- From: <Julie.Howell@rnib.org.uk>
- Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2001 17:21:42 +0100
- To: w3c-wai-eo@w3.org
Hi everyone This press release is doing the rounds in the UK. RNIB has not been involved in this and does not endorse it in any way. Would be interested in your thoughts on the product. It's a very long message - I haven't read it all and you may not wish to either. Instead just skip to the site at http://www.justvanilla.com --- Kind regards Julie Howell Campaigns Officer (Internet) Royal National Institute for the Blind 224 Great Portland Street, London W1W 5AA, UK julie.howell@rnib.org.uk Tel. +44 (0)20 7391 2191 Fax. +44 (0)20 7391 2104 2 million people in the UK experience sight loss or blindness. Poor design prevents many disabled people from getting the most from the Web. Support RNIB's campaign for better Web design! http://www.rnib.org.uk/digital Ask me for our campaign video: 'Web sites that work' Ask me for our campaign report: 'Get the message online' Join the campaign mailing list: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/RNIBCampaignforGoodWebDesign/join From: Mac Leckie [mailto:mac@justvanilla.com] Sent: 27 June 2001 13:20 To: RNIB Education & Employment Information Service Subject: New Service for Blind\Visually Impaired\Dyslexic\Deaf Blind PRESS INFORMATION 16th June 2001-For Immediate release New and innovative web service to improve social inclusion for all users of the www. JustVanilla Ltd. announces a new web service with unparalleled usability and accessibility features. Now, Internet users can have a web based, rather than a browser based, ability to personalise the way in which web content appears on their screens. For the first time users can store their preferences on the web creating freedom of movement. As a result, the www can be made easier to use, faster, more inclusive and highly portable. The design aim, which focussed on simplicity, usability and ease of access, will now allow new users of all ages and lifestyles to be able to access and use the www. The availability of this new service is one of the greatest practical contributions to the issues of social inclusion and reduction of the 'digital divide'. Amongst the many that will benefit from the new service are: · Those who use the Internet every day for work including teleworkers, students, school pupils, businesses, journalists and researchers. · People whose use of the Internet is restricted by social disadvantage simply by outdated, or in many cases not having access to a computer. · Those with disabilities such as visual impairment, dyslexia, learning difficulties and reduced mobility. · Carers, parents and professional support staff of people with disabilities. · People and businesses located in remote rural areas with poor infrastructure and slow telecommunications services. · The many elderly and other users to whom new technologies can seem intimidating. There are over thirty (30) accessibility features incorporated into the service providing a choice of billions of combinations that may be configured to meet the diverse requirements of Internet users. For instance, over 40 colours (specially selected to provide a good range of contrasts for those with colour vision impairment) can be applied to screen background, text and hyperlinks in any combination. Font type can be varied and size increased/decreased dynamically on screen. Extra spacing can be inserted between words or even between individual letters within words. Paragraphs can be indented, all text transformed into capitals, and underlining removed from hyperlinks, which can also be made to glow. A narrow page option can be set, 'pop up' windows disabled, and flashing text and animations removed. All these and many more features give the user the power to control and adapt the appearance of any information delivered to them. Once set, these preferences are maintained for future use whilst browsing the JustVanilla site. Furthermore, they can then be applied to the contents of the entire Internet. The power of the JustVanilla service is further enhanced by an 'access gateway' which can optionally strip out graphics from any website, disable/enable frames, tables, scripts, and more. Virtually the entire contents of any web site can be delivered in text format at high speed with all the users preferences maintained. This 'access gateway', although designed specifically for blind and visually impaired users to disentangle complex web designs (which often prevent them from accessing and using many websites) can also bring major benefits to other web users. Each JustVanilla user is allocated their own unique URL and four pages containing 'default' bookmarks for home, work, learning and shopping use. These 'default' settings may be changed at any time to reflect their own requirements and changing interests. A powerful Research Zone contains over 6000 important hyperlinks. The Zone supports new Internet users and focuses on sources of information and tutorial support. Current affairs are a major focus and over 300 news feeds are directly available. Searching the web is a major preoccupation often denied to people with disabilities. With JustVanilla, access to 'the Open Directory' is provided with results being returned in the user's preferences. The popular Google search engine and Xrefer, the powerful information cross referencing product, are also provided and can deliver results in the user's preferences through the 'access gateway'. Once located any website can be viewed in the user preferences by going through the 'access gateway' The site also provides a comprehensive set of 'community features' such as web-based email, chat rooms, forum, classified advertisements, tutorials, and technical support. All these can be delivered according to the user's preferences. The designers believe that this will enable many to participate for the first time in a truly open and equal environment irrespective of their personal circumstances. Many people with a disability suffer considerably from reduced freedom of movement. Portability has therefore featured prominently in the designers' minds. Because the JustVanilla service is web based the user's settings are always available to them wherever and whenever they access and use the Internet e.g. from public libraries, Internet cafes and kiosks. Privacy and security also have played a significant part in the development of the site; i.e. cookies are not used, and may not be served by third parties from our site. Access to chat and forums is available only to registered users under their actual registered user name for which we hold the physical address. The JustVanilla site has taken two years to develop. Throughout that time constant assessments have been carried out against the W3C accessibility guidelines and the site is 'Bobby' approved. The JustVanilla design does not slavishly follow standards, many of which are sadly not matched by browsers, but follows a strictly pragmatic solution. The site is very accessible even to old browsers because features such as cookies, Java, JavaScript, Flash, plug-ins etc, are not used. The site contains no banner adverts and is available on an individual subscription basis. The Annual Subscription is £19.95 and there is a once only £20.00 set up fee. International subscribers will pay the same rates in their local currencies. In addition to revenue from subscriptions, areas on the site are being offered for corporate sponsorship and a shopping mall is planned for people with disabilities, which will be a further source of revenue. The address of the site is http://www.justvanilla.com and it will open to the public from 1300 hrs GMT on Monday 25th June 2001. -Ends- ************************************************************************** ************** PLEASE NOTE: Journalists wishing to use and review the site free of charge should log on to: http://www.justvanilla.com/cgibin/start/tpc1/index.html This facility will be available for a trial period of one month for journalists. ************************************************************************** ************************* For further information and pictures (print or mail attachment) please contact: General press enquiries to: Mac Leckie, Marketing Director. Tel: 01328 853 300 or 01328 855 033 Fax: 01328 855 865 Email: mac@justvanilla.com Technical enquiries to: Mike Hough, Managing Director. Tel: 01362 683 790 Fax: 01328 855 865 Email: mike@justvanilla.com Offices: JustVanilla Ltd., Manor House, Toftrees, Fakenham, Norfolk, NR21 7DZ BACKGROUND AND PROFILE OF THE FOUNDERS OF JUSTVANILLA LTD. The challenge to develop JustVannila arose out of the founders' research into ways of improving Internet performance for small businesses and teleworkers situated in remote and rural parts of the country. Both founders of JustVanilla, Mike Hough and Mac Leckie, live in rural North Norfolk, an area of the country where there are scattered communities dispersed over a wide area with little public transport and poor communications. Broadband services are unlikely to reach such areas in the UK for some time. This condemns both individuals and rural businesses to higher costs and slower communications, which place them at a disadvantage to those who, enjoy better services in urban locations. By being uncompromising over setting and delivering a goal of simplicity in design over other factors, it was seen that additional markets could be addressed, particularly to many disadvantaged people and those who are disabled around the world. Mike Hough, Managing Director. Following time at Hull, Wolverhamton and Bath Universities, where he gained two first degrees and a masters, all in science disciplines, Mike Hough went on the become head of R&D at a major UK seed company. Seeking to expand his entrepreneurial skills he founded his own biotechnology company in 1978. Within a few years production was taking place on four continents and sales were worldwide. Compound turnover increase averaged 40% and a profitability growth of 229% was achieved. Considerable experience of the start up, and high growth, process was gained and successful negotiations completed for subsequent funding from: The National Research and Development Corporation, the British Technology Group, 3i, and various other venture capital organisations. More recently, as Mike Hough Associates, he has been carrying out consultancy work for client companies including the DTI and FCO. During this time branch offices in Romania and Portugal were established and, of necessity, he became a committed teleworker. Mac Leckie, Marketing Director. Mac Leckie has over 40 years experience in the international IT and telecommunications industries. During his career, he has worked in senior marketing, planning and management roles at ICL, Nortel and Groupe Bull. He has served on the Council of the British Computer Society (BCS), and was for many years Business Papers editor of the BCS Journal. He was a member of the DTI's Asia Pacific Advisory Group. Before devoting his efforts full time to developing JustVanilla Ltd., Mac ran his own management and marketing consultancy advising small businesses on IT applications including the implementation of e-business systems. He writes regularly on e-business matters for a local magazine. He is married with two daughters and has lived in North Norfolk for many years. THE DISABILITY MARKET Although the number of people impacted by inaccessible computer and software design is difficult to calculate precisely worldwide as many as 500 million people have disabilities. In the US, that number is about 54 million or one in five Americans. In the European Union alone, at least 12% of the population have disabilities and may therefore face difficulties using conventional equipment. Furthermore, it is estimated that 45-65% of the EU's disabled population is of working ages (15-64 years). In the UK, there are approximately 8.3 million disabled people with a spending power of £40 billion. "The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web
Received on Wednesday, 27 June 2001 12:21:40 UTC