- From: Anne Pemberton <apembert@erols.com>
- Date: Wed, 25 Apr 2001 17:29:10 -0400
- To: w3c-wai-gl@w3.org
Following note was sent in February. The site is at http://www.ablelinktech.com The company is developing software to be used by persons with mental retardation or cognitive disabilities. I asked for details on what they were doing and what is needed on the web to meet his customers' needs. I suspect Steve will be as happy to anser anyone else's questions as he did mine. Anne >Reply-To: <steve@assess.net> >From: "Steven Stock-AbleLink" <steve@assess.net> >To: <apembert@erols.com> >Subject: Web page development >Date: Fri, 2 Feb 2001 10:37:21 -0700 >X-MSMail-Priority: Normal >X-Mailer: Microsoft Outlook CWS, Build 9.0.2416 (9.0.2911.0) >X-MimeOLE: Produced By Microsoft MimeOLE V5.00.2919.6600 >Importance: Normal > >Hello Again Anne > >Yes, our browser will integrate a screen reader to help people with mental >retardation comprehend web content. We are similarly developing an >complimentary email application that will also use screen reading technology >to comprehend incoming email, along with simple interface to record, >compress and attach an audio file to compose and send outgoing email. As >these examples illustrate, our focus in the past 10 years of conducting R & >D has been to develop technologies that help people with cognitive >challenges to be more independent. There are many software programs that >teach things like reading and writing, and that is of the utmost importance, >but our goal is to develop tools that do not depend on literacy skills for >those who "don't get it." We do include and promote text on-screen, but it >is supplementary to our multimedia approaches to encourage residual >learning. > >In regards to your last question about advocating for illustrated content to >improve comprehension, I'm not sure in what context that is. What >guidelines is your group developing? Who for? We use development techniques >that are graphics-heavy along with extensive audio instructions that "guide >the user to the next-most-likely step" in a software interface. For >instance a standard technique for us is to put a picture on a button, but >then also to trigger a computer-generated audio prompt that refers to the >picture (e.g., "Now click the button with the envelope on it.") While that >applies nicely to desktop software, many of our established development >techniques are not available when developing web-based applications or >pages. I guess the short answer is to include graphics to the degree that >they do not alter the fundamental nature or purpose of the web site. We >talk about the concept of "partial participation" in some of our literature, >the idea that lower functioning individuals may not be able to independently >use all of a software program or web site, but that they can be taught to at >least use parts of it and facilitated through the rest. > >Please tell me more about what you are doing. I'm guessing you have been >there, but if not our web site is: > > www.ablelinktech.com > >Thanks again for your interest, look forward to hearing from you again > >Steve > > > > > > > Anne Pemberton apembert@erols.com http://www.erols.com/stevepem http://www.geocities.com/apembert45
Received on Wednesday, 25 April 2001 17:22:02 UTC