Even Grounds Blog
In this blog, I will reflect on issues which effect the accessibility of technology. I would like to bring certain issues to my readers attention which are either interesting, directly effect our lives, or bring issues into our attention which we would have never thought of.
Tom Babinszki, Director of Even Grounds
Call Center Employs 1000 Blind People in Moscow
Just recently I read an article about a call center in Moscow which employs 1000 blind and visually impaired people.
I am a proponent of fully integrating disabled people into regular environment, thus making them fully participate in society. However, this is not always an immediate possibility, so let's see what this story really has between the lines.
A Day Through the Eyes of a Blind Woman
Let's look at an ordinary day with the eyes of a blind person. There is so much to take for granted which is not given to others, for example, because they can't see. What happens with people who are totally blind? All of a sudden, many things are done very differently. Sometimes, accessible technologies will solve the problem. This includes any technology which can be used equally well by those who can see and those who can't. In other cases, special technologies need to be used to achieve the same that others do just by using their sight. This is technology which is specifically developed for blind people.
Let's follow a blind person through a whole work day. For the sake of the example, we will call her Lisa.
We will examine how technology helps Lisa throughout her whole day. We will not discuss anything else, but instances, where information technology can help her. We won't look at any other issues she might be facing. There are many more challenges we could talk about, but in order to overcome those, information technology itself will not solve the problem. In this post, I will only demonstrate how much information technology can make a difference.
Web Accessibility Seminar in Manila, Philippines
Right after the web accessibility workshop in Malaysia, we conducted another web accessibility seminar, this time in the Philippines. This event was a joint effort of Even Grounds and ATRIEV Computer School for the Blind.
Accessibility in the Philippines is gradually being recognized by more and more groups in the country. Through events such as this, we aim to further establish web accessibility as a standard and help present and future web developers create more accessible websites.
The First Web Accessibility Workshop in Sabah, Malaysia
We have just finished conducting the first web accessibility workshop in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, Malaysia. This is the third web accessibility workshop Even Grounds has conducted in the country. It was a very good experience for us, and we are hoping that more individuals in Malaysia are now aware of the importance of web accessibility.
Da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci at The National Gallery of Art
A couple of weeks ago I have explored the possibilities of making visual art accessible. Since then I put much more thought into it, and today I wanted to see how the National Gallery of Art does it. With the family we went to the Gallery, and looked at Leonardo da Vinci's Ginevra de' Benci. Following the link to the title you will find the painting, which opens in a new window.
Can Visual Art Be Made Accessible?
Whether it is a simple drawing of a tree or an intricate painting of a forest, visual art definitely mesmerizes all of us. And through the power of the Internet, we can now access paintings, drawings, and other forms of visual art more easily.
But here’s a thought: How can you appreciate visual art if you cannot see it? Would there still be a way for you to enjoy what others are seeing?
Developers' Corner
For the request of site visitors, Even Grounds will host a new series, called Developers' corner. Until now we have targeted two audiences.
- People who are making accessibility decisions in their organization
- People, who have never heard about accessibility and disabilities, but they would like to understand it better, either for their own education, or for making a difference in people's lives, hopefully both. We are trying to help with the blog.
From now on, we will actively reach out to developers and help them design accessible web sites, web applications and software.
Ordering from a Restaurant without a Menu
Imagine yourself going to your favorite restaurant. You like the ambience and you immediately find a comfortable spot for your own. Everything is going well until you receive the menu but you can’t read it. Think about it. What would you do? Would you ask the waiter about the available meals? Would you get frustrated and just look for another restaurant?
This is actually a common scenario for blind people. Oftentimes, they would go to a restaurant and they do not get a menu they can read.
Why Should You Follow Me on Twitter?
Almost a year ago, I started actively using twitter. I wanted to use another channel to provide people with accessibility related information. In this post I would like to share with you what you are getting if you decide to follow me, @tbabinszki
Win a $20 Gift Card Just By Tweeting a Message
Even Grounds is in the holiday spirit. We would like to give you a $20 gift card. Recently, our WCAG 2.0 tutorial was posted.
