I believe there are some manuals and guidelines. I am aware of some
research in this area. Probably most of the funding comes from NIDRR
(National Institute of Disability and Rehabilitation Research) under the
name of "assistive technology". Operating Systems such as those produced
by Microsoft (Vista, etc.) have a number of tools to improve access. If
you are going to deal with this issue, you probably should involve
disability or rehabilitation researchers and engineers.

Jose Arrom
-- 
Jose O. Arrom, MA
Dissemination and Research Development Specialist
Midwest Latino Health Research, Training, and Policy Center
Jane Addams College of Social Work
University of Illinois at Chicago
1640 W. Roosevelt Rd. 636 M/C 625
Chicago IL 606023
312-413-1836
Hi Valerie,

Your descriptions of the various ways to design an accessible website
really emphasized how complicated it is, and I suspect, how unfamiliar
so many of us are about adaptive equipment and the range of
accessiblilty issues. There are two things that I can think may be very
helpful for those designing websites:

A manual which describes in more detail the different ways of addressing
the issues that you recounted for us. Each issue would require a web
designer to look up more information about how exactly to address it,
along with specifics for what kind of programming is necessary, and what
kinds of products are available.

A link to a website with videos of people using some of the adaptive
equipment with computers. For example, when you say "headgear with a
pointer", I think it would be really useful for us to have a better idea
of what that means. (For most of us, a visual does go a long way for
something like this!) Even voice recognition software, which most people
are familiar with, would have a bigger impact if we could see some
examples of visually impaired people using it.

If you know of any resources like these, please share them with us!
These kinds of specifics of the disabled community's use of technology
is so invisible to most of us. Any resources to make it more real would
help!

Thanks, so much,
Julie

Julie McKinney
Health Literacy List Moderator
World Education
jmckinney at worlded.org

>>> "Valerie Lewis" <vlewis at suffolk.lib.ny.us> 09/22/08 2:05 PM >>>

Hello all,

With all of the conversation regarding online health literacy and health
information in general, I will once again take this opportunity to
remind everyone of the importance of designing an accessible web
site....and what that many mean to different populations.

Accessibility means many different things to many different people.

To a person with a physical disability...it means designing a web site
that will be usable with various types of input devices such as a mouse, a
track ball, a pen that is used attached to head gear and/or voice
recognition software,for someone who may not be able to use their hands.

It will also mean designing a web site that can be used with all of
these different devices. For example, if a person is using head gear with a
pointer, the check boxes and information fields will need to be designed
in a manner which allows for easy and unsteady access. This is also true
for people who may have arthritis or a broken hand or arm.

If a person has a hearing impairment, the page will need to have text or
captioning attached to any video presentations or podcasts. In the
video, you may also want to include a person using Sign Language.

If a person has a visual impairment, the page will need to have
adjustable print and be accessible to screen reader technology. It will
also need information that will enable the user to navigate successfully
through the page without sight.

If a person has a learning disability, in addition to the literacy
issues, there will be comprehension issues related to the layout of the
site and the consistency of the pages.

Just some thoughts to keep in mind when designing access to health
literacy materials.....to both the educators and the learners.

Valerie


		"A community that excludes even one of its members --
						  		is no
community at all"

									Dan
Wilkins



Valerie Lewis, Director
Long Island Talking Book Library
Administrator of Outreach Services
Suffolk Cooperative Library System
P.O. Box 9000
Bellport, NY 11713-9000
631-286-1600, x1365
(FAX) 631-286-1647
vlewis at suffolk.lib.ny.us