How We Use the Web
Ron Lucey
Manager DARS Accessibility Team
Stephanie Modlin
DARS Accessibility Specialist
Presentation Overview
• Introductions
• What is assistive technology and who benefits
from it?
• Explore major types of assistive technology and
their use on the Web by people with disabilities.
• Meet the panelist:
– Bryce Bolick – demonstrating Dragon Naturally
Speaking
– Jeanine Lineback – demonstrating JAWS
– Rosie Garza – demonstrating ZoomText
• Q&A and Resources
What is accessibility?
• Accessibility means providing
equal access to information and
services regardless of a user's
physical or developmental
abilities.
• Accessibility ensures that
everyone can access the same
information, perform the same
tasks, and receive the same
services regardless of whether or
not they have a disability.
What is assistive technology?
• Assistive technology (AT) is a general term for
assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices
used by people with disabilities to perform a
general or specific task.
What else is assistive technology?
• Assistive technology is hardware or software that
helps a person use the computer including:
– screen reader software (provides an speech output for
the information on the screen), or
– screen magnification software (and hardware) to
magnify text and images, or
– voice recognition software (allows people to navigate
with voice rather than a keyboard or,
– alternative input devices such as a mouth-stick, track
ball, modified keyboard or voice recognition software.
… but we’re not covering these right?
• Durable medical equipment (DME) like wheel
chairs and mobility devices.
• Orthotics and prosthetics (e.g. artificial limbs)
• Adaptive aids and devices and low vision aids
like glasses, monocular, and grip modifiers.
How do people with intellectual
disabilities access the Web?
• Digital communication boards or applications can
help users with communication disabilities by
presenting a small set of meaningful icons.
Selecting icons causes the device to speak the
desired word, phrase, or message.
• clear language and well-organized information;
• technology that enhances memory, such as
electronic organizers or personal digital
assistants; or
• audio books or computerized speech output,
such as screen readers and talking browsers
How do people with difficulty using
their hand access the Web?
• People who have difficulty using their hands use
trackball mice, mouth sticks, head wands, voice
control software and other aids to interact with
computers and perform other daily living tasks.
Speech Recognition Software and
Alternative Input Devices
• Speech recognition is especially useful for people
who have difficulty using their hands, ranging
from mild repetitive stress injuries to disabilities
that prevent using more common computer input
devices like the mouse or keyboard.
• The first speech recognizer appeared in 1952. It
consisted of a device for the recognition of single
spoken digits [1] Another early device was the
IBM Shoebox, exhibited at the 1964 New York
World's Fair.
Dragon Naturally Speaking
• Dragon Naturally Speaking is the leading
speech recognition product – made by Nuance
– voice recognition, speech to text, dictation
software converts spoken words to text or
application commands
– requires a microphone for the user interface.
– usually requires training to respond to a particular
voice.
Introducing Bryce Bolick
Mr. Bryce Bolick is the Vice President of Speech 4 Me, based out of
Salado, TX. His company started in 2005. The company is a
certified Value Added Resellers of Dragon Naturally Speaking. "We
have worked with several DARS consumers, ranging from those that
simply need Dragon to replace their typing from Repetitive Stress
Injuries to those needing to control their computers by voice as well
as typing." Bryce Bolick has a B.S. in computer science, with
certifications in CompTIA A+, CompTIA Network+
Contact:
VOHIS Technologies, Inc d/b/a Speech4Me
Cell: 254-913-7962
Email: bryce@speech4me.com
www.speech4me.com
How do people with visual
impairments access the Web?
• People with blindness, low
vision, or color blindness
may use
– screen reader programs
– screen magnification
software
– braille output devices
– basic computer settings to
control text size, color, and
contrast.
Screen Readers
• Screen readers – software that converts text to
synthetic speech or refreshable braille.
– First screen reader developed by Jim Thatcher with
IBM in 1984
– Types of screen readers and text-to-speech tools
include:
• Full functioning screen reading software (JAWS, NVDA,
Window-Eyes, etc.).
• Talking browsers (e.g. BrowsAloud or IBM Home Page
Reader)
• Operating system text to speech (Windows narrator)
• Mobile speech devices (TALKS, Mobile Speak & iPhone Voice
Over.
Screen Reader Demonstration
• JAWS stands for “Job Access with Speech.”
• JAWS is an industry leading screen reader that
converts text to synthetic speech or refreshable
braille.
Introducing Jeanine Lineback
• Jeanine Lineback Technology Instructor & Career Center Representative
Criss Cole Rehabilitation Center
“I have 20 years of experience teaching assistive technology to the Blind
and visually impaired as a certified assistive technology trainer. My career
began when I was a student at the University of TX, where I worked as an
Adaptive Technology Trainer in the UT library system. After, completing my
degree I took a job at the Colorado Center for the Blind, a private
rehabilitation training center.” Jeanine has worked in both the public and
private sector over the years, running her own Technology Training
company for ten years. Last year she came back home to TX!
Contact:
Jeanine Lineback, CCRC, Technology Instructor
Email: jeanine.lineback@dars.state.tx.us
Ph: 512.377.0435
Is Web access different for people with
low vision?
• People with low vision may use many of the
same assistive technologies and techniques as
blind users of the Web.
• The may also use color and contrast
enhancements and text resizing features of
browsers and operating systems.
Introducing Rosie Garza
• Rosie Garza is a certified vocational rehabilitation counselor primarily
serving blind college students. Prior to pursuing her Masters and joining
the DARS/Division for Blind Services team, Rosie worked with Deaf/Blind,
students with multiple disabilities at the Texas School for the Blind for 10
years. Rosie has been an avid ZoomText user since 2009 when her mentor
told her “keeping her nose in her work” was an expression and not an
efficient way to read using a computer.
Contact:
Rosie Garza, M.S., CRC
Vocational Rehabilitation Counselor
DARS/Division for Blind Services
Office: (512) 471-6693
Email: rosie.garza@dars.state.tx.us
ZoomText Screen Magnifier Demo
• ZoomText is made by AiSquared
(www.aisquared.com).
• Provides 1X to 36X screen magnification
• Speech assistance with Ap Reader and Doc
Reader
• Color & tracking enhancements
Questions
• What would you like know?
Your Accessibility Toolbox
• HHS EIR Accessibility Center http://architecture.hhsc.state.tx.us/myweb/Ac
cessibility/website/index.shtml
• DARS Accessibility Team –
accessibility@dars.state.tx.us ; (512) 424-4159
• JAWS – www.freedomscientific.com
• ZoomText – www.aisquared.com
• Dragon Naturally Speaking www.speech4me.com
The DARS Accessibility Team
• The “A-Team”
– Ron Lucey - Manager
– Mike Moore - Accessibility Coordinator
– Accessibility Specialists – Stephanie Modlin, Paul
Adam, Seth Hart & Adrian Pineda
The team serves 5 HHS Agencies, training and
consulting available to other agencies based upon
time and space availability.