Braille Readers test at NPR.

Do you need extra cash for the holidays?  Do you read Braille?  Towson University and National Public Radio are conducting research that will help design a new product - a  Radio Brailler - that will be used by blind and deaf-blind consumers to access radio news and emergency alerts.  We are looking for blind and low-vision people who are able to read Braille fluently and comfortably.  You will read six short NPR stories on a refreshable Braille display and answer questions about the stories.  The Refreshable Braille Display will be provided at the session.  Even if you've never read on a Braille display, you can participate – we'll provide a short training session in the beginning if you need it.   You will be with us for 2 - 2.5 hours and receive $50 for your time.  You will also be asked your opinion of a new Radio Reading Service Radio that we are developing. The session will take place at Nation Public Radio headquarters near Chinatown, in Washington DC the week of Dec 13-17 as well as the following week if need be, scheduled to your convenience.  For details, contact the Adaptive Technology Librarian at DC Public Library Adaptive Services Division at DC Public Library.

AccessibilityDC Karl Groves of deque

http://www.accessibilitydc.org/

 November 30, 2010, from 6:30 PM to 8:30 PM in room 215, MLK Library, 9th and G NW

Please make sure to register at:

http://accessibilitydcnov10.eventbrite.com/

6:30 PM - 6:45 PM - Welcome everyone.

6:45 PM - 8:15 PM - Join Karl Groves of deque for his talk about the Firebug plug-in FireEyes. Karl will be explaining how the plug-in works and mostly doing this by showing different examples of it working. FireEyes allows the developer or deisnger see live any accessibility issues the page they are on is having.

Here is a short blurb from the deque website about FireEyes.

Worldspace FireEyes is an unprecedented, nextgen web accessibility tool that ensures both static and dynamic content within a web portfolio are compliant with standards such as Section 508, WCAG 1.0, and WCAG 2.0. You can use another tool, but it won’t be fully JavaScript aware or handle event-based page content, like FireEyes.

Does your site:

• Use AJAX, JavaScript, Flash, PDFs, or dynamic content?
• Personalize multiple user roles?
• Display pages based on user-entered data?
• Use a content management system, with or without templates?v
• Need to be accessible, secure, and private?

You can read more about FireEyes http://www.deque.com/products/worldspace-fireeyes on the website.

8:15 PM - 8:30 PM - Closing remarks, clean-up, and information about after event wanderings. We will also be looking for more ideas of what talks people want to here and/or give for the next meeting.

Dave Banes Access

http://www.davebanesaccess.com
Blog on Access Technology from a UK accessibility expert.

Free Assistive Technology Help Line

The Chicago Lighthouse’s National HelpDesk is an assistive technology support line that helps visually impaired people successfully resolve computer problems. 

Operated by Ray Campbell, who is totally blind, he has served people in 48 states, six Canadian provinces, China, South Africa and New Zealand. Assistance from the HelpDesk has been well received around the world.  More than 2000 calls have been received.

The service was made possible in April 2005 when The Chicago Lighthouse successfully matched a $41,000 grant from The Boeing Company. 

If an issue can not be resolved over the phone, an on-site visit can be scheduled with customer residing in the Chicago metropolitan area.

For more information, contact:
Ray Campbell, Help Desk Technician
(312) 997-3651 (Voice/Relay) or
(888) 825-0080 (voice/Relay)
E-mail: ray.campbell@chicagolighthouse.org 
AIM Screen Name: tclhelp  

Adapt on Demand

Adapt on Demand

“The help you need when you need it”

816-721-3145

E-mail: adapt@kc.rr.com

My services include work environment assessment, accessibility testing, purchasing advice,computer training, network setup, virus and spyware removal, and general hardware and software technical support by phone or through E-mail at $20 per incident.

I make this pledge. If I haven’t assisted you to your satisfaction I won’t accept payment. I’m in this to help people first.

Invest in yourself! Contact me soon to discover the ways we can work together to adapt technology toward pursuing your dreams.

Saturday Session 11/20/2010

WHAT                   Community Forum

WHEN                   November 20, 2010

                                1:00 PM to 3:00 PM, followed by networking

WHERE Martin Luther King (MLK) Library

                                901 G Street NW, Room 215

For its November community meeting, the Adaptive Services Division of the MLK Library has asked Derek Orr, Director, Office of Disability Rights (ODR) and Denise Decker, member, DC Commission for People with Disabilities (DCCPD), to hold a Forum that will:

• Describe the work of the ODR and the DCCPD and
• Include a listening session during which members of the disability community will make suggestions, ask questions and provide feedback. 

Any commissioners who are available and want to join in this open discussion should plan to attend.  The goal of the forum is to share the work of ODR and the DCCPD key projects and activities.   We also want to hear issues of interest and concern as well as encourage community involvement.

Disabled-World

News and Information site, plus videos.
http://www.disabled-world.com/
http://videos.disabled-world.com/

Careers with the Feds

Find a Job. Get a Career!
Seats are available- register now!
Careers with the Feds: Are you ready to enter the workforce? Interested in changing careers? Have you been discouraged by the federal government hiring process? If you are qualified and ready to work for the federal government, this program is for you! Christine Griffin, Deputy Director of the Office of Personnel Management, will explore the initiatives her office is taking to meet the needs of the federal government. Learn about the latest initiatives to identify, recruit, and hire qualified employees with disabilities. This program is appropriate for anyone interested in a career in the federal service, their families, and vocational service providers.

When: Saturday, November 6, 2010
Where: BWI Marriott Conference Center
1743 West Nursery Road
Baltimore, MD 21099
Time: 1:30PM-5:00PM, but come early to explore
 exhibit hall
1:30-4PM: Careers with the Feds: Guidance on USA Jobs, resume and coaching services, and surviving the security clearance process
Christine Griffin, Deputy Director
Office of Personnel Management
4-4:50PM: On-boarding Yourself: How to handle poor performance reviews and manage difficult colleagues
Tom Morris, Morris & Associates
Why: Find a job. Get a career!
Preregistration is required. Go to http://www.regonline.com/MARConvention2010
Choose the ‘employment program’ for $30. Registration fee covers: Instructional materials
Unlimited admission to the exhibit hall
Afternoon refreshments of jumbo cookies, Starbucks, fruit, and soft drink

Good50

A simple, usable interface to google.
http://good50.com/index.html
This is the organization that made it happen.
http://good50.com/about.html

Career Expo for People with Disabilities

The Washington, D.C. Career Expo for People with Disabilities will take place on November 19, 10 a.m.-3 p.m. at the Ronald Reagan Building, 1300 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Washington, DC 20004.


Many large companies and federal agencies will be attending as recruiters, including Northrop Grumman, CSC Corporation, Sybase, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Department of Labor, Department of Army, Defense Contract Management Agency, Bender Consulting, Capital One, Department of Defense, Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, General Dynamics, Social Security Administration, National Institutes on Health, University of Virginia, Transportation Security Administration, Department of Justice, Department of State, National Science Foundation, and the Farm Credit Administration.
To attend, you must register and upload your resume at www.eop.com/expo

Jobs

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES
2010 CAREER FAIR
FOR PEOPLE AND VETERANS WITH TARGETED DISABILITIES
“Talent Has No Boundaries”
OCTOBER 28, 2010
8:30 AM – 4:00 PM
Hubert H. Humphrey Building
Great Hall
200 Independence Ave. SW
Washington, DC 20201
Participating Partners
Department of Health and Human Services Operating Divisions
HHS Partners
Other Federal Government Agencies
Featured Training and Activities
Disability Cultural Awareness
How to Find a Federal Job using Schedule A and Veteran Hiring Authorities
How to Prepare a Federal Resume
Roles and Responsibilities of Selective Placement Coordinators
Reasonable Accommodations
Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP)
Agency Informational Exhibits
For more information or to request a reasonable accommodation, contact Melanie Lott at: OSDiversity@hhs.gov.
*APPLICANTS AND EXHIBITORS
Register at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HHS_Career_Fair_2010
*HHS ONLY
Register at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/HHS_Career_Fair_2010_Training
Registration Deadline: 12:00 Noon, October 27, 2010

NFB Regional Convention

The National Federation of the Blind of Washington D.C. (NFB of D.C.) invites you to attend our Annual Convention.
October 8 - 9, 2010
Channel Inn
650 Water Street SW

NFB of D.C. is an advocacy organization working to protect and promote the human and civil rights of blind people. We believe that all blind people must be able to participate in every aspect of secular and governmental life. With opportunities, equality and security, we can and will obtain parity with our sighted partners.

In order to achieve our goals, we invite you to join our ranks. Your talents, skills, and wisdom are the tools needed to further the cause for greater understanding and acceptance.
The Theme this year is “United We Stand; Together We All Benefit”.

Come join us to discover how you can make a difference.

Registration fee is $15.00.



Our banquet will be held between 12:00 and 2:00 p.m. Cost is $25.00.


for more info contact the library at 202-727-2142

State Convention for the NFB District of Columbia

The State Convention for the NFB District of Columbia will be held October 8-9, 2010.
For information on Registration email: NFB.DC01@yahoo.com or call 202 882 8090.
Each year, all of the 52 NFB affiliates hold their own annual state conventions that focus on more local issues. These conventions generally feature substantive blindness-related programming, deliberations on state and local policy matters, administration of internal organizational business, special exhibits of interest to members, and more.
Information on all state conventions, visit the state conventions web page.
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/state_conventions.asp

Adaptive Technology Program Events, Fall 2010

9/11/10 Arts on Foot, MLK Library, 12noon-5pm Great Hall and second floor east and west lobbies


9/11/10 ACB DC Monthly Meeting

9/18/10 Saturday Session on iPad, iPhone (Mark Reumann), and Disability Awareness (Daman Wandke), 1pm to 4pm Room 215

9/21/10 Web Accessibility Meet-up: Audio Description (Joel Snyder) 6:30-8:30, Room 215

9/25/10 Moving Forward Together DC Partners in Transition and Resource Fair 9:30-5:30, A level

10/2/10 Saturday Session on Adaptive Services to Older Adults - IIB, Lions, TaiChi 1pm to 4pm room 215

10/09/10 AccessibilityCampDC - 9:30am - 5:30pm room 215 and second floor east and west lobbies

10/10/10 NFB DC Regional Convention, Channel Inn

10/12, 10/13/10 George Mason University AT Fair

10/16/10 Saturday Session on Orientation and Mobility - Metro, GPS

10/19/10 Web Accessibility DC Meet-up 6:30-8:30pm, room 215

NFB DC Capital East party

The National Federation of the Blind of the District of Columbia


Capital East Chapter

Invites you to join us for an evening of music, dancing, fellowship,

fun, food, games and hansom single guys and lovely single women.

Date: Friday, August 20, 2010

Time: 7 – 11 P. M.

Address: 5233 North Capitol Street, N. E.

The Community Room of the North Capital

At Plymouth Apartment Complex

Bring your dancing shoes and a $5.00 donation

contact us before Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Events in August

Saturday Technology Training Sessions will be canceled in August for vacation.
AccessibilityDC will still meet on the third Tuesday August 17th, 6:30-8:30pm

More Top Tech Tidbits

Sorry to post so many Top Tech Tidbits, they are just so good.

1) Thunder was perhaps the first free non-Internet-dependent screen reader. Development on it continues with version 2, which works with Windows 7 and Office 2007, and now supports Internet Explorer. the portable version can be installed on any computer. Greek, Polish and Spanish versions are coming. You can visit the blog at
http://theblindblogger.blogspot.com/
and download the screen reader here:
http://www.screenreader.net/

2) Cobra, a screen reader from Baum in Germany, is now at version 9. It claims great stability, use of OCR to access otherwise inaccessible screen elements, and a more reasonable price, 499 euros, or some $625. A 30-minute demo version is available, and it offers speech-braille, speech-magnifier, or full configuration versions.
http://www.baum.de/cms/en/cobra/

3) If you have, or are willing to sign up for, a Windows Live or Hotmail account, you can get 25 GB of free online storage through Microsoft SkyDrive. Gizmo tells us of a freer utility to make your SkyDrive show up as a regular drive on your computer, for easy data transfer.
http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmosbest/~3/GhCgwTtBXHM/free-utility-makes-ms-skydrive-even-more-useful.htm
4) Listen to yours truly discuss the current accessibility, promise and challenges of speech recognition such as Windows Speech Recognition and Dragon Naturally Speaking, for the blind, on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 20 July at 00:00.
http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

5) On the speech recognition front, JSay version 8 is now available. This package integrates JAWS version 11 with Dragon Naturally Speaking 10.1, and offers full compatibility with Windows 7 32 and 64-bit versions and with all JAWS features including ResearchIt.
http://www.tandt-consultancy.com/
6) The July, 2010 issue of AccessWorld from American Foundation for the Blind is now available, featuring reviews of the iPad, Refresh-a-Braille, I-Pal Solo and I-Pal LV, several articles about access technology in school, and more.
http://www.afb.org/accessworld

7) Members of the free Klango network who are members of Facebook have access to a Facebook client which is said to be much more accessible than the usual one.
http://www.klango.net/

8) Here is a YouTube video showing Window-Eyes' support forr Office 2010.
http://www.youtube.com/gwmicro#p/u/6/5K00QnyPf78
9) Serotek offers 20 interviews with vendors at the American Council of the Blind convention:
http://serotalk.com/2010/07/14/20-interviews-from-acb-2010-convention-in-phoenix-arizona-3/
10) Humanware has announced the availability of Map Manager 2.0.9 and Trekker Maps 3.2 for the Trekker and Trekker Breeze.
http://www.humanware.com/en-usa/support/map_3_2_upgrade

Top Tech Tidbits

1) If you are eligible for Bookshare and haven't been keeping up with the collection, you will find that they have added hundreds of computer-related publications. Those from oReilly Books may be available to users in Canada, Great Britain and India.


http://www.bookshare.org



2) NFB-Newsline has recently released Podable News, which allows subscribers to download MP3 files of publications and their individual sections, so that they can cobble together a publication tailored to their interests, containing just the preferred sections from different publications. These files are downloaded automatically with free Newsline software, and can be played on the computer (with a media player such as Winamp), copied to an MP3-playing device such as the IPod, or downloaded to some digital talking-book players. More information about Podable News may be found at http://www.nfbnewslineonline.org



3) Here's a source for some free video lectures of university classes:

http://freevideolectures.com/



4) Chip Orange has updated his Window-Eyes scripts for Microsoft Office so that they will work with Office 2010.

http://www.gwmicro.com/sc



5) Ian Humphreys has released BG Crossword Puzzle, his fifteenth accessible game. You can read about it here:

http://www.spoonbillsoftware.com.au/blindgamers.htm

To order the free game, send a message requesting it to games@spoonbillsoftware.com.au



6) David Bales has written another of his free guides, this one discusses how to use Windows Explorer under windows 7. While specifically written for JAWS users, almost all of it applies to users of other screen readers.

http://bit.ly/9m6XRs



7) This Fred's Head post discusses an accessible way to stream Sirius-XM Radio using VoiceOver http://www.fredshead.info/2010/07/sirius-xm-more-accessible-to-visually.html



8) With the ongoing increase in blind iPhone ownership, we'll be mentioning accessible apps that might be of interest to many. Here's a post about an app that lets you print from your iPhone as well as transfer files to and from your computer.

http://www.fredshead.info/2010/07/print-n-share-from-your-iphone.html



9) We have yet to mention the digit-Eyes audio labeling system. This iPhone app will cost $29.95 until July 31. It lets you create audio or text labels so that you can use your phone to identify all manner of products. It also reads millions of commercial bar codes from many countries.

http://digit-eyes.com/



10) Speaking of the iPhone, if you find all these different i-gadgets a little confusing, which does what and which might you want, then listen to Anna Dresner on Tek Talk on GMT Tuesday, 27 July at 00:00.

http://conference321.com/masteradmin/room.asp?id=rsc9613dc89eb2

Remember that all Tek Talk programs, including my recent one on speech recognition, are archived within a few days of broadcast at http://accessibleworld.org/category/site-categories/tek-talk-archives



11) The deadline for applications for this terms courses in the Cisco Academy for the Visually Impaired is almost upon us. If you have good computer and internet skills, and are interested in learning about Building, Maintaining, and troubleshooting PCs or Networks please email for more information on courses offered, pricing, and scholarships.

caviinfo@gmail.com



12) The American Printing House for the Blind is considering making Readers's Digest and Newsweek available for free download. Here is a link to a survey you can complete to show any interest you may have in this idea:

http://weba.im/1v7



13) Viapple-voiceover is a new mailing list on googlegroups for discussing all aspects of VoiceOver on the Apple.

http://groups.google.com/group/viapple-voiceover?hl=en
14) SeroTalk podcast 46 features some interviews from the ACB convention with providers we haven't heard much from before.

http://serotalk.com/2010/07/19/serotalk-podcast-46-acb-2010-convention-highlights/
15) The editor at Gizmo has updated Probably the Best Free Security List in the World http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmosbest/~3/TmW2BJZLKv4/probably-best-free-security-list-world.htm
16) Another article that has received an update is Free Collection of Audio and Video Converters http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmosbest/~3/uLLuRLP6WAQ/i-love-free-collection-audio-and-video-converters.htm
17) I have no idea if this technique is accessible (let us know if you try it) but here's a Gizmo article entitled An Easy Way to Connect to Any PC Remotely http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmosbest/~3/jXH5ltD6zH8/connect-any-pc-remotely-team-viewer.htm
18) Finally, while we're at it, Here's one called Tips and Tricks to Make Full Use of Favorite Links http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmosbest/~3/_VytGmS-E00/make-full-use-of-favorite-links.htm
For questions and comments regarding Tidbits, please e-mail Dean Martineau at dean@topdotenterprises.com. Dean Martineau provides adaptive technology training by phone, online, and in person, with flexible arrangements, and at affordable prices.
Would you like to receive text-only versions of the Top Tech Tidbits and Adaptech Insider Newsletters? If so, find the link at the bottom of each Newsletter titled "Update Profile/E-Mail Address", and check this newly-available option.
Feel free to forward individual Tidbits, or the entire tidbits issue, to interested people (but make sure they don't already receive it; a lot do!) When doing this, please have the courtesy to cite your source, perhaps directing them to the tidbits website (see below.)
Tidbits is intentionally concise, and we know a lot of people may not understand some items because little explanation is given. If a particular Tidbit brings up a question in your mind, feel free to ask, and I will try to answer as time and knowledge permit.
Visit the Tidbits archive at http://www.flying-blind.com/tidbits2010.html where you can grab back issues. All that welcome information for future issues can come to me at dean@topdotenterprises.com.
You can subscribe to Top Tech Tidbits on the Flying Blind, LLC Website at: http://www.flying-blind.com. Here you will find an accessibly friendly and secure form into which you can enter your email address, click submit, and begin receiving Tidbits weekly. It's that easy.

Lynda Online Tutorials

Lynda Online Tutorials
some pay, some free

Online software tutorials - Adobe Microsoft, Apple, and more.
Online Training Library
Lynda.com Software training & tutorial video library. 
Online courses help you learn critical skills.
Free access & previews on hundreds of tutorials.
www.lynda.com/
life-long learning. education is power, knowledge creates opportunity, technology should be accessible to everyone.

Job Fair Tuesday

Diversity Job Fair - Tuesday, July 20 - 10am-3pm - Holiday Inn National Airport - Crystal City.

Tuesday, July 20th


10am–3pm

Holiday Inn National Airport/

Crystal City

2650 Jeff erson Davis Highway

Arlington, Virginia 22202
 
Dress professionally.


Bring resumes.

Free Resume Screening Provided by Anointed Words.

Treat the event as if it were an interview.

Free Admission to Job Seekers.

Metro Accessible.

Research each company before attending event to best

know the positions open and the requirements to qualify.

White Cane and More Store

On Wednesday, June 30th, The White Cane and More Store will be relocating to another suite in the same building, in the same office as The Light House for the Blind. New suite is #210.

Address is:
8720 Georgia Avenue, Suite 210
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Phone: 301 589 0866

Gary's Guide

http://dc.garysguide.org/
GarysGuide.org is the #1 Business Events Calendar in the world covering Technology, Media, Finance, Healthcare, Legal, Biotech, Cleantech & other events and listing a comprehensive collection of conferences, un-conferences, forums, workshops, seminars, meetups, tweetups, mixers, parties and more.

Free Technology Training

If you know of anyone interested in Free Technology Training, please pass along this information.


The District is joining Microsoft Corp. in a public-private partnership to provide free technology training to more than 10,000 D.C. residents.
Through Microsoft’s Elevate America initiative, the D.C. Department of Employment Services will provide 11,250 vouchers for free online technology training and certification. Any D.C. resident may apply; there are no income requirements.
Please visit http://www.jobs.dc.gov/





Tony Paschal



ICON Community Services



1240 North Pitt St. Ste. LL



Alexandria, VA 22313



703.548.4048 ext. 232



703.548.0198 (fax)



tony@iconservices.org



icon@tonypaschal.com



www.iconservices.org

DC Assistive Technology Resource Center

DC Assistive Technology Resource Center invites you to attend:

Augmentative Alternative Communication Device demonstration
Date: Tuesday, June 22nd

Time: 1 p.m. - 2:30 p.m.

Room: 2B

Speaker: David Goldberg

Company: Tobii ATI (www.tobiiati.com )
This demonstration is about communication devices for individuals who have restrictions on the production or comprehension of spoken or written language. A few of communication devices from Tobii ATI (www.tobiiati.com ) will be demonstrated. They are:
C8 - a speech generating device

C12 with CEye - a speech generating device with eye tracking MyTobbi P10 - a Speech generating device with eye tracking Lightwriter SL40 - the new version of a popular text to speech device

Top Tech Tidbits!

1) The Applian Technologies for Blind Users site was created by an enthusiastic user of these recording product for Windows pc's.


http://www.applian.com/Podcasts/applian-info.html



2) Jonathan Mosen and Brian Hartgen have developed The Mushroom FM Fun guys Guide to Internet Broadcasting. This is a three-hour 20-minute audio tutorial that will help get prospective broadcasters up and running with all the necessary tools. It is free and available in DAISY and mp3. Choose the Become a Presenter link here:

http://www.MushroomFM.com



3) HandyTech has re-launched the Mobile Access Payment program whereunder U.S. residents can buy Code Factory software such as Mobile Speak and Mobile Geo on one-year interest-free contracts.

http://www.handytech.us



4) Mark Taylor will present a Code Factory live broadcast on Mobile Geo 2.5 on GMT Saturday, 5 June at 17:00.

http://codefactoryblog.wordpress.com/2010/05/30/code-factory-live/



5) This Fred's Head post is entitled "What is Computer Vision Syndrome?"

http://www.fredshead.info/2006/08/what-is-computer-vision-syndrome.html



6) The Tech Doctor podcast begins a series entitled "Windows 7 and Mac OS X: A Head to Head Comparison"

http://www.dr-carter.com/?p=50



7) If you have to use sharepoint at all, here's an excellent article outlining strategies for using SharePoint with a screen reader

http://is.gd/cuDZd



8) The .NET framework is an accessible system both for those wishing to write programs and for those running those programs. Jamal Mazrui has written gotNET to help developers help those running their programs ensure that the necessary version of the free .NET framework is installed on their system.

http://EmpowermentZone.com/netsetup.exe



9) EASI will have free webinars in June regarding hardware DAISY players and the PDF Accessibility Wizard.

http://easi.cc/clinic.htm

They have also begun making their webinar archives available to all.

http://easi.cc/archive/magpie2010/resources.htm



10) Vinux is Linux for the visually impaired, based on Ubuntu 10.04 - Lucid Lynx. It includes a screen reader, screen magnifiers and support for USB braille displays.

http://vinux.org.uk



11) Rigel Technology offers three of its two-hour, $70 trainings during June. These can usually be purchased for the same price on cd if you can't attend in person. All start at 21:00 GMT: Tuesday 8 June: Google This; Thursday 17 June: Dropbox 499; Tuesday 22 June: Microsoft Office 2010. The only way to register for these appears to be by phone at (888) 723-5011 Ext. 1



12) From Gizmo: You can easily create your own customized program launcher just by making smart use of inbuilt Windows features. This two minute tutorial shows you how.

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmosbest/~3/94x7GXDYYyA/how-build-program-launcher-taskbar.htm



13) These next few Gizmo items are for the more technically inclined: New Free Sysinternals Tool: RAMMap

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmosbest/~3/94x7GXDYYyA/how-build-program-launcher-taskbar.htm



14) Find Out What's Been Causing Your PC to Crash

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmosbest/~3/-w6RYKkFDGs/find-out-whats-been-causing-your-pc-crash.htm



15) Blue Screen of Death Survival Guide: Every Error Explained

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmosbest/~3/IQCcE9FS02U/blue-screen-death-survival-guide-every-error-explained.htm



16) US owners of the Book Sense can take part in a free 1-hour training on downloading NLS books and placing them on the device. The training will bake place Thursday, June 10 at 11:00 A.M. EDT, 8 A.M. PDT. To register, e-mail jeremy@gwmicro.com placing "BookSense Training Registration" in the subject. The training will afterward be available at:

http://www.gwmicro.com/audio



17) The article "Browse Mode restarting when performing a Google search in Firefox" has been added to the Gw Micro knowledge base.

http://gwmicro.com/kb1118



18) Tobi version 1.0, the DAISY Consortium's open source multimedia production tool, is now available. Tobi produces full-text full-audio Digital Talking Books in the DAISY 3 (ANSI/NISO Z39.86-2005) format.

http://www.daisy.org/tobi

508 Compliance: Stop Enforcing, Start Innovating by Noel Dickover

Here on some thoughts on Accessibility from Noel Dickover of CrisisCommons:

508 Compliance: Stop Enforcing, Start Innovating


Posted By NoelDickover on March 27, 2009
In 1998, Congress amended the Rehabilitation Act to require Federal agencies to make their electronic and information technology accessible to people with disabilities. Now known affectionately as Section 508, it directs all Federal agencies to ensure that their websites and electronic information are just as accessible to people with hearing or vision impairments so that we don’t create second class citizens when accessing government information.

Enforcing 508 Compliance
This is a laudable approach, but in practice, enforcing 508 compliance has been an uphill struggle, and will continue to be for the forseable future. Here’s a headline from 2007 that explains the basic problem: “Web technologies outpace accessibility law and require a major rewrite of 508 standards“. The pace of innovation always outstrips our standards. This has been and will continue to be an ongoing issue. Complicating things further is in practice, many website efforts start by envisioning fancy interactions only to be stymied later in the development process when they realize their tool of choice isn’t compliant.
Enforcement costs lots of money: Even with the existence of a wonderful site that explains all aspects of 508, many companies now exist in large part for the sole purpose of helping Federal agencies understand and implement 508 compliance. A myriad of different types accessibility checkers have been developed. If you conduct a Google search on 508 Compliance, it returns 394,00 documents. GSA has been tasked with the tough job of enforcing 508, but as late as 2008, found that over 80% of the solicitations for electronic and IT development contained no provisions for accessibility.
~The Right Goal~

Make the Web Fully Accessible to Everyone

Currently the problem frame is that we haven’t been able to enforce 508 compliance standards on Federal websites. Even if we become 100% successful, the best we get is accessible Federal websites. This still leaves large swaths of the internet less accessible to those who are completely blind, color blind, or hearing impaired. The best we can do is “hope” that commercial products and websites test their software for 508 compliance, and that others worry about what is essentially a long tail concern.
~The Solution~

Innovate on the Browser & End-User Hardware Side

We’ve been tackling the wrong side of the equation. Instead of spending millions on education and enforcement, we should instead spend the money and prompting innovation in the browser and specialized hardware. Web accessible innovations in web browsers and associated specialized hardware solutions could make the entire web fully accessible to those with disabilities. My guess is even if we spent 10 million prompting innovation through contests similar to the Wearable Power prize or the DARPA Grand Challenge, we would still be saving lots of money overall. Even if the resultant solutions require subsidies to reduce purchase costs, this would be no different to what we currently do with providing motorized wheelchairs to those who need them.
Examples of Possible Innovations: There could be a variety of innovations that address specific disability concerns. Examples might include:
•Color Transform Browser Plugins for Color Blind users: If someone has red-green color blindness for instance, wouldn’t it be great if the browser automatically changed colors in graphics and text into colors more easily seen? We could imagine a control panel that allowed the user to choose which colors they wanted to see instead.

•Braille Displays that Display Graphics by Converting Each Color into Different Depths: Imagine a blue-yellow-green Venn diagram concentric circle graphic that’s so prevalent in business - only this time the colors are represented as a different height in the braille display. Translating colors into heights make them accessible.

•Automatic Speech to Text Translator plugins: Imagine if YouTube videos and podcasts could automatically create mostly accurate subtitles.

Again, my imagination is limited - I’m sure true innovators could come up with far better solutions.
Federal Accessibility Challenge: The Federal Government should unleash the power of innovation by creating a Federal Accessibility Challenge, where a million dollars is awarded to the best browser solution for each disability category (color blindness, hearing impaired, for instance), and perhaps a three million dollar prize for the best hardware solution for hearing impaired or blind web users. In both cases, the money should be doubled if the solution is an open-source software or open source hardware design.
The bottom line is the goal should be that those with disabilities should be able to get as much benefit and satisfaction out of using the entire web as the rest of us. We should shift the approach from enforcement, and instead spend our energy on innovating.

Assistive Technology Program DC blog

http://atpdc.wordpress.com/

Game Accessibility Day

Boston May 25th the 3rd Annual Game Accessibility Day @ Games for Health. Please visit http://bit.ly/9Ck19J for schedule and registration.

Job Fair and Expo in Maryland Friday May 14th

http://expo.caringcommunities.org/index.php

From Top Tech Tidbits

Here is a summary of online information about audio-described movies, as offered by the Media Access Group at WGBH: this new sitelists DVS movies available on DVD as well as listing all movies that have ever been described:

http://www.describedmovies.org/

Go here for information about movies offered with description in theaters equipped with Motion Picture Access systems.
http://www.mopix.org/

And type in your zip code, set the search filter for DVS and find the equipped theaters, described movies and accessible showtimes near you here:
http://www.captionfish.com/
 
Gizmo has updated its Best Freeware List in the World

http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/gizmosbest/~3/UmZi2stdCQQ/top-freeware-picks-category-editors.htm


The 4 May, 2010 post on the NFB - Access Technology Blog is entitled iPad First Look
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/Access_Technology_Blog.asp

Jamal Mazrui has consolidated much of his programming effort into a package for developrs of applications called the Homer Application Framework. It is designed to make it easy for developers to build sophisticated applications with a graphical user interface (GUI), and for end users to benefit from the friendliness and power of those applications.

http://EmpowermentZone.com/appsetup.exe

AccessibleWorld podcasts

Accessible World podcasts.  Check out the healthy living podcasts.
http://www.accessibleworld.org/

Tentative Event Schedule for Adaptive Technology Program for May, June and July

Events coming up in Adaptive Services:

May 15th - STTS: canceled because of AccessibilityCampBoston
May 18th - AccessibilityDC: James Chandler - Accessibility Project Management
June 5th - STTS: Adaptive Sports and Recreation, Health and Exercise
June 14th - DCWeek event 6pm to 9pm
June 15th - AccessibilityDC 6pm to 9pm
June 19th - STTS: Accessible Gaming, Serious Gaming, Game Development, related issues, Mark Barlet
July 10th STTS: Employment

BlindCoolTech IPAD demo and more

http://www.blindcooltech.com/

Rebuilding the Web

Blog with articles on accessibility issues. http://rebuildingtheweb.com/en/

Audio Tutorials from Blind Geek Zone

NVDA and IPAD demos among others
http://www.blind-geek-zone.net/audio.htm

voice-activated wheelchair

MIT is developing a voice-activated wheelchair. Here's a link from today's Boston Globe: http://www.boston.com/business/technology/articles/2010/04/26/wheelchairs_that_listen/

Careers and the Disabled magazine

Careers and the Disabled magazine

http://www.eop.com/cd.html

Blog on accessible gaming for people who are blind

http://blindsecondlife.blogspot.com/

Talking Dictionary and Thesaurus for Blind and Disabled Computer Users

A Simple but effective Talking Dictionary and Thesaurus for Blind and Disabled Computer Users.


http://www.newfreedownloads.com/Home-Education/Teaching-and-Testing/Talking-Dictionary.html

Vision Web Sight

Good Blog: http://visionwebsight.blogspot.com/

Gospel Extravaganza

The Capital East Chapter of National Federation of the Blind (NFB) in Washington, DC, is holding its annual Gospel Extravaganza on April 17, 2010 at 5:00 p.m. This event will take place at the Greater St. Paul Baptist Church, 5720 South Dakota Avenue, N.E., Washington, DC.

Maryland Technology Assistance Program

http://www.mdod.maryland.gov/MTAP%20Home.aspx

Free Accessible Typing Tutor

Free Accessible Typing Tutor: http://www.typefastertypingtutor.com/accversion.html

FCC Hearing on Broadband Access for People with Disabilities at the DC Public Library March 10th

Archived Audio-video at the FCC live website: www.fcc.gov/live .  Our event was on March 10 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library.

Skype Scripts!

http://www.dlee.org/

Federal Hiring Event for People with Disabilities

http://www.usajobs.gov/DisabilityHiringEvent.asp has updated information re 4/26/10 Federal Hiring Event for People with Disabilities.

TELLME

Check out this voice activated service - 1-800-555-TELL or http://www.tellme.com/

Saturday Session March 6th 1pm - 4pm

The next Saturday Technology Training Session on Saturday March 6^th will feature a panel discussion on the topic of employment for people with disabilities and mentoring relationships within the Adaptive Technology Community.   Gail Snider from Columbia Lighthouse will talk about job preparedness in the first hour and Tony Paschal from ICON Services in Alexandria will again be participating along with a panel of people who are employed and are using Adaptive Technologies at an expert level as part of their job in the second hour.  The session will be held in the Adaptive Services Division, room 215 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial library from 1 to 4pm. From 3pm to 4pm refreshments will be served and informal networking is encouraged.

Topics of discussion with include:

• Setting up mentoring relationships
• Resume Writing
• KSAs
• Schedule A letters
• Dressing for success
• Interview skills

All of the Saturday Sessions in March and April will be on the topic of employment including March 6^th and 20^th and April 3^rd and 17^th.  All sessions will be from 1pm to 4pm and will have the goal of assisting library customers in their job search.  

We would like to develop a curriculum for job preparedness at the library so that volunteers can train Adaptive Technology users on a regular basis.

We would also like to encourage mentoring relationships within the community, so that AT users who are employed and can share their strategies for success can be paired with AT users who are at more of a beginning level and are searching for employment.

We also encourage anyone who has skills with resume writing and and job search to volunteer to work one on one with our customers in the division who are looking for work.  Many of our customer only need a small amount of magnification on the computer screen and mentors do not have to know how to use ATs at an expert level.  Our only requirement for volunteering to be a mentor is that you have experience with job search and resume building.

The Adaptive Services Division is now open on Monday and Tuesday nights until 9:00pm, which is a great time for people who work during the day, to volunteer to sit down with customers who need job search skills for a 2 hour session training session.

I hope you can make it!

The AccessibilityDC Meetup will be moved from the third to the fourth Tuesday night of the month 6 to 9pm, just for this month, because of the South by SouthWest Conference.   So instead of March 16^th the meeting will be on March 23^rd.  The topic will be PDF Accessibility.  Moe info on this soon!

Patrick

Federal Government Hiring Expo

JOB FAIR!!!
Federal Government Hiring Expo for Indiduals with Disabilities
All Day - April 26, 2010
Frances Perkins U.S. Department of Labor Building
200 Constitution Ave., NW

Please register and post resume on USA Jobs website before hand.

Agencies will:
1. Review resumes prior to the event
2. Invite prospective candidates for interviews
3. Be looking to hire candidates on site

More information at http://www.opm.gov/ after March 8

ONLY agencies who have openings and are ready to hire will participate.

Pre-Expo webinars on:
• Why Work for the Federal Government?
• Preparing a Resume’ for Federal Employment
• Obtaining Your Schedule A Documentation

Jamal Mazrui JAWS scripts

Jamal Mazrui has released two powerful JAWS scripts, FxMax for Firefox 3.x http://EmpowermentZone.com/FxMax.exe


and IEMax for Internet Explorer 7 and above http://EmpowermentZone.com/IEMax.exe

which add all sorts of capabilities to these browsers, one of which is easy interface with the Salona service for solving CAPTCHA's.

Attend a KSAs’ “Find & Apply” Workshop

Learn correct methods to respond to KSAs

Federal government job seekers are welcome!
Register early. There is space for only 55 participants.
To attend the workshop, RSVP to june.dixon@dc.gov by Monday, February 8, 2010.
For additional information, call 202-645-3413.
Department of Employment Services
DOES is an Equal Opportunity Employer/Provider. Language interpretation services are available without cost.
Auxiliary aids and services are available upon request for individuals with disabilities.
Naylor Road Career Center
2626 Naylor Road, SE
Washington, DC 20020
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
12:00 p.m. - 1:30 p.m.
Sponsored by the D.C. Department of Employment Services in
partnership with the U.S. Department of Personnel Management
GET IT RIGHT!
Attend a KSAs’ “Find & Apply” Workshop

MetroAccess EZ-Pay

MetroAccess EZ-Pay is a service designed to provide a convenient way for customers to pre-pay for their trips, thereby reducing the need for fare payments using cash, tokens, and farecards.

With EZ-Pay Online, you can view your balance and add money to your account, as well as view your transaction history.

https://www.eztransport.com/WMATA/MembersPortal/FAQ.asp

Saturday Technology Training Session January 16, 2010 1pm to 4pm

This is a reminder about the Saturday Technology Training Session on January 16th. Maurice Boyd from the Columbia Lighthouse will talk about Braille Literacy and his experience teaching Braille in the Washington DC area, and Richard Krafsig from TCS Associates will demonstrate the BrailleSense and the BookSense. The BrailleSense is a notetaker and Braille display, and the BookSense is an audio book reader. The time is 1pm to 4pm in the Adaptive Services Division room 215 at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street NW.
Introductions and Announcements – 1:00pm
Richard Krafsig, TCS Associates – BrailleSense and BookSense – 1:30pm
Maurice Boyd, Columbia Lighthouse – Braille Literacy – 2:15pm
Refreshments and Networking 3pm to 4pm
Also, there will be an AccessibilityDC meet-up http://accessibilitydcjan10.eventbrite.com/ from 6:30pm to 8:30pm in room 215 on Tuesday night, January 19th. Leslie Bobbit will be demonstrating the JAWS screen reader.

6:30 PM - 6:45 PM - Welcome everyone.
6:45 PM - 8:00 PAM - This month Leslie Bobbitt will be discussing and demoing the JAWS screen reader. She will be going over information you need to know to use JAWS for testing and occasional use. Even some more advanced items will be discussed. Leslie will also be using some demo pages that are accessible and some that are not accessible to show how best to try and get as much information from them as you can.
8:00 PM - 8:30 PM - Closing remarks, clean-up, and information about after event wanderings. We will also be looking for more ideas of what talks people want to here and/or give for the next meeting.
Saturday Technology Training Sessions are held on the first and third Saturdays of each month, from 1pm to 5pm in room 215, Adaptive Services Division at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library, 901 G Street, NW, Washington DC, 20001. The meetings are a chance for people who use Adaptive Technologies to get together and share information, learn about Technologies like the JAWS ScreenReader and ZoomText ScreenMagnifier which make the computer accessible to people who are blind or have low vision, and hear demonstrations of new Adaptive Technologies and Services. Some examples of demonstrations from past sessions include accessible cell phones, Dancing Dots Music software, PeaPod online grocery ordering service, and Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind. For more information please contact: Patrick Timony, Adaptive Technology Coordinator, Adaptive Services Division, 202-727-1335 or patrick.timony@dc.gov
The AccessibilityDC Meet-up is on the third Tuesday of every month from 6 to 9 in Room 215, Adaptive Services Division at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library. This meeting is a chance for people who are interested in Web Accessibility to get together and share information. Web Developers who are interested in Accessibility to get together with people who use Adaptive Technology on a regular basis to get together and discuss the accessibility of the Library. Previously this group produced a petition for accessibility of the library that included recommendations for added hours of access that resulted in the Saturday Technology Training Sessions and in a computer in the Science and Technology Division, which is open at all regular opening hours, being upgraded to full accessibility.

Accessible Gaming links

Accessibile Gaming related links at: http://sttsdc.wordpress.com/

Finding, researching and downloading books, dictionaries and encyclopedias on the net

Fred's Head article on Finding, Researching and Downloading Books, Dictionaries and Encyclopedias on the Net: http://www.fredshead.info/2006/12/finding-researching-and-downloading.html

Soundaround

Soundaround http://www.soundaround.org/ is the international interactive audio magazine for blind and partially sighted people.