the world’s leading speech recognition software from The Speech Centre the UK specialist computer solutions for those with RSI and MSDs you can be certain of comfortable, pain-free computing.

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tel: +44 (0)1892 661116 fax: +44 (0)1892 668177 [email protected] www.speechcentre.co.uk

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We have the solution to ease the pain Ask us about how we have helped hundreds of people keep their jobs,

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UBS invests in disabled staffDespite the down turn one investmentbank is determined to treat the needs ofdisabled people as a priority

Learning the hard wayStudents at the University of Southamptonhave been recording their experiences withassistive technology, writes EA Draffen

Web accessibilityMark Palmer, looks at what WCAG 2means for website owners

MagnificationHow can youadjust thesettings on yourcomputer tomake the screenmore readable?

Digital TVThe UK is leading Europe in the switch to digital TV but is the TV industrydragging its feet on accessibility? DavidJohnston reports

• Widely used applications are in theprocess of being voice enabled

• Brain training program helps childrenwith attention deficit disorder

• British Computer Society makes examsaccessible

• Users get PCs going again by pressing asingle button

• Diary, Contacts, Top Website

Crystal ball gazingKevin Carey re-examines some of thetechnology breakthroughs disabled peopleneed

Shot in the arm for office workersExtra funds for Access to Work will boosttechnology use

• Credit cards create a barrier to access• Looking beyond web guidelines

• Government injects additional £8m intoAccess to Work

• ATcare to speed up the flow of productsto market

• Councils to take the plunge on telecare?• Shaw Trust puts Ability’s website to the

consumer test• Will gestural computing wave goodbye

to the keyboard?• British Computer Society sets up assistive

technology group

The latest research projectsPat Sweet reports on groundbreakingdevelopments that may change the lives ofdisabled people

www.abilitymagazine.org.uk 3Ability Issue 73 | Spring 2009

contents

ISSN 1352-7665

Editor and publisherJohn [email protected]

Production EditorMandie [email protected]

ContributorsDavid BanesKevin CareyEA DraffenDavid JohnstonAlasdair KingMark PalmerMark SmithPat SweetLinda Woolverton

Published byJohn Lamb Media LtdPellingbrook HouseLewes RoadScaynes HillHaywards HeathWest Sussex RH17 7NGTel: 01444 831226

Printed byMicropress27 Norwich RoadHalesworthSuffolk IP19 8BX

Ability is grateful for the supportof the following sponsors:

Contacts

Editorial 4

Resources 26-33

Carey On 34

Feedback 5

News 7-14

Assistive technology 16-17

Workspace 18-19

Applications 20-21

Briefing 23-25

M

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editorial

Ability Issue 73 | Spring 2009 www.abilitymagazine.org.uk4

The news that Access to Work is to get £8m of extra funding this yearwill delight many fans of a scheme designed to encourage disabledpeople to either remain in work or to return to paid employment.

The prospect of a further doubling of funds between now and thefinancial year that ends in 2014 will cheer those involved in assessing people’sneeds, supplying technology and training workers in how to use it.

It has long been a complaint that while school and university studentshave comparatively easy access to accessible technology, adults who havefinished education are largely left to their own devices.

However, welcome as the extra money undoubtedly is, cash is only part ofgetting Access to Work to deliver. Users have long complained that notenough effort is made to draw employers’ attention to the scheme: it is toomuch of a well kept secret.

That may explain why some organisations refuse to accept that theyshould pay for extra equipment even after it has been recommended by anAccess to Work assessor.

There is also confusion about who the ultimate beneficiary is. Whileemployees apply for funds, the money is paid to employers, who also get tokeep the hardware and software for which grants are made available.

Fair enough you may think in that employers usually have to contribute tothese reasonable adjustments, but that leaves job changers, in theory, havingto start all over again.

And there is some question about the assessment process. Last year the jobof assessing claimants for Access to Work was outsourced to privatecompanies and big charities such as RNIB and Leonard Cheshire.

Ability has heard a trickle of moans from suppliers concerned aboutconflicts of interest and lack of appropriate assessment skills.

There was further cheering news about the prospects for assistivetechnology last month with the establishment of ATcare, an organisation setup to make sure that more disabled people benefit from research, much of itgovernment funded.

At present less than a quarter of projects end up with products that adisabled person can go out and buy. There was plenty of evidence ofinnovative ideas on display at the opening of ATcare. Now all we need is thecapital, commercial nouse and marketing skills to bring them to users.

Finally, a thank you to one group of disabled workers who certainly haveno trouble getting the technology they need for their jobs: web and softwareaccessibility testers working for the Shaw Trust. They recently spent a dayputting Ability’s website through its paces. We look forward to implementingtheir recommendations soon. ■

Extra funds will boosttechnology use, says John Lamb

Shot in the arm foroffice workers

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Credit cards create a barrier to accessI work in an NHS in-patient psychiatricrehab unit and operate in house trainingfor patients. We are a closed UKOnlinecentre (not open to the public) and offerpatient training through UKOnline andare also an Oxford Cambridge and RSAExaminations (OCR) approved centre.

Obviously I am very keen on helpinglong term psychiatric patients to embracenew technology. Many of our patients havemissed out on chunks of their educationand often the qualifications they get withme are the first formal ones they have beenawarded.

We often find that many everydaytasks, such as setting up a mobile phone ordownloading music, require quite a bit ofinput to navigate through some of thevarious sites.

Often, as hospital in-patients usuallyhave very basic bank accounts, they canfind it difficult to take advantage of offersas they do not have credit cards, theiraddress is a shared hospital unit and theymay only have cashpoint cards.

This is only one example ofaccessibility being denied (usuallyunwittingly). Even such simple things asopening a bank account or getting apassport when you have been in a varietyof hospitals around the country so have noreferees who have known you for longenough, can be very stressful.Linda WoolvertonOak House Training

Looking beyondweb guidelinesIn my opinion there is a commonlymisplaced emphasis on sites beingaccessible by blind or visually impairedpeople, this is only part of a much biggerpicture.

They need to be usable for everyone,which means you need to consider youraudience. People like to have the accessiblebadge and the government has madethings worse by introducing therequirement to be level 1 WAI compliant –which really is nonsense.

For example, consider your targetaudience as people with mental difficulties.They need a site that engages them byperhaps making things drag anddroppable, maybe with flashing/movingcontent, has big fonts and very simplecontent with lots of imagery and little text.

Clearly this flies right in the face of asite for people suffering from severeepilepsy, or visual impairment, or cerebralpalsy.

Even the WAI guidelines themselvesare contradictory. For example, oneelement of level 2 is that you should nothave the same content or words on thepage linking to different places or differentcontent on the page linking to the sameplace.

However, our research from workinggroups is that people need as many ways aspossible to get to the same thing on onepage since different people navigate indifferent ways.

In this scenario, so much ofaccessibility is not even about people whohave a disability – it’s about making yourcontent easy for Joe Bloggs to find.

The bottom line for every organisation

really should be: who is my audience, ismy site easy for them to use and does it doits job well?

The WAI guidelines are a good startingpoint but should not be a rule book. Infact, there is even the concept of ‘selfcertification’, which basically means I’vedone all the WAI checks – I fail but don’tcare because WAI doesn’t really understandwhat my site is for and I think it’s fine forwhat it’s used for.Mark SmithChief Executive Nemisys

feedback

HAVE YOUR SAYAbility welcomes letters andarticles on all issues relating toIT for disabled people in work,education and daily life.

Contributions can be sent to the editor, John Lamb, [email protected]

Project PossibilityIn the article on Project Possibility that appeared in the last issue of Ability (issue 72,winter 2009) it seems that I gave the wrong web address. It should have beenwww.projectpossibility.org. Would it be possible to make a correction in the nextissue or put an errata on the website?Steve Lee, Open Source Assistive Technology Software and Accessibility

05 Feedback A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:01

Amplicom mobile phoneThis mobile phone has been designed specifically for people who have either a sight

or hearing problem. The keypad has large white numbers on black buttons which

light up when pressed and the bright screen displays black numbers

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phone ringing and be able to hear the person talking.

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Order our free mobile phone factsheet for more information about

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Government injects £8minto Access to WorkThe Government is to pump an extra £8million this year into the Access to Workscheme which funds technology fordisabled workers.

In the longer term the Governmentplans to double the budget for Access toWork – which provides IT, travel andsupport to disabledworkers from£69m to £138m by2014.

“This extrafunding ... formspart of the £2billion package weare investing togive people realhelp in these toughtimes,” saidminister fordisabled peopleJonathan Shaw.

The fundswould ensure thatdisabled peoplewho are inemployment orhave a firm joboffer do not missout as a result of the economic climate, headded.

Employers’ Forum on Disabilitywelcomed the boost to Access to Work,which is run by Jobcentre Plus.

“Many of our members tell us thatfunding is one of many factors thatcontribute to a positive experience ofusing Access to Work,” said chiefexecutive Susan Scott-Parker.

“In particular, a more consistentapproach is needed which meets the needsof both employees and employers.

“Despite the obvious value of Accessto Work, there are still a number ofemployers who are not aware of thescheme and the benefits it offers.”

Dee Blick, who runs a marketing

business and has an upper limb disorder,used Access to Work to reclaim £2,000 ofthe money she spent on speechrecognition software, a chair and trainingfrom Hands-Free Computing.

“Access to Work is the best keptsecret,” she told Ability. “I have no

criticisms of theservice or people, butunless you are in theknow you just don’thear about it. Theyshould do somemarketing.”

Recent changesto Access to Workhave seen contractsto do technicalassessmentsoutsourced and thepublic sectorforbidden forclaiming for thebenefit.

Some observerssay outsourcing hasled to assessmentsbeing carried out bypeople who lack

relevant knowledge.The RNIB and Leonard Cheshire

do all dyslexia assessments in Scotland,but they are not specialists in this area.

Another problem, according to DrSanderson, lead consultant at iAnsyst, is that employees do not have a right totake systems with them when they leave a job. Although they make the originalapplication, their employers ownequipment and software.

However, Sanderson is convinced that Access to Work has made a bigdifference by highlighting disability andreducing the cost of assistance. “It is thebest thing the government has done fordisabled people, bar the DisabilityDiscrimination Act.” ■

news

Whippy wins awardGraeme Whippy, senior manager ofIT accessibility at Lloyds TSB hasbeen honoured for his ‘outstandingcontribution to the financial servicesindustry by an individual’ in the well-respected Financial SectorTechnology Awards. “Winning theaward means that when I have meetings, it adds credibility to what I am doing,” Whippy told Ability.Through his efforts Lloyds TSB hasbecome an exemplar in accessibilityand Whippy has influenced accessi-bility throughout the industry.

‘Cruel fiction’ refutedClaims by MP Graham Stringer thatdyslexia is a “cruel fiction” havebeen dismissed by dyslexia activists.“Once again dyslexia seems to bemaking the headlines for all thewrong reasons. It is frustrating thatthe focus should be on whetherdyslexia exists or not, when there isso much evidence to support that itdoes,” said Shirley Cramer, chief executive officer of Dyslexia Action.

Business adviceThe IT Livery Company is developinga free mentoring scheme to help disabled entrepreneurs. Would-bebusiness owners will team up withexperienced mentors to discuss thehurdles they face and gain practicaladvice on how to address key issues. As information technologybecomes more accessible and inexpensive, it is becoming mucheasier for entrepreneurs the worldover to compete on an even playingfield, says the Livery Company. Theorganisation is running a survey onmentoring at http://www.survey-monkey.com/s.aspx?sm=3wM918X_2fzppt5QRqiQ9cNg_3d_3d whichincludes information on how to applyfor a mentor.

Briefs

Dee Blick: She claimed £2,000 butsays Access to Work needs marketing

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ATcare to speed up flow of products

Millions miss out on digital economy says study

A lack of commercial knowledge is pre-venting assistive technology products frommoving off the drawing board and ontothe market, according to a recent survey.

Less than a quarter of 362 assistivetechnology projects under research bet-ween 2004 and 2007 resulted in productsreaching the market, says a study by theATcare Design and Development Centre.

The centre has been set up, backed bya grant of £2.35 million from the LondonDevelopment Agency, to work with users,manufacturers and health professionals toincrease the flow of commercial products.

“Most of us will be looking for theindependence assistive technology canprovide at some point in our lives,” saidATcare chief executive Christine Asbury atthe opening of the Centre in February.

“We cannot let millions of peopledown in this way and must shorten thejourney to market for assistive technology

products. Lives can be transformedthrough technology, and I am very excitedthat ATcare will radically improve theopportunities for assistive technology usersand product designers.”

Assistive technology products and

services are needed to meet the needs of anageing population in the UK, according toATcare.

By 2025 one in five people will be over65 and over six million older people willbe suffering from a debilitating long-termillness requiring assistance to live.

Assistive technology, argues ATcare,can also meet the growing expectations forindependence for disabled people – agroup that makes up 10% of the UKworking population and contributes adisposable income of almost £50 billion tothe UK economy.

ATcare’s Design and DevelopmentCentre will provide help and support indesign and product development;consumer advice; regulatory advice andapproval; product business case develop-ment; user and market assessment; carepathways; and distribution channels. ■

www.atcare.co.uk

news

Christine Asbury: Can’t let people down

Accessibility consultancy System Conceptsis looking for adults and children to testhow easy web sites and electronic productsare to use.

The company is looking for peoplewho use the web in alternative ways fromthe following groups: ■ Visually impaired (mild to severe)■ Hearing impaired (British Sign

Language – BSL – as a first language

and those who do not use BSL)■ Mobility impairments which mean that

testers use non-standard equipment toaccess the internet and/or adjust theircomputer settings

■ Cognitive/learning difficulties The sessions usually last about 90

minutes for which Systems Concepts pays£75 plus help with travel costs.

The evaluations are done in central

London. But testers who need specialequipment to use the computer or have animpairment that makes it difficult to travelcan work from home.

Recent research has helped mobilephone companies, on-line shops andinsurance websites provide a better serviceto their customers. ■

To register call 020 7240 3388 and askfor Mickela, or email her [email protected]

Millions of people are in danger of beingexcluded from the benefits of digitalinformation and communicationstechnologies, according to research releasedby the Inclusive Digital Economy Network.

The study, presented at a conference atCity University London, focuses on thechallenges for including older and disabledpeople within the digital economy andidentified accessibility, affordability,

usability and the socio-technicalenvironment as the key issues thatinfluence digital inclusion.

Many people, the research concludes,particularly those who are older, disabled orpart of a disadvantaged group, will notbenefit from advances in technologybecause they are unable to access or use thesystems and services offered. These includecommercial transactions and remotely

offered services such as wireless internet.The Network suggests that, although

the digital economy could potentiallyimprove services for the general public, thegovernment needs to develop policies tomake the digital economy more inclusive,particularly for older and disabled people,by addressing the key challenges andworking with organisations, such ascharities, to raise awareness of it. ■

Consultancy appeals for web testers

09 News A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:54

news


Will councils take the plunge on telecare?

Job sites tackle unemployment

Local authorities are under pressure toinvest in telecare systems that save moneyon the care of learning disabled people andenable them to live independently.

Earlier this year the governmentunveiled a three year strategy on learningdisabilities called Valuing People Now,which calls for more choices for learningdisabled people.

And this April responsibility forlearning disabled people and the funds topay for their care were transferred from theNHS to local authorities.

Some councils have reacted swiftly totheir new responsibilities. North YorkshireCounty Council is switching nearly half its£16m care budget for this year intoassistive technology in a bid to cut costsand improve the quality of life for sick anddisabled people.

“We are going to purchase 50% lessresidential care,” says Seamus Breen,strategic commissioner for NorthYorkshire. “The money – we will bespending £7.9m this year – will be goingon assistive technology.”

Breen was speaking at the Home Farm

Trust’s Person Centred TechnologyConference on assistive technology andtelecare for people with learning disabilities.

Firms that provide care to the countycouncil must consider technology in theirproposals. “We expect to make £12m ofefficiencies over the next two years. That’swhy we are investing in person centredtechnology,” explains Breen.

The biggest challenge, he says, is inchanging the mindset, training and culturein care services.

Few local authorities have gone as faras North Yorkshire. “Only a handful aredoing what North Yorkshire is doing:sizeable funds are not going into telecare,”points out Kevin Alderson, public sectorpolicy director at telecare supplier Tunstall.

Alderson acknowledges that despiteindustry efforts to create joint standardsthrough projects such as the ContinuaAlliance, there is a need for manufacturersto work together more closely.

“People are not always spending moneyin the best possible way,” says AnneWilliams, director of learning disabilityservices at the NHS. “There are many

examples of where support has beenredesigned and costs less.”

Williams believes there needs to begreater awareness of technology amongsupport staff.

Gilly Aspey and her learning disabledson James told delegates to the conferencehow he used technology to travel, study,work and live safely in his own home.

On public transport, James carries apersonal digital assistant to communicatewith his family, while flood, smoke andheat sensors have been installed in James’home to alert carers if anything should go wrong.

James is also prompted by histechnology to do things at the right timeand he can control who comes through hisfront door.

“The knowledge that systems allowJames to live independently has changedour lives,” says his mother.

Stories such as the Aspeys’ are crucialin helping councillors to understand theimportance of technology in allowingauthorities to support more people withless money, Breen told his audience. ■

Jane Fletcher: Even more barriers todisabled people finding work

With the economic downturn in full flow, disabled people are struggling morethan ever to compete in a floundering jobmarket. More than half of all disabledpeople of working age do not have a job.

Leonard Cheshire Disability haslaunched a jobs website to tackle the issue.

Suitability, a partnership betweenLeonard Cheshire Disability, theEmployers’ Forum on Disability andJobsgopublic, is an online job brokeragefor registered jobseekers, employers andmentors.

Disabled jobseekers can contactpersonal advisors, connect with peoplewith similar needs and goals, receive job alerts by SMS and access the

Suitability CV Builder. Employers can post vacancies online

for free, recruit and hire staff, reach othercompanies through the Suitability Forumand sign up to virtual careers fairs.

Jane Fletcher, Leonard CheshireDisability’s innovations director, said:“Disabled people are already far lesslikely to be in work than non disabledpeople. With the job market in free fall,they will face even more barriers tofinding work.

“Many disabled people do want to finda job, but often face the serious challengeof changing people’s perceptions of whothey are and what they can do.” ■www.lcdisability.org/suitability

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news


Shaw Trust puts magazine to the test

Shaw Trust’s premises in Neath on theoutskirts of Swansea are literally built onthe area’s industrial past. The neat, redbrickoffices are in a business park that was oncethe site of an oil refinery.

Now the centre is visited by some of thebrightest brains in the latest wave ofindustrialisation as they submit their digitalcreations to the scrutiny of Shaw Trust’steams of disabled testers.

Hot shots from organisations such asthe Audit Commission, ICI, Oracle, SAPand Sky have made the journey west to testtheir software and websites’ accessibility.

Waiting for them are 16 peoplestanding in for the millions of disabledusers who may try to access these products.

Armed with appropriate assistivesoftware including DragonNaturallySpeaking, JAWS, SuperNova,Widget and Zoomtext they set about theirtask with good humour and determination.

Shaw Trust runs its own accreditationscheme which involves a four weekexamination involving automatic tests andmanual auditing. However Ability’s websitewas subjected to a day long assessment.

By the time Ability arrives in Neath thetesting is in full swing and the editor,whose picture is on the site, is greeted with whoops of recognition.

“Some people have an attitude problemwhen they come here they don’t realise thebarriers that exist. They go away the wiser,”observes Kevin James, a keyboard only userwho is ploughing through the magazine’spages following a script.

Christian Perera sitting opposite himuses voice activated software to negotiatethe site. “When we can see a site has beenimproved we can think ‘yes we had a handin that’.”

Next door, Steve Lloyd, whose pictureappears on much of Shaw Trust’s publicitymaterial, is literally wrestling with anoversize Maltron keyboard and keyguard.

Using a two switch system Steve, whohas cerebral palsy, tabs through the sitecommenting on the lack of anchor pointsto help scroll down a page and the absenceof highlighted links to indicate where he ison a page.

Downstairs are four more members ofthe team: Malcolm Stephens, a technicalsupport officer, Jaime Purvis, a screenreaderuser, Ann Walton who monitors readabilityand Maxine Bignell who takes care of audioand video.

Although more senior members of theteam may have a knowledge of webdevelopment, it is not essential. What isreally important says Gavin Evans, thecentre’s web accessibility services manager,is to make sure a site is accessible to all.

“It’s good that developers seem moreaware of accessibility,” he says. “They aregetting better and that must be througheducation in the mainstream.” ■

Digital championFairness and access to all is one offive objectives for a programme toimprove Britain’s use of digital technology recommended in a reportcalled Digital Britain. The report alsocalls for the appointment of a digitalinclusion champion and an experttaskforce to ensure that governmentagencies work together. The champion is expected to be ap-pointed in late spring.www.culture.gov.uk

Survey with attitudeResearch company Bloor is conducting a survey on attitudes and plans for accessiblity. The results will be presented at the e-Access ‘09 conference on April 23 at Olympia, London. The results will enable organsiations,vendors and Bloor Research to makemore informed decisions about accessibility. To take part in the survey go to www.it-director.com/business/compliance/content.php?cid=11175

Screen creditA 17-year-old disabled entrepreneurhas won an Enterprising Young BritAward for a website that helps deafand vision impaired cinema goersfind screenings of films they want to go to near them. Dean Rhodes Brandon runs the website Your Cinema, which is credited withchanging the attitudes of the film industry to accessible cinema. Brandon received his award from the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Alistair Darling.www.yourlocalcinema.com

Briefs

Steve Lloyd

Gavin Evans

Christian Perera (l) and Kevin James

Ability joins a group of disabled testers who are giving our website the once over

12 News A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:10


Waving goodbye to the keyboard

news analysis

Technology based on gestural computinginvolving interfaces that rely on bodymovements and facial recognition maymake using IT easier and more enjoyablefor many disabled people.

Controlling computers via a keyboardand mouse has been the dominant stylesince the graphical user interface wasintroduced 30 years ago.

Now advances in computing power are enabling the emergence of alternativesbased on gestures, movement and facialrecognition.

Over the past three years the NintendoWii and Apple iPhone have persuadedusers that gestural computing works.

Since then other industry giants suchas Microsoft and Intel have alsointroduced gestural interfaces, whileconsumer electronics companies includingSony, Panasonic and NEC havedemonstrated applications based onrecognizing movements.

Cameras that can identify people’sfaces and act on the information, eyetracking technology and virtual people oravatars are all being deployed to sidestepconventional button pushing methods ofinteracting with systems.

A company called Emotiv Systems haseven demonstrated a device that picks uphuman brain activity to control the facialexpressions of an avatar. The systeminterprets human movement without theneed for any physical device at all.

When Bill Gates, founder ofMicrosoft, launched his company’s Surfaceinterface last year, he forecast “tens ofmillions” of users would employ an inter-face like Surface within the next few years.

“Gestural interfaces appear likely tobecome firmly established in consumerentertainment devices and to seriouslychallenge the traditional keyboard/mouseas the primary user interface controlparadigm for PCs during the next fiveyears, although the current paradigm willremain for a considerable length of time,”

agrees Stephen Prentice from research firmGartner Group.

However, Prentice warns thatalternative designs such as the Maltronkeyboard, projected keyboards and voicerecognition have yet to eclipse theconventional tactile keyboard.

That has not deterred Microsoft fromintroducing its Surface computer to theUK in March. The £8,500 table topdevice uses infra-red photography todetect the presence of a user’s finger andtrack it.

Using a system of tagged counters withattached properties, the Surface is also

able to recognize objects that are placedon it and allow them to interact withother virtual objects.

One of the features of the Surface isthe way in which it blurs the distinctionsbetween physical and virtual objects. Forinstance it is possible to create a virtualbowling game, where a player slides apuck across the surface that crashes intovirtual bowling pins.

Such functionality opens the way forusers to access applications via tagged IDcards, or for devices to be recognised andthen to interact with software such ascameras or mp3 players.

Applications to date have mostly been

in the travel and leisure industriesallowing hotel guests, for instance, to planitineraries and book tickets.

However the interface is particularlyuseful for disabled users because it there isno transfer of attention between multipleinput and output devices, no hand/eye co-ordination issues and no need to learncomplex file and folder rules. Surfaceallows the user to directly touch data andmanipulate it.

David Banes, development director ofIT charity AbilityNet, demonstrated theSurface to enthusiastic crowds at therecent BETT educational show.

“Surface is aboutinteraction by groups,”he says. “One of thethings that it offers is theopportunity to usetechnology to stimulatecommunication andconversation betweenpupils.

“At its most basic,Surface is a sharedexperience that mightencourage the growth ofawareness of othersamongst pupils with veryprofound learningdisabilities.

“For instance, we explored a virtualpond where hands create splashes andripples. When in a group, one person’sactions interact with those of another tocreate waves and effects.

“Social computing is at the heart ofnext generation technologies, it’s nothingnew, you can see it in the success ofYouTube, Xbox Live and World ofWarcraft.”

Banes believes there is a clear appetitefor gestural computing in schools and he says the next step is for teachers andusers to understand the features and talk to developers to shape evolvingapplications. ■

Microsoft Surface promises to end button pushing

13 News A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:11

news


BCS sets up assistivetechnology groupThe British Computer Society is setting upa new Assistive Technology SpecialistGroup (ATSG) to promote assistivetechnology (AT).

The ATSG is intended to act as aforum for professionals, advocates andusers working with AT. It is activelylooking for new members.

An off-shoot from the BCS DisabilityGroup, which disbanded last year, theATSG will be formally launched in July atthe Sight Village exhibition inBirmingham.

“Assistive Technology is graduallygaining ground in education and publicspaces,” says chair of the group Dr AlasdairKing. “There is increased recognition ofAT needs in modern software andhardware, as demonstrated by the newfocus on web accessibility.

“New possibilities are being opened upby cheap, powerful and ubiquitoussystems, such as always-connected

handheld devices. This means we need aprofessional organisation for technologistsin the UK.”

The ATSG, says Dr King, aims toprovide:■ A confidential place to meet users and

practitioners and discuss issues betweenprofessionals.

■ A place to find out about AT from theprofessional and technical perspectiveand how things are done, or should bedone.

■ Somewhere members can findpractitioners and users speaking to eachother as equals. However, the group will not develop

AT products or help users with theirsystems directly.

Anyone interested in joining ATSGcan find out more atwww.bcs.org/groups/atsg, or from Dr Kingat [email protected], telephone07983 244 131.

Tobii Technology has developed anembedded eye tracking system that can beintegrated into a range of differentapplications.

Eye tracking is a technology that tells acomputer where a person is looking byshining an infra red light at their pupilsand determining their position from theamount of light that is reflected.

Over the past year eye tracking hasbeen widely adopted by communicationaids companies to help people who cannotspeak or use a keyboard to control acomputer.

Tobii says that companies that havebeen waiting to add eye trackingcapabilities to their products can now cuttheir investment costs and developmenttime to a minimum.

Eye tracking components can also beincorporated into gaming machines,medical instruments, vehicles, marketresearch set-top boxes and 3D displays,says Tobii.

“Every day, thousands of people withcerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis, ALS andother disabilities use Tobii eye controlleddevices to communicate without usingtheir voices or hands,” says the company.www.tobii.com

A tribute to Andy TaylorAndy Taylor, founder of assessmentcompany Access Made Easy, and arespected campaigner for the rights ofdisabled people, died in February.

Andy, who was totally blind, employeda majority of disabled workers in hiscompany which did assessments for theAccess to Work scheme. He had worked asan employment advisor and trainer forJobCentre Plus.

He also campaigned on behalf ofvarious charitable organisations and made many presentations before the Houseof Lords on the needs and rights ofdisabled people.

Andy was particularly angry at thewaste of talent because blind people didnot have access to technology.

More than 150 people attended hisfuneral. “While Andy devoted the majority

of his energy to improving the worldaround him, he did it with an incrediblesense of humour, an enthusiastic andinfectious style, and the firm understandingthat action always meant more thanwords,” said Maren Moon of Tech Ready.

“Mourners at Andy’s funeral talked ofAndy’s priority of always finding the timeto help those around him – regardless ofthe time of day or the geographicallocation.

“If there was a means for Andy toprovide a positive difference, then hesimply did whatever he could whenever he could.”

Friends have requested that memorialcontributions be made to UCanDoIT, thecharity that provides computer training fordisabled people. www.ucandoit.org.uk

Tobii is on trackwith embeddedeye gaze system

Eye gaze is more widely available

14 News feature A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:11

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assistive technology


Where’s it AT?According to healthcare policy unit the King’s Fund, the

official definition of ‘assistive technology’ is ‘any productor service designed to enable independence for disabled

and older people’.At one end of the spectrum that includes everyday items such

as glasses, walking sticks or big-button telephone handsets, whichmost people take for granted.

But the range of assistive technology (AT) now beingdeveloped is much broader than this, as a recent event dedicatedto the latest research in this area demonstrated.

RAATE (Recent Advances in Assistive Technology andEngineering) is the UK’s only conference specifically dedicated toshowcasing good practice, new designs and innovativedevelopments in this field.

Last year’s event, held in December at Coventry University’spioneering Health Design & Technology Institute (HDTI),attracted a large audience of academic researchers, healthcareprofessionals and rehabilitation experts for more than 30presentations on different aspects of AT.

Researchers at the University of Stirling, for instance, aredeveloping a new computer system designed to offer prompts forpeople who find it hard to learn and carry out activities that needto be done in a specific way.

Cognitive impairmentsMany people with cognitive impairments such as those caused bybrain trauma, dementia or learning disabilities, struggle toremember the steps involved in familiar tasks and have difficultylearning new tasks. They also have difficulties planning andcorrectly sequencing every day tasks and dealing with problemsarising during a routine task.

Such difficulties can be extremely disabling and necessitate agreat deal of formal and informal support from family, friends andhealthcare professionals. Using AT to help keep people ‘on task’ isa way of increasing their independence.

The researchers have been working with a group of peoplewho have had a limb amputated and need to learn how to put ontheir prosthetic leg correctly and safely. Most are in their sixties orolder and have lost a leg because of vascular problems that mayhave affected their cognition, making it harder to learn andremember new instructions in the correct order.

Initial attempts using visual prompts proved unsuccessful, aspeople got distracted and lost their way in the process. Now the

research team has developed special software, which is used inconjunction with speech recognition software on a standardlaptop to produce voice prompts.

This software guides the user through each step of putting onthe prosthetic limb, and checks that each has been achieved beforemoving on. Of the group of eight who have trialled the system sofar, the new software has significantly reduced safety-critical errorsfor six of them.

Participants in the study reported that compared with learningthe necessary actions under the guidance of a physiotherapist,they particularly liked the fact that they no longer felt ‘observed’or ‘nagged’ as they learnt new instructions.

The researchers are now evaluating other settings where thesystem could be used, such as helping someone with dementiaprepare a simple meal in their own kitchen.

Difficulty in learning how to behave appropriately, this timein social situations, can be an issue for children with autism.Specialists in robotics at the University of Hertfordshire have built a robot that looks like a toy dog and which can be used fornon-directed play therapy. Six children at school were given 10sessions playing with the robot dog, which was programmed togive the children cues by, for example, barking or wagging its tail.

Every child who took part in this research shows progress insocial and co-operative play, including one who invented a bitinggame with the robot dog. Such imaginative play can be a hard

Pat Sweet reports on groundbreaking developments in assistive techology that maytransform the lives of disabled people

Older drivers are the subject of research at the Universityof the West of England

16-17 AT A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:15


skill for children with autism to master.Children with complex communication needs, on the other

hand, need help in telling others about what is going on in theirlives. Many use communication aids, but most speech generatingdevices are limited to short, pre-stored sentences that are input bysomeone else (usually a relative or teacher), or demandconsiderable time and effort to produce individual utterances.

Research at the University of Dundee is testing out ways inwhich non-verbal children can have opportunities to create theirown stories about their day at school.

A team is developing a computer tool that produces a draftstory based on knowledge of the pupil’s planned daily activities(eg by using the school timetable to identify swimming sessions)and on data acquired from sensors placed around the school (egtracking a visit to the library).

An editing and narration tool allows children to turn the storyinto something that is their own work, rather than a computeroutput.

Maintaining existing skillsAs well as supporting new skills, AT has a role to play in helpingpeople maintain existing skills as their physical abilities decline.Researchers at the University of the West of England have beeninvestigating older people’s needs while driving. Their work hasidentified areas where older drivers tend to experience problems,such as maintaining a consistent speed.

While professionals, including car designers, felt that thesolution was to use technology to take over part of the drivingtask, older people themselves indicated they wanted technology toprovide additional feedback to supplement their own abilities.

For example, a system that uses the global positioning system(GPS) to track a car’s position and identify approaching signs, andthen shows this information on a see-through display on thewindscreen.

Another suggestion is to use GPS to monitor a car’s speed andto develop a system that offers auditory warnings, such as a short,non-distracting beep, when a vehicle approaches or exceeds thelocal speed limit.

One of the key areas for AT in the coming decade will be inthe whole sphere of rehabilitation. Current statistics show that theproportion of older people is set to increase dramatically over thenext few years – the number of people aged 60 and over as aproportion of the global population will double from 11% in2006 to 22% by 2050.

As people age, so they are also more likely to develop disabilitiesor chronic conditions that can adversely affect their quality of life.Stroke is a particularly disabling condition for people over 60, manyof whom can be left with significant muscle weakness as a result.

Traditional treatment includes specially prescribed exercisesdesigned to help improve functionality in arms or legs, but manypeople either find it hard to remember what they need to do, orlose the motivation to keep up with the exercises.

Researchers at Sheffield Hallam University are tackling thisproblem with a system called Smart 2 that involves attachingsensors to people’s bodies which are connected to a laptop with anin-built program.

At the beginning of an exercise session, people view a videoand perform the necessary exercises, which are then monitored sothey are given feedback by the system and encouraged to selfcorrect. The research is examining whether this kind of regularresponse to patients’ efforts encourages greater activity.

A University of Ulster team has gone one stage further and ispiloting the use of brain/computer interface technology to helppeople with stroke. Participants in the trial wore a cap thatdetected brain signals. They spent 30 minutes in physical exercisepractice followed by 30 minutes of mental practice in which thenecessary exercises were visualised.

This approach enhanced efforts in about a quarter of thosewho took part, although researchers say they need to run a largerscale trial with a control group to be sure of their findings.

AT can also be useful in determining just how much help aperson needs. Many 999 calls are made for older people who havefallen, but this group may not benefit from being taken tohospital, a community-based alternative might be moreappropriate.

Swansea University researchers are trialling a hand-heldcomputer system that will help ambulance crews determine whicholder people should go to hospital after a fall and who would bebetter off with help from a local falls clinic or other intervention. ■

Pat Sweet is a researcher for the Foundation for Assistive Technology

More assistive technology projects will be showcased at this year’sRAATE conference which will be held in Coventry over two days,November 30 and December 1 2009. More details fromwww.raate.org.uk. The Foundation for Assistive Technology has awebsite which includes a free, fully searchable database of over 900research projects in the AT field: www.fastuk.org.

assistive technology

Smart 2 helps people excercise more effectively

16-17 AT A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:15

workspace


Two years ago UBS launched the UK disAbility AwarenessNetwork: its mission to attract and harness the talents ofdisabled people.

And despite the current economic difficulties, the Network’ssteering committee continues in its efforts to raise the bar for UBSin making improvements to facilities and influencing policies.

“We are a firm that values ability, regardless of disability,”explains Richard Thwaite, chief technology officer of UBS GlobalAsset Management and chair of the Network in London.

“Our success relies on encouraging all employees to realise theirfull potential. We work hard to help them achieve this. Ours is aknowledge-based industry. Talented people with disabilities havevalued contributions to make to firms like ours and it’s importantto provide them with the opportunities to do so.”

Open to allThe Network was launched in the UK, with a second inSwitzerland. Open to employees interested in disability awareness,the group focuses on education, recruitment and retention,employee support and accessibility for both clients and employees.

Since its inception, the disAbility Awareness Network has

organised annual events to move disability up the companyagenda. It has also sponsored seminars on mental health and caringfor elderly parents and disabled children, as well as runningrecruitment events for people with disabilities.

UBS targets disabled graduates as part of its hiring policy andrecruitment is represented on the Network Steering Committee byboth Campus and Professional Recruiting. Previous programmeshave included the engagement of a specialist agency calledEmployment Opportunities to select disabled young people for a10-week internship programme.

Attendees learnt about how UBS worked, about opportunitiesin the company and received feedback to help them improve skillssuch as their interview techniques.

“It helped build my confidence and I learnt that you can workin a high profile job and be treated equally,” commented StephenMitchell, a student from Strathclyde University in Glasgow whoattended the programme.

UBS provided Stephen who is visually impaired, with specialistsoftware and a screen to magnify his computer display and cutdown on reflections.

The investment bank has also arranged a series of daysfeaturing presentations about disability and displays by disabilitycharities.

Organisations including AbilityNet, Sane and the RNIB havevisited UBS, and the company has also organised talks aboutdisability by well-known people including broadcaster FrankGardner and Marjorie Wallace, chair of the mental health charitySane.

Dining with a differenceThe Network has worked hard at getting over the business case forrecruiting and retaining people with disabilities. The companyhosted a Dining with a Difference meeting, which mixes food withshort presentations and discussions led by experts.

Sessions have tackled the legislation that affects disability, thequestion of what language to use so far as disability is concernedand how to attract disabled people to work for a company.

At one time UBS joined with other banks via the InterbankAccessibility Group to put on a series of playlets featuring disabledactors performing scenes from a job interview, an employee’s firstday at work and a performance review.

Audiences were invited to use an electronic voting system to

Swiss bank UBS is determined to treat the needs of disabled staff as a priority

Bank statement

As well as highlighting dyslexia, Richard Thwaite’s Networkis planning a disability day on mental health and stress

18-19 Workspace A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:16


workspace

choose a particular course of action in each situation. Their choicewas then acted out on stage

UBS is continuously looking at processes and how to makeadjustments to its IT systems as easy as possible for all employees.The company has a self-help feature on its intranet that showsusers how to alter their desktop PCs and material that advises themon best practice.

Thwaite would like to go further and improve services forclients. “Our relationship with customers is very different fromthat of a retail bank, we do not always have visibility of whether aclient has a disability or not.

“However, we can influence our client facing areas and throughraising awareness enable them to provide accessible products andservices for all.”

This year he is highlighting dyslexia as a pressing issue. “Peoplearen’t necessarily willing to come forward and discuss difficultieswith reading and writing,” he says. The Network is also planning adisability day with a focus on mental health and stress.

Pushing yourself too hardBanking has a stressful, long hours culture at the best of times, buteven more so in the current business climate. High achievingindividuals can easily push themselves too hard, especially when itcomes to hammering their keyboards.

“Although UBS has fewer incidents of work related upper limbdisorder caused by repetitive keyboard work than similarorganisations in the city,” says Elaine Hunt, occupational healthmanager at UBS. “We take it seriously.”

To try and head off potential problems UBS has a fast trackphysiotherapy scheme that aims to provide early intervention.When someone moves desks they are reminded to do an onlineDisplay Screen Equipment (DSE) assessment which involves

filling in a form on the bank’s intranet.However, even with these precautions some of the

7,500 staff that UBS employs in Britain run intodifficulties.

Jemma worked as a support analyst compilinglarge amounts of data which involved a lot of keyboardand mouse use. Over a period of three months shedeveloped pains in her arms that affected both herwork and home life.

Elaine arranged a face to face assessment, firstlywith an occupational health advisor and soon afterwith an occupational health physician. It seemed thatthe pain and swelling was most likely to be due towork related upper limb disorder, or repetitive straininjury. The diagnosis was later confirmed by arheumatologist.

“Jemma was understandably very anxious to get tothe bottom of this problem and know what she coulddo to alleviate her discomfort,” says Hunt.

“So in order to try to support her in continuing to work, anumber of adjustments were discussed with Jemma in the contextof her job, and with her manager.”

The first step UBS took was to try and lighten the load byinstalling voice recognition software and reducing her keyboard useto four hours spread over the working day.

Dealing with RSIIn addition, she began to dictate information to a second personwho entered data via a keyboard. Jemma began regularphysiotherapy sessions and shiatsu massage.

The skilled nature of Jemma’s work made it difficult to workwith a helper. And it became clear that she was continuing tostruggle, despite the support and adjustments, so the occupationalhealth department recommended a six month period off work.

She continued with her treatments and had several assessmentswhile she was at home. After four months Jemma began a gradualreturn to work over a period of eight weeks. Working time startedat four hours for three days and increased back to normal in stages.

“Jemma did eventually make a return to full time working. Shestill has some discomfort but this is easily manageable and does notrestrict her normal life,” reports Hunt.

“Some long term adjustments have been needed to herworking patterns such as having more frequent rest intervals and working hard on her posture and levels of physical fitness inthe gym.”

“All in all, this Jemma’s case file was active for over two yearsbut has now been closed since October 2008 and she remains welland fully functional in her post.”

For all the problems in the financial sector, organisations likeUBS show it is still possible to support disabled employees andgive managers an insight into how best to meet their needs. ■

Actors perform scenes ranging from a job interview, an employee’sfirst day at work and a performance review

18-19 Workspace A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:16

applications


Learning the hard way

During the last two years students at the University ofSouthampton have been sharing their experiences withon-line learning as participants in the LexDis project,

funded by the Joint Information Systems Committee (JISC). They have been passing on strategies developed to overcome

some of the barriers affecting their access to learning and teachingmaterials and to enhance the way they study using a range oftechnologies.

The students rarely talk about disabilities but more oftenabout the difficulties they encounter with certain tasks and thesehave been stored in the LexDis online database resource(www.lexdis.org).

The database also contains guides for both students and staffas well as information about applications used across theuniversity networks, along with news items and tips linked to thestrategies that might making working on-line easier.

Some strategies have involved the use of well known assistivetechnologies such as screen reader, text-to-speech andmagnification programs, but many more have involvedtechnologies that can be found as part of the computer desktopsettings or within applications and items that are freely availableon the web.

The variety of technologies used and the way applicationshave been personalised makes us feel we have a group of agiletechnology users and that assistive technologies are justtechnologies you can use to make life or learning easier.

Assistive characteristicsWe characterise assistive technologies as those used forcommunication and collaboration, the internet, multimedia,personalisation and productivity rather than using terms related todisability. It has often been the tasks that students undertake thathave affected the technology choices they have made.

Browsing the database of strategies entails choosing from a listof difficulties that users experience. These problems are linked to alist of tasks, so for example there is no mention ofdyslexia in the list, but rather planning andorganisation, short term memory and written languagedifficulties.

Some strategies involve the use of mobiletechnologies. For example, Sarah relies on her mobilephone to aid her memory by recording notes that sheadds to her essays.

She writes some work on the move and

synchronises it with her computer later. She also uses the phonefor tasks and appointments that can be viewed in her Outlookcalendar. Other students have used their mobiles for capturingweb page addresses or timetables or have their text read back withspeech synthesis.

All the students changed their desktop settings in some way –it may just have been to de-clutter the desktop or alter icons sothat they were more noticeable or larger.

Most wanted to use sans serif fonts such as Arial 12 point andothers changed background colours or dulled their screens whentaking notes in lectures, so as not to distract others. This tip is alsouseful when you do not want to drain battery power.

“Having things in electronic format is essential for me to copewith the demands of my course,” said Nick. “I would bedrowning under a sea of paper otherwise. I do not have thedexterity to manipulate masses of sheets of paper. I have an OCRscanner and OmniPage character recognition software andtogether, these items scan documents and covert them intoelectronic text.”

Coping with multiple technologiesNick juggles many different technologies throughout the day andhas found that sheet feeder scanners solve the problem of havingto scan individual pages and the use of two monitors means that itis possible to read documents on one screen and create contentusing the other.

When it comes to using interactive social networking or Web2.0 applications, where the user can collaborate online; GoogleDocs, Maps and Books all feature in the list along with Facebook,MSN and Skype.

But there are also some unusual applications such as ‘Wordle’for making tag or word clouds to see if you are sticking to thesubject you are writing about! Having copied this article intowww.wordle.net it is clear to see ‘technologies’, ‘students’ and‘strategies’ are the keywords (see illustration below).

LiveJournal(www.livejournal.com/) isone of the most accessibleways of blogging orkeeping a personal diaryonline. It can be used forsharing ideas and picturesand reflecting on learning.However, more

Students at the University of Southampton have been recording their experienceswith assistive technology. EA Draffen passes on their tricks and tips

20-21 applications A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:17


importantly it has a wide range of privacy and personalisationsettings to suit the user with good keyboard access and easy login.

Sarah B. has used Phrase Express (www.phraseexpress.com/),allowing her to increase typing speeds with autotext and add manyuseful hot or shortcut keys to help her avoid the repetitive straininjuries she developed during her ‘A’ levels. The shortcuts can beused to open other programs or go to areas on the web quickly.

It appears that many students have found ways of improvingtheir use of a browser and have made distinct choices between thevarious applications such as Opera to use the mouse gestures orMozilla Firefox to make use of the many add-ins or InternetExplorer, which has better keyboard access to some media playersand support for screen readers. Most students use the tab,favourites and bookmarking features and some change thebackground colours of web pages and make use of the zoomfeature if they do not use magnification software but need largerfonts and graphics.

Lack of timeSome students were concerned that they were not very skilledcomputer users and all admitted that time was a real problem, solearning new complex technologies was not always easy whenthere was a course to be undertaken at the same time.

To quote Stephanie: “I am freshly new in my training withassistive technologies, but I can see the benefits. It gives youshortcuts, a better way of working. It’s all right learningsomething, but the only way you retain that is by repetition, and the assistive technology allows you to do something once and then just keep going back over it.

“So, that’s why, when I got all my software in autumn last yearand they said: ‘You need to have your training on this’ I did feel Iwas doing two courses and that was, frankly, too much.

“I had to stay with my old bad habits because I just didn’t feelI had the time to take out to learn something new to help me. Itwas a vicious circle, really. If only I knew two years ago what Iknow now life would have been a lot simpler. I would have had alot more free time. I think it’s great – for me personally. It’senabled me to be more focused.”

Nick also said: “It’s great to have these resources available.Without them it would be a lot harder to study and take a lotmore time. I often need to scan something in, and if I can’t dothat, I’m reliant on Dragon to make notes because I can’t keepmoving the book or the article away from me. So I don’t know if I would be able to study at university without them.”

Those involved in the LexDis project hope it is going tocontinue, with more strategies being added to the database inorder to keep up with new technologies and online learning ideas.

There are plans for it to be linked up with several other online resources such as those supported by JISC TechDis(www.techdis.ac.uk) in order to offer staff and studentsaccessibility advice, hints and tips as well as learner experiences of a wide range of technologies that can both assist and enableaccess to e-learning. ■

The LexDis project team consists of Dr Mike Wald, Dr Jane Seale &E.A. Draffan University of Southampton. The final report of LexDis is at www.lexdis.org/project/reports

applications

Nick Bishop: “Having things in electronic format is essential for me to cope with the demands of my course”

20-21 applications A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:17

section title


briefing: web accessibility

The publication of the Web Content AccessibilityGuidelines (WCAG 2) may well have caused concern inmany organisations as to whether their sites are still

considered accessible under the new guidelines.In most cases, the answer will be yes. WCAG 2 (often

pronounced wookag two) is not so much a reinvention of thewheel as an updating of it: the equivalent of moving from ironrimmed cartwheels to the pneumatic tyre.

There are some differences though, as well as improvementsand flaws with the new guidelines.

WCAG 1.0 was not wearing well.Outdated, vague, difficult to measureand not entirely even handed in theway it dealt with each particulardisability group. WCAG 2.0 isupdated but arguably still vague,although at least it appears to bebetter thought out and more evenhanded.

Probably the most fundamentalchange is the introduction of fourguiding principles – all web contentmust be perceivable, operable,understandable and robust.

Guidelines are organised byprinciple and unlike WCAG 1.0, eachcheckpoint can be met to a variety oflevels across A, AA or AAA, allowingconformance to a number of differentlevels rather than confining checkpoints to a single priority.

Not only does this provide more flexibility for anyone tryingto implement the guidelines, it also removes the sometimes unfairprioritisation of checkpoints under WCAG 1.0

A case of prioritiesAccessibility features that benefit one particular disability groupare considered a priority one checkpoint, while accessibilityfeatures considered by another disability group to be of equalimportance are consigned to priority two.

The level of detail in the supporting documents for WCAG2.0 is impressive with both techniques and a list of examples ofpotential fails being provided. This certainly clears up many of theissues in WCAG 1.0 where not only was the checkpoint itselfvague, but also what constituted a pass or a fail once you hadactually identified the nature of the checkpoint.

Success in WCAG 2.0 is considerably more measurable.

Whereas WCAG 1.0 used terms such as ‘sufficient’ when referringto colour contrast, WCAG 2.0 actually provides a ratio of 5:1 topass at level A and 7:1 to pass at AA.

More measureable componentsA further example is the stipulation that page content must bescalable to at least 200% of its original size. These ratios result ininfinitely more measurable checkpoints.

Some of the more measurable checkpoints will no doubt leadto some head scratching, not least of which is therequirement that background and foreground noisediffer by at least 20 decibels. Quite how that can becalculated by merely listening to audio or videocontent remains to be seen.

Further criticisms have, however, been levelled atWCAG 2.0, particularly that the accessibility of thesupporting documents is suspect. Lengthy, jargon-filled documents containing numerous hyperlinkscome in for criticism, as does the lack of clarityaround some of the definitions.

For instance, an ‘authored component’ isdescribed as ‘an authored unit intended to be used aspart of another authored unit’. This lack of clarityand the technology independent nature of theguidelines make them very confusing at times.

Criticisms and implementation difficulties asidethough, for most developers with an understandingof and responsibility for accessibility, many of thetechniques used to produce accessible pages and

interfaces will remain the same and it is unlikely that pages willsuddenly become completely inaccessible under the newguidelines.

Sites will need to be audited in order to determine which levelof conformance they now meet under WCAG 2.0 and a degree ofchange may be required to meet the chosen level of compliance.

Both developers and business staff with a responsibility forweb content should immediately download a copy of the newguidelines and begin familiarising themselves with thecomplexities.

Overall, WCAG 2.0 is a vast improvement on WCAG 1.0. Itremains to be seen how easy these guidelines are to apply inpractise and whether the device independence will result in theguidelines being more future proof. ■

www.uservision.co.uk

Mark Palmer is accessibility consultant at User Vision.

Turning cartwheels into tyresMark Palmer looks at what ‘wookag two’ means for website owners

Mark Palmer’s User Visionsuccess is measurable

22 Briefing A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:30

Some readers find it difficult to read some of the small textthat appears on their computer screens. How can youadjust the settings on your computer to make the screen

more readable?Unfortunately there is no single button you can press that

will instantly increase thesize of all the text andimages on yourcomputer screen.Instead, you willhave to make aseries ofadjustments foreach program you use: yourbrowser, wordprocessing, operatingsystem and so on.

Web pages are the biggest culprits for using small print. It isrelatively easy, however, to correct this in Internet Explorer 7 bygoing to the page menu and selecting the zoom feature.

Some web developers try to fix the size of their text but youcan circumvent this by going to the tools menu and clickinginternet options. On the first page is an accessibility button whichleads you to a list of options. Select the ignore font size option.

Fuzzy featuresFor desktop programs decreasing the resolution of the screen hasthe effect of making text and images on screen larger, if ratherfuzzy. Access this feature by bringing up the control panel (inWindows XP) clicking on display and pressing the settings tab.There is a slider here which you can use to reduce the resolution.

You can increase the text size on Windows and manyMicrosoft programs by going to display in the control panel andselecting the appearance tab which has an option to change thefont size.

However, while the menus, commands and so forth on mostprograms can be increased in this way, some cannot. The entriesin my Outlook Express address book remain stubbornly small andsome users may be puzzled by the fact that increasing the size oficons is a separate operation, which involves pressing the advancedsettings button in the appearance tab.

You will also need to make adjustments to applicationsprograms too. For example, in Word 2002 there is a zoomfunction in the view menu. There is a similar feature in Excel.

Microsoft also provides a magnifying accessory that makesitems on screen larger than is possible using individualadjustments to text and images. You can find Windows Magnifier

in the accessibility folder in the accessories section of all theprograms’ menus. The software magnifies the screen and displaysit in a panel at the top of the page.

However, Windows Magnifier is limited and more userfriendly programs such as Lunar, Magic, Zoomtext andSuperNova are available. These magnify the entire screen ratherthan just a portion of it.

Free packagesAlthough most of the better known packages are for sale, there arefree magnification packages such as iZoom from Screenreader.

According to the RNIB, most people who use screenmagnification also change the contrast and colour settings to

make it easier to read. For example, they may set a blackbackground with white text to make it stand out more.

Magnification software boosts the size ofeveryhthing on screen, which can create

a problem for people readingmaterial with lots of white space.They may think they have reachedthe end of a document. Low

resolution images can become distortedand difficult to interprete when they are magnified. ■


briefing: magnification

Size is everything

Services and Products for Every AT Need Specialising in:

Dyslexia and Learning Software Low Vision and Blindness Voice Recognition Software Ergonomic Needs Training and Assessment Services

Learning Access Suite Dealer

www.techready.co.uk 0208 532 6138 Phone 0208 532 6140 Fax

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At UBS, we are committed to

developing diverse talent and

ensuring disability is no

obstacle to success.

It starts with you:

www.ubs.com/careers

© UBS 2007. All rights reserved.

Opportunity for all



briefing: digital TV

The most seismic shift in consumer technology in decades ishappening now. The digital TV (DTV) switchoversweeping Britain means that almost everyone will be able to

receive the service by 2012. According to Ofcom, the UK isleading Europe in its implementation.

Because it uses less broadcast space, there will be more room touse DTV for new services such as wireless broadband, local TVand High Definition Television (HDTV).

Even more significantly, DTV enables the implementation ofincreasingly intuitive technologies that can and will make screen-based experiences more inclusive for broadernumbers of society than ever before.

Notice that Eastenders no longer usesincidental music? That is because set-topboxes have audio description technology(AD) built-in, enabling visually-impairedconsumers to listen to a narrative of what’shappening on-screen.

Electronic programme guides (EPG) canflag up with an audible tone or on-screenprompt that AD is present.

Ofcom currently obliges broadcasters to air at least 10% of content with (AD) within a decade of beingon air.

But the Royal Institute for the Blind (RNIB) is lobbying todouble this, bringing legislation in line with Sky TV’s March-announced bid to double the amount of AD services it offers forits programmes to 34,000 hours this year across all channels exceptSky Sports.

Media Secretary Andy Burnham has appealed to otherbroadcasters to follow Sky’s lead. Speaking to Parliament, theminister pledged to introduce new legislation if Ofcom’s currentinvestigation into TV access services recommends it.

Text-to-speech (TTS) technology is being developed forincoming set-top boxes that converts EPG on-screen prompts intospeech. DTV will make sub-titling faster. The major consumerelectronics manufacturers are shortly to launch new generationTVs with AD built-in.

What do we have to wait for still? Real-time signing is missing at present: its bit-rate

consumption would take up a channel in its own right. Alsowaiting in the wings are remote control devices that can becontrolled by hand movement as well as voice-activated commandsystems.

Shorter-term, the Government has pledged support to seven

million eligible people expected to qualify for special help throughits Help Scheme. That is anyone receiving or likely to receivecertain disability benefits; anyone registered blind or partiallysighted; anyone aged 75 or over; anyone who has lived in a carehome for six months or more.

The Scheme aims to assist by providing qualifiers with easy-to-use equipment; and help with installing equipment such as dishesor aerials, if needed to make the new equipment work.

People will be available to provide a demonstration of howeverything works; as well as being on hand to help while users

become accustomed to thetechnology.

In the current climate ofeconomic recession, couldinclusive digital development bestymied by a lack of cash?

There are factors militatingagainst this. The Governmentwants digital to work not least asit has plans for implementing thetechnology longer-term for e-education and e-health.

Electronics manufacturers are waking up to the fact thatwealthy baby boomers are ageing and in the process, losing somecognitive and physical capability.

Statistically, the average TV owner will lose some functionalityduring the life of his/her TV set. Manufacturers are having tofactor this into the design of their products.

And if all else fails, there is always regulation. The autoindustry is heavily legislated and its products brim with the latestintuitive technologies. If we can legislate for the implementation ofthese in the relatively hostile environment of the car, then surelywe can in the home and workplace? ■

David Johnston works for advisory company DTA, www.dtaltd.co.uk.DTA is currently working on the creation of open technology standardsin conjunction with the Digital TV Group (DTG), the industryassociation for digital television in the UK. Text-to-speech technology,which will be integrated for the first time into DTV set-top boxeslaunching in the UK this summer, is the outcome of a joint initiativeinvolving RNIB, DTA and a manufacturer. Further information on when your area in the UK goes digital isavailable at www.digitaluk.co.uk/when_do_i_switch and details onthe help scheme atwww.helpscheme.co.uk/en/faq/index.php.

Turn on, tune in, drop out?The UK is leading Europe in the switch to digital TV but is the TV industry draggingits feet on accessibility? David Johnston reports


Many widely used applications are in theprocess of being voice enabled allowingusers to by-pass their keyboards andoperate programs entirely by speech.

Mindjet’s MindManager 8, a mind-mapping tool, was one of the first programsto be voice enabled using the speechrecognition product DragonNaturallySpeaking 10 and VoxEnable, UK-developed software from Citnexus.

VoxEnable links Dragon to Mindjetand other programs. To begin building amind-map, a user issues the instruction‘new topic’ or ‘start brainstorm’ then thesoftware tool starts building the map basedon the voice-commands.

Over 150 voice-enabled functions areincorporated in MindManager 8. Users cancreate ‘maps’ or diagrams of essays,meetings, business plans and so on, which

can be manipulated, scrolled, scaled,zoomed, printed and exported by voice.

“Speech technology with mind-mapping will be a potent productivitycombination. Imagine never having toscribe your thoughts and ideas down againbut instead energise the way brainstorms orplanning meetings are conducted,” saidRob Furnivall of Mindjet UK.

VoxEnable for MindManager 8 costs£29.95. A package consisting of DragonNaturallySpeaking 10 and VoxEnable is£129. A bundle of all three products is on

sale for £329 from Expressware.Versions of VoxEnable are now available

for mind-mapping programs MindGeniusand Inspiration, as well as free ones forSkype, MSN, Notepad, Adobe Reader andOutlook Express.

VoxEnable has also been adapted forAdobe’s Photoshop and Citnexus isworking on versions for InDesign,Illustrator, Dreamweaver, Flash, QuarkExpress and Promethean Whiteboards.

“All we are doing is voice enabling thekeyboard and mouse,” says Ian Bourne, adirector of Citnexus. “If an application isaccessible we can voice enable it. We don’tdo away with a keyboard and mouse, butVoxEnable adds an extra dimension.” ■

www.citnexus.co.ukwww.nuance.comwww.mindjet.com

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Popular programs find their voice

Those who need to record spoken materialat meetings and lectures can add notes andother materials to their recordings withAudio Notetaker version 2, recentlyintroduced by iAnsyst.

Audio Notetaker identifies naturalpauses that occur in speech that has beenrecorded and presents the audio onscreen asa series of bars that correspond to passages

of speech. The software works with a digitalrecorder and can be connected to a PC.

A new feature called Live Notetakerallows users to add keywords, highlight keypoints using coloured markers or break uptheir notes into sections as they arerecording, making it easy to locate keyinformation and recall past audio notes.

Users can also display PowerPoint

slides, images alongside text fromdocuments, web pages or notes alongsidean audio recording, providing a workspacefor comparing and reviewing differentsources of information.

Operating in ‘full-screen mode’,students can playback, edit and review notesalongside the support documents, making iteasier to organise documents and notes andview relevant files at the same time. ■

www.iansyst.co.uk

Audio Notetaker exploits pauses

Database of signersIn April the National Registers ofCommunication Professionals work-ing with Deaf and Deafblind People(NRCPD) launches a free-to-accessdatabase of contact details for regis-tered sign language interpreters andspeech-to-text reporters. The servicewill help public facing organisationscommunicate better with hearing impaired people, says the NRCPD.www.nrcpd.org.uk

No hands phoneBurnside Telecom has introduced aphone that can automatically answercalls in hands free mode for thosewho are able to talk but are unable tocome to or operate their phone. Thefeature, available on the BurnsideP230 model, is designed to make iteasier for the elderly, infirm or dis-abled to take calls. To prevent unau-thorised use, all outgoing calls canbe restricted to those numbersstored in memory keys.www.burnsidetelecom.com

First chapters freeHumanWare, maker of the VictorReader Stream DAISY talking bookreader, and accessible book distributor ReadHowYouWant are offering readers the first chapters of20 bestselling books free. The booksavailable in DAISY and Braille formats can be downloaded fromHumanware’s website. Readers whowant to buy the books can do so viaReadHowYouWant’s site.www.readhowyouwant.comwww.humanware.com

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A brain training program called PlayAttention, based on NASA softwaredeveloped to help astronauts concentratebetter, is now being used to help childrenwith attention deficit disorder.

Children play a series of games wearinga helmet that reads the electrical signalsgiven off by areas of the brain involvedwith concentration. The signals are used tocontrol the computer games.

“Your mind becomes the mouse orjoystick,” explains Zara Skidmore of Gamesfor Life, the program’s UK distributor.“These games not only teach you toimprove focus, but also to ignoredistractions, develop memory skills, finishtasks, and become organised.

“These skills can improve school work,improve self-esteem, and make life at homemuch happier.”

Play Attention is based on neurofeedback. Users can see how focused theyare as they play the games. In this way they

learn to increase their concentration. Users are set goals to improve their

performance. Games for Life claims thatimprovements achieved by using the systemfor two or three times per week for a yearare still in evidence a year later.

Play Attention costs £1795 for a homeuse licence, £1995 for a professional licenceand £2495 an educational licence. ■www.gamesforlife.org.uk.

Brain games train minds ClaroRead Version 5The ClaroRead text-to-speech literacy aidhas been given a makeover with theintroduction of features such as visualscanning, new human-like voices andimproved methods of capturingdocuments.

A ‘focus sentence’ feature greys or dimsout sentences in Word not being spokenby ClaroRead, while ‘word trail’ makeswords colour progressively as they arespoken by ClaroRead.

ClaroRead Version 5 includesClaroCapture, a program that allows users to collect text from any documentand web page, grouping it as a project file.The research file can be sent to Word orPower Point.

Two new voices have been introduced:a Scottish female Heather and anotherEnglish male voice called William.

Prices start at £129 plus VAT for theClaroRead Standard CD. ■

www.clarosoftware.com

E-Access ‘09: Technology for All23 April 2009, Olympia 2, London

The UK’s leading conference on access to technology by people withdisabilities is back, with supporters including E-Access Bulletin, AbilityMagazine, Employers’ Forum on Disability and Bloor Research.

Session topics include: ‘Happy customers, happy staff in an ageingsociety’; the future of accessibility; and the new WCAG 2.0 web accessguidelines; with expert speakers from organisations including the BBC, Yahoo! and Lloyds TSB.

Find out more and sign up online today at:

www.headstar-events.com/eaccess09

Playing focuses the child’s mind


Shaw Trust, Shaw House, Epsom Square, White Horse Business Park, Trowbridge, Wiltshire BA14 0XJSupport us online today www.shaw-trust.org.uk This information can be obtained in alternative formats, please call 01225 716 354 and state your requirements.A Company Limited by Guarantee | Registered in England No. 1744121 | Registered Charity No. 287785

Web Accreditation Service

The service offers a full technical audit with rigorous user testing. Every member of our testing team is an experienced assistive technology user. They understand the frustrations of not being able to access websites that don’t consider the needs of people who are disabled. We’re passionate, enthusiastic and committed to making it work and we have the experience to make it work for you.

Meet the Team

We are happy for you to visit and spend the day with our user testing team during the testing of your website – this has proven very popular with our clients as they can see fi rst hand how adaptive technologies can improve disability access to an otherwise non-accessible website or application.

Contact: Cam Nicholl o7973 234 489 [email protected] or call 0300 30 33 120 Visit: www.healthyworklife.org.uk

Why is Web Accessibility Important?

First and foremost, because it is a legal requirement for your organisation’s website and intranet to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). But perhaps more importantly, it makes good business sense to ensure all your customers can access your goods and services.

It is estimated that 10 million adults in the UK have a disability and the combined spending power of adults who are disabled is £80 billion annually. How many of these people could be your customers?

Shaw Trust Web Accreditation Service provides you with peace of mind, ensuring that your website has been tested to the highest possible accessibility standards.

Shaw Trust is one of the UK’s top providers of Web Accreditation. Our Web Accreditation Service is designed to be the most comprehensive service available and is endorsed by The Guild of Accessible Web Designers (GAWDS).

Our service can audit and accredit websites in line with W3C guidelines against WCAG 1.0, WCAG 2.0 and Section 508. You can be confi dent of meeting the highest standards of web accessibility in line with PAS78 guidelines.



resources

The British Computer Society (BCS) hascreated an accessible test system that willsupport disabled candidates who wish totake the various user qualifications itoffers, including the European ComputerDriving Licence (ECDL) exam of basic IT skills.

Disabled people are more than twice aslikely as non-disabled people to have noqualifications (26% compared to 10%),according to the UK’s Office for NationalStatistics’ Labour Force Survey.

The system is aimed at deaf candidateswho are British Sign Language (BSL)users. However, it will also help people inother major disability groups.

Candidates can sit the ECDL testswith a choice of text only or with theadditional support of either video clipsshowing British Sign Language (BSL)interpretation or a human soundingsynthetic narration.

The system utilises the EasyConverter

software package developed by DolphinComputer Access.

This software has enabled BCS togenerate the audio output for the testmaterials. It will accommodate individualswith visual impairment, specific learningdifficulties such as dyslexia, deaf candidateswho have a low literacy level in English,and candidates for whom English is asecond language.

Dolphin’s software will also allow BCSto produce materials in large print, Brailleand Daisy formats as well audio so it canprovide a wider range of accessible services.

Pete Bayley, BCS director ofqualifications explains: “BCS is committedto meeting its accessibility responsibilitiesas required by legislation such as theDisability Discrimination Act and webelieve that this innovation will have asignificant impact for disabled candidates.” ■www.bcs.org/qualifications

BCS makes ‘drivingtest’ more accessible

Remploy, the employment firm fordisabled people, has introduced a servicecalled Resolve that aims to reduce longterm absence from work by helpingworkers return to their jobs.

A vocational rehabilitation consultantcarries out assessments of whatadjustments an employer could make toaccommodate them. This includessuggestions for possible adaptations such asspecialised IT equipment and software, orother adaptive technology.

The consultant draws up andimplements an action plan with theemployee to help them to return to work,in partnership with the employer.

Effective early intervention is the key,says Remploy, because research by theHealth and Safety Executive suggests thatafter six months off work, only 50% of

people are likely to return to work. Earlyintervention can also prevent minor issuesturning into serious ones.

“Long term sickness absence is apersistent problem affecting manybusinesses throughout the UK,” saysRemploy.

“In the current economic downturn, itis even more important for businesses toensure they are using all their resources tothe full, as absence leads to a less efficientbusiness, excess pressure on time-strappedmanagers and higher costs.”www.remploy.co.uk ■

Remploy tackles long term absences

Reasonable AdjustmentsThe Employers’ Forum on Disability(EFD) has published the latest guidecalled Reasonable Adjustments inits line manager series. The guidehelps managers identify who needsan adjustment, decide if anadjustment is reasonable and knowwhere to go for more help and advice.

The guide helps employersreduce their legal risk on areascovered by the DisabilityDiscrimination Act. In 2007, EFD’sDisability Standard benchmark foundthat one in three employers is atlegal risk. Members can buy fivecopies for £10.20 each.www.efd.org.uk

Multi-tasking audio mixerThe Duo-Comm audio mixer hasbeen developed by RNIB to enableusers of voice assisted softwaresuch as JAWS, SuperNova and othersimilar products to listen to acomputer and answer the telephonewith the same headset.

The Duo-Comm has three modes;telephone, computer and mixed. Auser can switch modes with a simpledial switch and listen to either thecall or your computer in both ears.There is even a mixed mode to listento a telephone call in one ear and thecomputer in the other. The Duo-Comm costs £127.65 or £146.80.

Briefs


100% compatible

Sharing knowledge AbilityNet is a totally independent national charity,working directly with thousands of people everyyear to find accessible IT solutions, no matter whattheir age or disability. We know from practicalexperience what works and what doesn’t, and thereal problems people face. As a result we nowhelp and support a wide variety of professionalswho wish to extend their knowledge or solve difficultissues. For informed, impartial advice it makessense to contact AbilityNet.

AbilityNet’s one-stop shop includes freeinformation and advice; individual assessments,installation, training and support; accessible IT kitsfor public access centres; courses, seminars andpractical workshops; accessible web design andaudit service; consultancy.

For further information

please contact:

AbilityNet • PO Box 94Warwick • CV34 5WS

*Tel: 01926 312847 • Fax: 01926 407425(*Minicom accessible)

Email: [email protected]://www.abilitynet.org.uk

Charity no. 1067673

It takes skill and experience to find the right mix of technology, training

and support to make IT totally accessible. AbilityNet’s reward is knowing

the people we help find life has got better in all sorts of ways, from

meeting challenges at school to new work opportunities, or simply being

able to communicate effectively and take more control of their lives.



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Assistive software is more prone to crashescaused by conflicts between programs thanmainstream products.

But education supplier Invate hasdeveloped a service that allows students toget their PCs going again by pressing asingle button.

The BulletProof service, which costs£180, is available to customers who buytheir IT systems from Invate, whichsupplies software, hardware and training.

Invate has spent nine monthsdeveloping software that restores systemsand application software to the state it wasin when it left the company.

“Google toolbar can conflict with

TextHelp Read & Write Gold 8.1 andsome Nokia phone software causes totalsoftware failure with specialist voiceprograms,” explains Invate managingdirector Chris Quickfall.

The Gateshead-based firm received EUfunding for the project, which involvedcollaborating with software companiesMicrosoft and Acronis.

Before sending systems out to users,Invate removes all non-essential softwarefrom PCs to minimise software problems.Engineers install and configure up to fiveprograms including TextHelp,DragonNaturally Speaking and MicrosoftOffice.

The company also places a compressedimage of the system’s software in a hiddenlocation and installs software that backs up user data files online and will reset thesystem using the image and the stored data files.

Invate’s software will rebuild the linksfrom a user’s software to their personaldata in under 30 minutes. “WithBulletProof none of their personal files orDragon voice data, for instance, aredeleted,” says Quickfall.

The company also provides technicalsupport to diagnose faults and fix themusing remote desktop access. ■

www.invate.co.uk

BulletProof service resolves conflicts

Communication aids for people who havedifficulty speaking are expensive. They costup to £5,000 and are often implementedon older hardware.

AssistiveWare, a Dutch companyspecialising in assistive software for Macsystems, has launched text-to-speechsoftware for the iPhone and the iPod touchcosting under £100.

Proloquo2Go is based on AcapelaGroup software and will be available fromApple’s App Store of third party iPhonesoftware this spring. It will read aloud texton the two Apple handhelds and display itas a series of symbols or images of thewords.

AssistiveWare recommends pluggingthe hardware into a loudspeaker to getbetter sound quality.

“Alternative and augmentativecommunications are often rather oldfashioned and people don’t like beingdifferent,” says the company’s chieftechnology officer David Niemeijer. “For the first time it can be both usefuland cool.” ■

www.assistiveware.com

Cool aid forcommunicationsat under £100

Texthelp refines Gold

Literacy link upInclusive Technology, the educationsupplier, is working with US firm DonJohnston on a series of bundled systemsthat help with literacy.

Two packages were announced atBETT. The first is an AlphaSmart NeoOne note taker with Don Johnston’s wordprediction software Co-Writer. Thewriting support package costs £210.

A second offering, which teams Co-

Writer with an Asus EEE PC running theWindows XP operating systems, costs £355.

Co-Writer interprets misspelled wordsand reads out alternatives. The programcontains hundreds of topic dictionariesthat help pupils with their spelling.

Other packages in the pipeline willinclude Don Johnston’s Read:Outloud textreader program. ■

www.inclusive.co.uk

Texthelp has added newfeatures to its Read & WriteGold literacy software. Read &Write 9 Gold now has screenmasking that allows users totint sections of the text windowand new voices designed foreducation.

The company has added atranslator feature that translatesindividual words into French,Spanish, German and Italian.And the program has improved spelling,dictionary and homophone support.

Read &Write 9 Gold can be used toimprove access to virtual learning

environments (VLEs) and digital exams. Asingle copy costs £320 plus VAT anddelivery. ■

www.texthelp.com

31 Resources A73 :Layout 1 1/4/09 16:37


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Employers’ Forum on Disability Events Calendar, April to June 2009

APRILTelephone Tutorial: Reasonable adjustments for people withautism2 April 2009 3pm-4pm. Free to EFD gold members. £60 (member/charity), £99 (non member).

Telephone Tutorial: PDF accessibility masterclass22 April 2009 2.30pm-4pm. Free to EFD gold members. £60 (member/charity), £99 (non member).

MAYTelephone Tutorial: Managing stress in the workplace 6 May 2009 3pm-4pm. Free to EFD gold members. £60 (member/charity), £99 (non member).

Disability Discrimination Act Masterclass Part II (employment)London 12 May 2009 10am-4pm. £299 (member/charity), £420 (non member). Scottish Forum: Customer & service user focus Sponsored by HBOS.

Edinburgh 19 May 2009 10am-4pm. Free to EFD members.

Workshop: Reasonable adjustments your questions answered Manchester 19 May 2009 10am-4pm. £275 (member/charity), £399 (non member).

Hot Topic: Encouraging disclosure of disability—more thanjust a tick box Liverpool 21 May 2009 9.30am-2pm. £170 (member/charity), £255 (non member).

JUNETelephone Tutorial: Attendance management and disability 17 June 2009 3pm-4pm. Free to EFD gold members.£60 (member/charity), £99 (non member).

Annual Conference 2009 Disabled people: valued employees,customers and stakeholders in a changing worldLondon 23 June 2009 9.30am-4.30pm. £170 (member/charity,) £300 (non member).

EFD member & charity rates and non-member rates are displayed exclusive of VAT. All events includerefreshments. Event delegate packs are available to purchase if you are unable to attend an event. For full details and to book, visit www.efd.org.uk/events or call 020 7403 3020

Contact us: Employers’ Forum on Disability, Nutmeg House, 60 Gainsford Street, London SE1 2NYTelephone: 020 7403 3020, Textphone: 020 7403 0040, Fax: 020 7403 0404, Email: [email protected]

Visit www.efd.org.uk/events to find out more about these events and to make a booking.

32 Subs and ad A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:38


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THE ERGONOMICS SOCIETY 60THANNIVERSARY CONFERENCE22-23 April 2009Royal College of Physicians, LondonThe Ergonomics Society AnnualConference covers all areas ofergonomics, human factors and usability.Fees: Members one day £195 + VAT, twodays £375 + VAT. Non-members £275and £500. Students £127.66 and£187.23.Further information:email [email protected], call01509 234904 or visitwww.ergonomics.org.uk.

E-ACCESS 0923 AprilOlympia Conference Centre, Olympia,LondonSession topics include ‘Happycustomers, happy staff in an ageingsociety’; the future of accessibility; andthe new WCAG 2.0 web accessguidelines; with expert speakers fromorganisations including the BBC, Yahoo!and Lloyds TSB.Fees: Public sector: £195 plus VAT;private sector: £295 plus VAT; smallcharities (turnover less than £150k ayear) and not for profit organisations:£165 plus VAT.Further information:Call Elodie Robertson on 01883 344799;email at [email protected] orvisit the site at www.headstar-events.com/eaccess09/.

SPECIAL NEEDS NORTH24-25 AprilManchester Central (G-Mex Centre),ManchesterSpecial Needs North is the leadingexhibition in the north of England forteachers and school support staff.Fees: Seminar tickets cost £12.Further information:Call 020 3194 3097, [email protected] or go towww.teachingexhibitions.co.uk.

NATIONAL DIGITAL INCLUSIONCONFERENCE27-28 AprilQEII Conference Centre, LondonThe fourth annual event bringing togetherover 300 experts, decision-makers andpractitioners to network, debate digital

inclusion policy and practice and shapethe agenda for action that delivers‘empowerment through technology’.Fees: Private sector £395, public sector£345, charities and voluntary sectororganisations £295.Further information:Visit www.nationaldigitalinclusionconference.co.uk or call 020 7378 0422.

AUGMENTATIVE AND ALTERNATIVECOMMUNICATIONS (AAC) STUDYDAYSLiteracy for AllLondon 5 May, Manchester 7 May,Dunfermline 11 May Designed for people working withemergent or beginning readers. The Basics of AACLondon 3 June An overview of augmentative andalternative communication – from no-tech to high-tech. Fees: From £85.Further information:Visit www.communicationmatters.org.ukor call 0845 456 8211.

COMMUNICATIONS MATTERSROADSHOWSLlanelli 1 June, Belfast 11 June,Garstang 24 June, Worcester 30 JuneThe road shows provide an overview andan update of specialised communicationaid technology for use by people withsevere speech and communicationimpairment and writing difficulties.Fees: None.Further information: [email protected] orvisit www.communicationsmatters.org.uk.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OFDISABILITY PRACTITIONERS (NADP))ANNUAL CONFERENCE2-3 JulyThe Nottingham Belfry, NottinghamThe keynote speaker is Tony Payne fromUniversity of Tasmania who will talk oncreating accessible teaching and supportin Australian universities.Fees: Before 10 April: members £370,non-members £450. After 13 April:members £420, non-members £490.Single days either £170 or £210.Further information:Call 01604 497933, email [email protected] or visit www.nadp-uk.org.

ContactsAbility magazineEditorial, advertising and other enquiries:[email protected]

AbilityNetCharity advising disabled people,employers and others on assistive IT0800 269545www.abilitynet.org.uk

British Computer Society Disability Group01793 [email protected]/disability

DirectgovGovernment site with help on employment,training, education, financial support,transport, rights and other issues fordisabled peoplewww.direct.gov.uk/en/disabledpeople/index.htm

Employers’ Forum on DisabilityClaims to be the world’s leading employers’organization focused on disability as itaffects business, including recruitment andretention of disabled staff and servingdisabled customerswww.efd.org.uk

IT Can Help (ITCH) NetworkVolunteers offering disabled people freelocal help with computers0800 269545www.itcanhelp.org.uk

RemployEmployment services for disabled peopleand employers, plus other businessservices, including IT equipment recyclingwww.remploy.co.uk

WorkabilityServices to help employers fill vacanciesand disabled people to get jobs. Part ofcharity Leonard Cheshire Disability0845 671 7173www.workability.org.uk

Top websiteVoice enabled websites help those with lowvision, language problems or readingdifficulties access content by reading italoud in a human sounding voice. Text-to-speech software is usually delivered as aservice and includes a tool bar that allowsusers to configure the system. Output canusually be saved as an MP3 file. StanbridgeEarls School for children with learningdifficulties recently installed Texthelp’sBrowsealoud system on its web site. “It hasbeen a ‘must have’ tool for the school,especially as it makes the learning processeasier with the introduction of a friendlyvoice reading out the course material,” saysheadmaster Geoff Link.www.stanbridgeearls.co.uk

■ If you have a favourite website in theaccessible IT field share it with othersthrough Ability by sending it [email protected]

Diary of events


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carey on

Recently, in Japan, I saw a pair ofspeakers to die for: the soundsource was in the base of two

elegant, glass tubes approximately 1.5metres tall which contained a light sourcewhose colour could be changed accordingto the time of day, the occasion or themood.

The sound of a Beethoven Piano Triowas stunning. They are already in use intop restaurants and it won’t be long beforethey banish ugly speakers from our houses.

It was the combination of the aestheticand the functional that set me thinking ofthe breakthroughs which disabled peopleneed, which are possible, which have evententatively emerged, which seem to havedisappeared but which should be a smallbut important part of our recovery strategy.

Automated data rankingI first saw a system 15 years ago that rankedemail according to user behaviour; if youanswered emails from Jim immediatelythey went to the top of the display; if youignored emails from Brian they languishedat the bottom.

The technology is very useful for peoplewho can’t see or have physical disabilities asit cuts down the operation to click on whatyou want and get the job done.

This kind of ranking is good not only for email but also for default set-ups forelectronic programme guides, topicsearches, shopping lists and any kind of‘favourites’ function. It’s so obvious that Ican’t work out why it isn’t more or lessuniversal.

RoboticsAround 2000 I told Guide Dogs for theBlind that by 2010 robots that could pickup GPS/LBS data, get you where youwanted to go, avoiding potholes and

taking you safely across roads, would becheaper and more reliable than Labradors.

I still can’t work out why I was wrong.Sony’s Aibo was launched in 1999 but wassold as a gimmick dog rather than aworking robot and is, sadly, a casualty ofthe current downturn rather than beingseen as an icon of the recovery.

All the technologies for replacing dogsand giving blind people a much morereliable and flexible service that requiresmuch less training and maintenance are inplace; but nothing significant ishappening.

In this case we must take into accountthe natural preference of the public forbuying dogs rather than robots, even if thelatter are better for the supposedbeneficiaries but, even so, the failure isstartling.

MonitoringNo less surprising is the continued failureto use location-based services (LBS), theglobal positioning system (GPS) andcamera technologies to help peopleremain independently mobile by linkingthem to remote monitors such as carers,family members or even specialist centres.One critical point of this kind oftechnology is it breaks the acute divisionbetween total independence and beinghousebound.

Another breakthrough in the Sony labsin the late 1990s was the beginnings oftechnology to react to gestures such that awheelchair user could make a tiny gesturewhich would open a door.

Indeed, one of the most obviousarchitectural failures of the past decade hasbeen the slow growth in the use ofautomatic and ‘intelligent’ doors andwindows, although the problems on trainstell a cautionary tale.

SimulationAlthough we are familiar with the use ofsimulators for airline pilot training and ingames technology, it seems not to havefound its way into rehabilitation.

From journey planning to seeing thedetail of a building that natural vision canno longer provide, simulation uses the bestof our design and visual technologies tobreak down the traditional barrier betweendepiction and reality in the analogueworld.

Direct imagingI wonder whether the Pentagon snaffledthe early research on bypassing the screenso that a laser can transmit an imagedirectly from source onto the retina,bypassing screen technology and thedamaged parts of eyes. It sounds scary, butso did laser technology itself when it firstemerged as an ophthalmological tool.

If all this sounds far-fetched, comparethe state of IT 25 years ago and now. Thedisability sector needs the imagination toget beyond word processing. ■

Crystal ball gazingKevin Carey re-examines some of the technologybreakthroughs disabled people need

Kevin Carey is director of Human-ITy, a UK charity formed to fosterdigital inclusion for disabled andother disadvantaged people.www.humanity.org.uk

34 Carey On A73:Layout 1 1/4/09 16:39

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28 Sight Village Ad A72:Layout 1 19/12/08 14:57 Page 26

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