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Web-APP Modifications

Spring cleaning!

The site is undergoing major changes. While surfing through the pages you may encounter errors while the changes are taking place.

Programming: 18 Apr 2009 at 9:19 by Pemba

Finishing up social networking tags for ubb code, graphics and so forth, to include Twitter, various blogging systems, Digg, Delicious, etc.

Max provided a fix for the double url issue in the Twitter ubb code. Thanks Max.

Also finished an RSS plugin to pull your Twitter updates into a block on your site.  After some minor tweaks and it should be ready.

I completely removed the forum from the site as I no longer see a need for it on here.

News: 27 Oct 2008 at 15:45 by Pemba

HHS Celebrates Contributions to People With Disabilities

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) today has recognized the significant achievements of five leaders in science, education, business and entertainment during a ceremony celebrating National Disability Employment Awareness Month. During the ceremony, other honorees were also acknowledged for their role in support of the Administration's commitment for full inclusion in the workforce for people with disabilities. The honorees have contributed greatly to advance the goals of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and President Bush’s New Freedom Initiative (NFI).

“Our 2008 award honorees represent models of what all of us, with or without disabilities, can contribute toward removing barriers that limit persons with disabilities’ ability to participate fully in their communities,” HHS Deputy Secretary Tevi Troy said. “Their contributions allow us all to build on all efforts that ensure our nation remains a place of opportunity for all Americans.”

Honorees awarded today include the following:

    * Dr. Alim Louis Benabid, world renowned pioneering scientist and mentor in the area of deep brain stimulation that changes the lives of persons with Parkinson’s disease, dystonia and other movement disorders, received the International Award.
    * Dr. Phyllis Magrab, educator, scholar, skilled clinician and champion for children with disabilities, nationally and internationally, received the Pioneer for Persons with Disabilities Award. Dr. Magrab is with the Georgetown University Medical Center.
    * Dr. Joseph Rosen, researcher, professor and noted plastic surgeon who performs facial and body reconstructions at Walter Reed Medical Center, received the Health/Service Provider for Persons with Disabilities Award.
    * Mr. Kyle Maynard, born with congenital amputation of all four limbs, a champion wrestler, author, motivational speaker, advocate, and role model, received the Persons with Disabilities Across the Lifespan Award.
    * Ms. Emily P. Kingsley, Emmy® award-winning writer for “Sesame Street” and long-time advocate of kids with special needs, on the popular children's program and beyond, received the Entertainment Industry Award.
    * Ms. Dora Ricks, HHS employee who instructs, mentors and motivates young persons with disabilities within HHS to become employed as productive citizens with disabilities, received the 2008 Certificate of Appreciation.

Most Americans, regardless of gender, socioeconomic status, race, or ethnicity will experience a disability at some time during the course of their lives.  Some individuals are born with a disability; others acquire them through an illness, an injury, genetics, or any number of other causes. The ADA provides greater equal opportunity protections for all Americans. The Act allows more Americans with disabilities than ever before greater assurances of equality of opportunity, full participation, independent living, and economic self-sufficiency for Americans with disabilities of all ages.

“The Bush Administration works to provide opportunities for all Americans, including persons with disabilities,” said Margaret Giannini, M.D., F.A.A.P., director, HHS Office on Disability. “America can be proud of the progress made toward fulfilling the principles and meeting the goals of the American Disabilities Act and the New Freedom Initiative.”

“The goals of the New Freedom Initiative are the goals of occupational therapy -- to enable Americans to live life to its fullest,” commented Penny Moyers Cleveland, president of the American Occupational Therapy Association. “The NFI charts a vision and provides the means to achieve the vision of the Americans with Disabilities Act.”
The NFI is a public-private effort that eliminates barriers that keep persons with disabilities from participating fully in community life. NFI responds to the needs of Americans by promoting the access to resources, skill development and dignity of full and inclusive citizenship.

“It is an honor for us to co-sponsor this awards program,” said American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) President R. Scott Ward, P.T., Ph.D. “People with disabilities face significant challenges that often limit their ability to have a reasonable level of physical activity.  As experts in the way the human body moves, physical therapists are dedicated to helping people of all ages and abilities improve their quality of life through achieving their highest possible level of function."

During National Disability Employment Awareness Month, HHS recognizes the talents, skills, and dedication of disabled Americans who are a vital part of our workforce. With more than 51 million people with disabilities living in the United States, according to the U.S. Census Bureau, HHS’ 2008 honorees are among those leading our best efforts to help those with disabilities and their families improve their own circumstances and take more control over their lives.

To view the President's 2008 National Disability Employment Awareness Month Proclamation, visit this link.

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Internet: 19 Oct 2008 at 11:02 by Pemba

One of our newest members, Terrence, introduced me to a browser known as Web Talkster which is made by Assistive Technology Solutions.

The browser appears to be based on Internet Explorer and has speaking tools which can read the entire web page, even in tabled layout.  You can choose whether to read the entire page, a selection on the page or text from your clipboard.  The user also has several other options, such as various voices for reading.

This is not only a browser - it comes with a bundle of other internet applications such as a "Speaking Note Pad," "Audio Recorder," a magnifier, CD writer and other useful applications for the blind and visually impaired.  

If you have children there are also some treats for them as well such as a "Song Gallery," "Peedy the Jokester," "Guess the Number Game" and a other things they would enjoy.

If you can't afford Jaws for Windows, which costs of one thousand American dollars, then this software bundle is for you.  The applications were programmed for Windows.

To learn more about Web Talkster or similar products visit Assistive Technology Solutions web site at http://www.code-it.com/

Assistive Technology: 18 Oct 2008 at 11:27 by Pemba

Virtual Magnifying Glass is a free, open source, cross-platform screen magnification tool. It is simple, customizable, and easy-to-use.

System requirements:

• Microsoft® Windows® Vista, XP, 2000, NT, ME, 98 or 95
  
  
• or a UNIX system running X11 (any Linux Distribution, FreeBSD, etc)
  
  
• or Mac OS X 10.4 or superior
  
  
• 800x600 or higher screen resolution and at least 16-bit colors recommended
  
  
• A good display adapter and CPU recommended for smooth performance
  
  
• Multiple-display systems are supported on Windows 98/ME, Windows NT4/2000/XP
  
  
• Multiple-display systems are not supported on Windows 95 (Magnifying Glass will be run in the primary display only)
  
  
• On multiple-display systems, the magnifying glass may not display at the correct location if the monitors have a vertical offset between them.

For more information see this link: http://magnifier.sourceforge.net/

Internet: 18 Oct 2008 at 10:52 by Pemba

"One of the difficulties of the visually impaired individuals is that people around them don´t know Braille. Braille Virtual is a on-line course based on motion graphics and planned to teach Braille to those who can see."

Click here to access the Course

Programming: 18 Oct 2008 at 8:45 by Pemba

Fangs is a Mozilla Firefox extension that displays a text representation of a web page similar to how a screen reader would read it.

This helps web developers finding accessibility issues at an early stage in the UI development process.

You can download the extension from here.  You may have to allow the site to install extensions.

Music: 17 Oct 2008 at 14:28 by Pemba

Please join members of the Everett Central Lions Club for an entertaining evening of pops music of the world famous Boston Pops Orchestra, performed by the Everett Symphony Orchestra.

This free concert, presented especially for people who are visually impaired, is sponsored by the Everett Symphony Orchestra and the Everett Central Lions Club.

The concert is on Thursday, November 6th at 7 pm at the Historic Everett Theatre, 2911 Colby Avenue, Everett, Washington.

All are invited. There are 800 seats available, first come, first served. And, it is free, courtesy of the Lions and the Symphony.

The Everett Symphony, founded in 1935, is Snohomish County’s oldest and largest arts organization.

The Historic Everett Theatre, originally built in 1901, is the oldest operating theatre in the state of Washington.  http://www.everettsymphony.org/
(copyright Louis Braille School)

Programming: 17 Oct 2008 at 13:19 by Admin

I should be finished with my Web-APP Braille Embosser hack by tonight or tomorrow afternoon.

The hack basically automatically translates any document composed in Roman type to Braille type for sending to your embossers.  It is similar to the common printer friendly page feature already built into the WebAPP Content Management System, but for Braille users.

Audio and Braille Books: 17 Oct 2008 at 13:16 by Admin

The WebAPP Site Guide originally written by Ditto back in 2003, is now available in Braille using gh Sim Braille One, which is recommended as standard by the Louis Braille School in Washing State, U.S.A.

You can download the PDF for printing to your Braille embosser/printer from http://webapp.org.uk/ or directly from http://webapp.org.uk/braille-docs/webapp-siteguide.pdf

An audio version for the same document is being made in English and Portuguese and should be available after this weekend.

Please report any typos or character errors here.  Thank you.

Assistive Technology: 17 Oct 2008 at 10:32 by Admin

SpeakOn is a free program that runs on your PC and is a speech enabled environment containing applications for listening to various media. SpeakOn has been developed for people who are comfortable using computers. It does not require a screenreader or magnifier; it does not have a visual interface and in fact does not require a screen at all. You communicate with SpeakOn using a numerical keypad or the standard keyboard and SpeakOn responds with speech. With a low cost external USB slimline numerical keypad, you can operate SpeakOn with one hand from the comfort of your armchair.

All SpeakOn's applications operate in exactly the same way. Once the interface is mastered, it offers a quick and easy access to all its features.

SpeakOn contains four media applications: 1. Media Centre, 2. Radio Time, 3. Last FM, 4. VI Services.

The first three applications provide mainstream media and the fourth application provides media offered by special services for the visually impaired community.

For more information visit a hyphen technic dot net. That's a hyphen technic dot net.