Communication and Information Technology Resources

Adaptive Technology Resource Center
The Adaptive Technology Resource Centre at the University of Toronto advances accessible information technology through research, development, education, proactive design consultation and direct service.

American Speech-Language-Hearing Association
The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) is the professional, scientific, and credentialing association for more than 103,000 audiologists, speech-language pathologists, and speech, language, and hearing scientists.; ASHA's mission is to ensure that all people with speech, language, and hearing disorders have access to quality services to help them communicate more effectively.

Bobby
Bobby is a web-based public service offered by the Center for Applied Special Technology that analyzes web pages for their accessibility to people with disabilities as well as their compatibility with various browsers.

California State University Northridge Center on Disabilities
The CSUN Center on Disabilities sponsors annually a major conference on technology and persons with disabilities.

Center for Applied Special Technology
CAST is an educational, not-for-profit organization that uses technology to expand opportunities for all people, including those with disabilities.

COST 219 Information Resource Manager
The main objective of the Action COST 219 bis is to increase the availability of telecommunication services and equipment so that they are accessible to elderly people and people with disabilities. COST is a framework for scientific and technical co-operation in Europe. The main aspect is a co-ordination of the national research on an European level. COST Actions consist of basic and precompetitive research as well as activities of public utility.

Department of Defense Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program
The CAP Office serves the Department of Defense by buying accommodations to make computer and telecommunications systems accessible to employees with disabilities; funding sign language interpreters, readers, and personal assistants for employees attending long term training; providing expertise in solving accessibility problems through the use of software, hardware, and other assistive technology; and providing training and educational support. As of FY 2001, the CAP is also authorized to purchase assistive technology for agencies outside the Department of Defense -- particularly small agencies -- upon written request by the Agency Head.

Disability & Business Technical Assistance Centers
Funded by NIDRR, the Disability Business Technical Assistance Centers (DBTACs) provide information, materials, technical assistance and training on the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to employers, persons with disabilities and other entities with responsibilities under the ADA.; The national toll-free number, 1-800-949-4232 V/TTY, automatically routes calls to the closest Center.

National Science and Technology Education Partnership
NSTEP is dedicated to developing tomorrow's technology leaders through a variety of programs and services for students, the educational community and corporations interested in advancing science and technology education.

Equal Access to Software and Information
This site specializes in information on access to electronic media for persons with sight impairments. There are links to other sites with similar concerns, including the Trace Center.

European Telecommunications Standards Institute
The youngest of the three European standards making bodies, recognized by the European Council of Ministers, ETSI was set up in 1988 to set standards for Europe in telecommunications and the related fields of broadcasting and office information technology.

Federal Information Technology Accessibility Initiative
The Federal Information Technology Accessibility Initiative (FITAI) is an interagency effort, coordinated by GSA, to offer technical assistance and to provide an informal means of cooperation and sharing of information on implementation of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, which requires access to electronic and information technology in the Federal sector.

Federal Relay Service
The Federal Relay Service (FRS) provides telecommunications services for persons who are deaf or hard of hearing or who have speech disabilities in communicating and conducting business with employees in the federal government.  FRS provides domestic and international coverage to the public and to federal agency personnel seven days a week, 24 hours a day.

Gallaudet University
Gallaudet is the world's only university for deaf and hard of hearing undergraduate students. Graduate degree programs and continuing education courses are available to deaf, hard of hearing, and hearing students.

Inclusion of Disabled and Elderly People in Telematics (INCLUDE)
INCLUDE is a project based in Finland that collects and disseminates information on user-centered design, user needs, standardization matters, and legislation regarding access to telecommunications.

Infinitec, Inc.
Infinitec is a non-profit corporation, working in cooperation with United Cerebral Palsy Association, to provide information on assistive technology.

Information Technology Technical Assistance and Training Center (ITTATC)
ITTATC promotes the creation, use and dissemination of accessible telecommunications and information technology (IT) by providing technical assistance, training and information. Established in November 2000 by the Georgia Institute of Technology with funding from the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR), the ITTATC will work with a broad constituency to: collaborate with stakeholders to improve the awareness and availability of accessible IT and telecommunications products and services; coordinate and create educational materials for diverse stakeholder groups that include designers, managers, marketers, purchasers, and consumers of IT and telecommunications products and services; and disseminate information, training and resources to improve industry awareness, advance practical solutions, and create opportunities for innovation and change.

Infrared Data Association (IrDA)
IrDA sets standards for infrared data transmission, such as the transmission of codes and data between a refreshable Braille machine and a telecommunications device.

International Braille and Technology Center for the Blind
A comprehensive evaluation, demonstration, and training technology center which contains over $2 million worth of speech and Braille technology.

International Coalition of Access Engineers and Specialists
ICAES is an organization of individuals and organizations dedicated to researching, developing and deploying communication and information technologies that are accessible to persons with disabilities.

International Information on Visual Disabilities
This web site is an information resource for professionals who work in the field of visual disabilities. The site is designed as a worldwide resource and provides information on devices, research and development, sources of funding for research and agencies serving people who are blind.

International Telecommunications Union
The ITU, headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, is an international organization within which governments and the private sector coordinate global telecom networks and services.

Media Access Group
The Media Access Group is a project of WGBH, the Boston PBS station. It has developed guidelines for making media, including Web pages, accessible and promotes use of the web access symbol on accessible Web sites.

National Information Standards Organization
NISO develops and promotes technical standards used in a wide variety of information services, including file specifications for digital talking books. NISO is a nonprofit association accredited as a standards developer by the American National Standards Institute, the national clearinghouse for voluntary standards development in the U.S.

Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of North America (RESNA)
RESNA is an interdisciplinary association for the advancement of rehabilitation and assistive technologies (AT).

Section 508.gov
Section 508 requires that Federal agencies' electronic and information technology is accessible to people with disabilities. The Center for Information Technology Accommodation (CITA), in the U.S. General Services Administration's Office of Governmentwide Policy, has been charged with the task of educating Federal employees and building the infrastructure necessary to support Section 508 implementation. Using this web site, Federal employees and the public can access resources for understanding and implementing the requirements of Section 508.

Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) Access
TIA Access, developed by the Telecommunications Industry Association in conjunction with the Electronic Industries Foundation, serves as a clearinghouse for important industry and consumer information on accessible telecommunications technology.

Telematics for Elderly and Disabled People (TIDE) Project
TIDE is a research program of the European Commission to collect information on access, especially to telecommunications.

Trace R&D Center
The Trace Center has information on how to design equipment, World Wide Web sites, information kiosks, etc. to be accessible.

Underwriters Laboratories
Underwriters Laboratories Inc. (UL) is an independent, not-for-profit product safety testing and certification organization. It has tested products for public safety for more than a century. Each year, more than 14 billion UL Marks are applied to products worldwide.

Usability.gov
This site is designed to provide current and accurate information on how to make Web sites and other user interfaces more usable, accessible, and useful. Information is provided by the National Cancer Institute (NCI), the federal government's principal agency for cancer research. The site also links to a variety of quality Web sites and resources on usability, accessibility, and related topics that exist in the field.

Wave
The Wave is a free Web-based tool that helps users identify page components that should be checked for accessibility.

WGBH Media Access Group
The Media Access Croup is a project of WGBH, the Boston PBS station. It has developed guidelines for making media, including Web pages, accessible and promotes use of the web access symbol on accessible Web sites.

World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
The W3C was founded in 1994 to develop common protocols for the evolution of the World Wide Web. W3C is an international industry consortium, jointly hosted by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Laboratory for Computer Science [MIT/LCS] in the United States; the Institut National de Recherche en Informatique et en Automatique [INRIA] in Europe; and the Keio University Shonan Fujisawa Campus in Asia. W3C recently announced the formation of the Web Accessibility Initiative to develop access standards and protocols for the Web.