Access and Technology briefly
Compiled & edited by Jennifer Geagan, World Institute on Disability (jennifer@wid.org)
Will Miniature Horses Replace Man's Best Friend as the Guide Animal of Choice?
The Guide Horse Foundation has been training miniature horses as assistance animals as a means to address the shortage of guide animals for blind persons. According to the Guide Horse Foundation, users report that guide horses demonstrate excellent judgement and are not easily distracted by crowds and people. Horses also have a much longer lifespan than dogs, and may offer an alternative for those who are allergic to or are afraid of their canine counterparts. Visit the Guide Horse Foundation on the Internet at http://www.guidehorse.com.
New Shoes Buzz Blind
USA Today recently reported that vibrating orientation shoes for blind persons are in the works. These high tech "smart shoes" are equipped with infrared sensors that can detect objects up to a meter away and vibrate according to the location and size of the object detected. To read the article, go to http://www.usatoday.com/tech/news/techinnovations/2003-03-31-smart-shoes_x.htm.
American Council of the Blind Says Cynthia Says
The American Council of the Blind announced their endorsement of Cynthia Says ™ as well as AccVerify Cynthia Says ™ as excellent tools for guaranteeing that web sites will be accessible to people who are blind and visually impaired. Cynthia Says ™ provides testing of web sites for compliance with Section 508 and the World Wide Web Consortium (WC3) web accessibility standards and reports accessibility issues immediately through simple and easy-to-understand web browser based reports. The downloadable version of the software, AccVerify Cynthia Says ™, is available at no cost to all K-12 schools and a nominal cost to others at http://www.cynthiasays.com.
The AT Connection Helps Find Answers to AT Questions
The AT Connection provides access to information and experiences from persons who have used AT and accommodations in performing similar tasks and activities and can help people find answers to some of their questions including:
- What product worked best for a specific situation?
- How much training was required?
- What impact did the AT have on employment?
- What funding options were used?
- Did the device or accommodation continue to perform well?
For more information, please visit http://www.techconnections.org/forum/index.cfm
Canadian Guide to Producing Print Materials in Alternate Formats
The Council on Access to Information for Print-disabled Canadians offers a wide array of information and resources for producing materials in alternate formats. For more information, please visit http://www.nlc-bnc.ca/accessinfo/index-e.html.
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