Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Attains W3C Candidate Recommendation Status
On April 30, 2008, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) published the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0) as a W3C Candidate Recommendation. This is an important milestone, indicating that there is now a broad consensus in the WCAG Working Group and among public reviewers on the technical content.
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Posted at 10:36 AM on June 23, 2008.
Advisory Report Released on Update of Federal Accessibility Standards
On April 3, 2008, the Telecommunications and Electronic & Information Technology Advisory Committee (TEITAC) issued its final report to the U.S. Access Board. Trace Center Director Gregg Vanderheiden served as a member of the TEITAC, co-chairing the Subcommittee on General Interface Accessibility. The Trace Center contributed technical expertise and participated on six of the nine subcommittees.
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Posted at 3:34 PM on June 20, 2008.
AOL Incorporates Real-Time Text in New Release of Instant Messaging
Real-time text capability has been added to the latest release of the popular AOL Instant Messaging, allowing users to see each other's text live as it is typed. This option, included in AIM 6.8, resulted from collaboration between AOL and the RERC on Telecommunications Access - a partnership of the Trace Center and Gallaudet University's Technology Access Program.
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Posted at 3:28 PM on June 20, 2008.
International Universal Remote Console Standards Adopted
The national bodies of ISO/IEC JTC1 voted in January 2008 to adopt international standards for universal remote console technology. The standards have been published as ISO/IEC 24752, and are now available for purchase. This is a key step towards enabling the use of URC technology with mainstream consumer electronics, which is a goal the Trace Center has worked toward for the past ten years.
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Posted at 8:57 AM on February 17, 2008.
RadioShack Commits to Accessible Website, Point-of-Sale Equipment
Major electronics retailer RadioShack has agreed to bring its website into compliance with WCAG 1.0, priorities 1 and 2, by the end of 2007. By the end of September 2007, a new point-of-sale payment device with tactile keypads will be installed in every RadioShack store. The Trace Center contributed to making this possible through its leadership in development of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Trace also provided technical assistance to those working with RadioShack on this initiative based on Trace's research and development on interface techniques for public terminals.
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Posted at 10:25 AM on June 13, 2007.
Institute of Medicine Issues Report on Disability in America
The Future of Disability in America concludes that immediate action is essential for the nation to avoid harm and to help people with disabilities lead independent and productive lives. The report, developed by a committee of 14 experts including Trace Center Director Gregg Vanderheiden, contains chapters on definition and disability monitoring, disability trends, health care transitions for young people, secondary conditions and aging with disability, the environmental context of disability (with particular focus on health care facilities), assistive and mainstream technologies, access to health insurance, coverage of assistive technologies and personal assistive services, and organization and support of disability research.
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Posted at 1:29 PM on April 24, 2007.
Vista Includes Trace-Developed Access Features
Eight of the accessibility features included in Windows Vista were originally developed by the Trace Center. MouseKeys, StickyKeys, FilterKeys (RepeatKeys, SlowKeys, BounceKeys), ToggleKeys, SoundSentry (renamed "Visual Notifications"), and ShowSounds (enhanced and renamed "Captions") originated at the Trace Center, and have been included by Microsoft in all of its operating system releases since Windows 95.
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Posted at 2:34 PM on March 13, 2007.
Emerging Technology Overview Available
This new resource provides a glimpse into the future of information and communications technologies (ICT). The images and references in this overview provide a sense of how future technology could impact disability access research, development, and policy. Instead of creating a compendium of the latest technology advances, Trace staff selected items for inclusion in this overview because they illustrate significant changes that consumer groups, researchers, product developers, standards bodies, and government regulators should be aware of. Included are technologies currently in research and development, some that have been demonstrated in the laboratory as prototypes, and products that are already commercially available.
Posted at 1:52 PM on January 30, 2007.
Telecom Access Policy Paper Released by NCD
The National Council on Disability released a policy paper on "The Need for Federal Legislation and Regulation Prohibiting Telecommunications and Information Services Discrimination." This paper, drafted by Karen Peltz Strauss, incorporates many recommendations provided by the Telecommunication Access RERC to the FCC. Her new book on this topic is A New Civil Right: Telecommunications Equality for Deaf and Hard of Hearing Americans.
Posted at 10:33 PM on January 2, 2007.
NCD Report on Emerging Technologies
The National Council on Disability released "Over the Horizon: Potential Impact of Emerging Trends in Information and Communication Technology on Disability Policy and Practice," a policy paper exploring key trends in information and communication technology, highlighting the potential opportunities and problems these trends present for people with disabilities, and suggesting strategies to maximize opportunities and avoid potential problems and barriers. Trace Center Director Gregg Vanderheiden drafted this report based on the Center's research and review of emerging technologies, and research done by Steve Jacobs, President of IDEAL Group.
Posted at 5:28 PM on January 2, 2007.