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Saturday, February 09, 2002 |
Deaf go mobile phone crazy "Over the last few years, the mobile phone has emerged as a popular device for what at first may seem an unlikely user group: the deaf and other people who are hard of hearing. Using the Short Messaging Service (SMS) functions on mobiles, people with hearing difficulties can communicate by typing messages into their phones.... By setting their mobile phones to vibrate, they can be alerted when a message comes in. This usage shows how a group of people can take up a technology that was not initially designed or marketed to them, and adapt it to suit their own needs and purposes." [at BBC Sci/Tech, via Meryl]
Another excellent example that illustrates why mobile, wireless access will be pervasive and ubiquitous in the future. Meryl notes that this doesn't really help her right now because her cell phone can't send messages, but that will change.
Is your library prepared to serve deaf users via SMS or IM? You'd better be in the future.
10:58:05 AM 
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Creating the Usable Web, One Site at a Time "Although [Lift Onsite] tries to explain everything, understanding and fixing usability violations requires familiarity with both W3C recommendations and current conventional wisdom about usability and accessibility. Also, Lift Onsite can check only static Web sites housed in a hard drive. People who create dynamically generated Web sites must supplement Lift Onsite with a subscription to UsableNet's Web-based service, Lift Online. For professional Web-site developers who need section 508 compliance, this tool is invaluable. For Web developers who also act as their own quality assurance department, Lift Onsite is a handy way to check flaws and learn best-practice guidelines. However, for recreational Web heads, this might be overkill." [via ia/] [at MacWorld]
I wonder if the Illinois State Library can cut a deal with the Lift folks so that all Illinois libraries can test their sites using this service? Even without the subscription, the free 5-page demo of Lift should be in your accessibility toolbox along with Bobby and Wave. BTW, Lift now has software that integrates with Dreamweaver.
10:43:52 AM
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Comments by: YACCS
© Copyright 2002 Jenny Levine.
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