CAST Announces release of Bobby 3.1.1

CAST Announces release of Bobby 3.1.1

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) is pleased to announce the
release of a major upgrade to the Bobby, available on our web site
(http://www.cast.org/bobby) and as a downloadable application. Bobby is a
free service of CAST that will analyze web pages for their accessibility to
people with disabilities. Bobby will also examine a page's HTML for
compatibility  with selected web browsers or HTML specifications.

The release version of Bobby 3.1.1 is a significant upgrade from Bobby 3.0
and a minor bug fix of Bobby 3.1 (released in early May). It now implements
the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines that became a W3C Recommendation on
May 5, 1999. The Bobby Approval rating is now based on compliance with all
Priority 1 guidelines, including those that Bobby can verify automatically
and those that need to be checked manually. Pages that were previously Bobby
Approved should be rechecked with the new version of Bobby within 90 days to
ensure that they remain Bobby Approved.

Major changes to the application include:

1. Full implementation of the latest version of the JFC (Java Foundations
Classes) to make the application itself accessible to Java-based assistive
technologies. It has been tested with several third-party products that
currently are, or soon will be, available to users.

2. The ability to view Bobby reports in the system's native browser. This
enhances usability for a number of users and gives the ability to print
Bobby reports.

3. A new section for manual checks, which highlight accessibility guidelines
that Bobby cannot verify automatically.

4. Improved implementation of the command-line interface for those who
prefer not to use the GUI application.

5. Additional checks for the latest browsers.

The Bobby Application will run under Windows 95/98/NT, Solaris, or any Java
1.1.6 compatible platform. Versions for the Macintosh and Microsoft VM will
be available next month. Please remember that we are always looking for
feedback, including bugs and ideas for improvement.  Please email comments
to bobby@cast.org.

Note to Bobby 3.1 users (released 5/5/99): Bobby 3.1.1 corrects some bugs in
applying the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and we strongly recommend
installing this upgrade to ensure accurate accessibility analyses.

About CAST: Founded in 1984, CAST is a not-for-profit organization whose
mission is to expand opportunities for all people -especially those with
disabilities - through the innovative uses of computer technology.

For more information, contact: bobby@cast.org or http://www.cast.org/bobby

CAST Announces release of Bobby 3.1.1

CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) is pleased to announce the
release of a major upgrade to the Bobby, available on our web site
(http://www.cast.org/bobby) and as a downloadable application. Bobby is a
free service of CAST that will analyze web pages for their accessibility to
people with disabilities. Bobby will also examine a page's HTML for
compatibility  with selected web browsers or HTML specifications.

The release version of Bobby 3.1.1 is a significant upgrade from Bobby 3.0
and a minor bug fix of Bobby 3.1 (released in early May). It now implements
the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines that became a W3C Recommendation on
May 5, 1999. The Bobby Approval rating is now based on compliance with all
Priority 1 guidelines, including those that Bobby can verify automatically
and those that need to be checked manually. Pages that were previously Bobby
Approved should be rechecked with the new version of Bobby within 90 days to
ensure that they remain Bobby Approved.

Major changes to the application include:

1. Full implementation of the latest version of the JFC (Java Foundations
Classes) to make the application itself accessible to Java-based assistive
technologies. It has been tested with several third-party products that
currently are, or soon will be, available to users.

2. The ability to view Bobby reports in the system's native browser. This
enhances usability for a number of users and gives the ability to print
Bobby reports.

3. A new section for manual checks, which highlight accessibility guidelines
that Bobby cannot verify automatically.

4. Improved implementation of the command-line interface for those who
prefer not to use the GUI application.

5. Additional checks for the latest browsers.

The Bobby Application will run under Windows 95/98/NT, Solaris, or any Java
1.1.6 compatible platform. Versions for the Macintosh and Microsoft VM will
be available next month. Please remember that we are always looking for
feedback, including bugs and ideas for improvement.  Please email comments
to bobby@cast.org.

Note to Bobby 3.1 users (released 5/5/99): Bobby 3.1.1 corrects some bugs in
applying the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines, and we strongly recommend
installing this upgrade to ensure accurate accessibility analyses.

About CAST: Founded in 1984, CAST is a not-for-profit organization whose
mission is to expand opportunities for all people -especially those with
disabilities - through the innovative uses of computer technology.

For more information, contact: bobby@cast.org or http://www.cast.org/bobby

Please redistribute widely

Received on Thursday, 10 June 1999 16:28:44 UTC