Where It's AT – Assistive Technology Blog

Welcome to year two of  MDTAP’s Web Accessibility Tips! In collaboration with WebAim, these tips will be posted every Wednesday for a full 52 weeks. Enjoy today’s Tip #1!

Low Vision Custom Color Settings

Some users with low vision can see content more easily if the default colors are inverted (white text on a black background), customized user styles are applied (blue text on a yellow background, for example), or a custom color scheme is used. This can be done using the operating system, with screen magnification software, or with user style sheets in a web browser. To ensure web accessibility for these users, make sure your page colors have sufficient contrast, that color is not used as the only means of conveying information or meaning, and that colors are specified for page elements (typically using CSS to at least define the page foreground and background colors).

V-Linc, a nonprofit organization in Baltimore, is currently developing a custom-built sonar device for Joel Zimba, MDTAP’s Special Projects Coordinator. At a recent monthly project review, two volunteers provided an overview of this device. Check out the presentation to hear more about the sonar device in development.

And if you’d like to read more about the genesis of this project, check out our blog post, Building an AT Prototype, from December 2011.

Planning routes and navigating public transportation presents certain challenges to individuals with disabilities.  Many transit maps and schedules are not readily available in accessible formats.  Also, many forms of cognitive disabilities can make planning routes and coordinating connections problematic.  Therefore, mobile devices can be an excellent solution.

Google has designed a mobile version of Google Maps, which is available from the web browser of nearly any smart phone.  In addition to detailed street maps, Google Maps can also generate directions based on public transportation information. Walking directions are also available, though these have proven spotty from anecdotal testing.

HopStop is a free app for both the Android and iOS platforms.  It’s a far more powerful tool for planning your next route.  Several options are provided for selecting which forms of transportation you want to use–for example, you may not want to include buses and simply rely on train or subway transit.  The walking directions from Hopstop seem to be far more accurate than those of Google Maps even though they are produced from the same data source.  One very useful option allows a user to determine how much walking should be included in the route planning.  A somewhat more circuitous bus route could dramatically reduce travel on foot.  Alternatively, by walking a couple of extra blocks, routes with fewer connections or shorter times can be
generated.

HopStop is  helpful when changing a trip mid-route.  Many routes are presented.  Once selected, a route can be saved, changed or reversed for the return trip. Interim stops and re-routing options are very handy if a particular route is experiencing delays or if a stop is unavailable.  Especially  worth noting are wheelchair accessible and stroller-friendly routes.

HopStop does not provide turn-by-turn spoken directions nor does it track your location within a route. A combination of apps, some for route planning, some for exploring the immediate surroundings and others for real time directions may prove necessary for meeting all of your mobile navigation needs.

Google Maps is bundled with the Google apps suite, which is available on the Android Marketplace and the iOS App Store.  HopStop is similarly available and can also be found at hopstop.com.

Review by Joel Zimba, MDTAP Special Projects Coordinator

AT in the news for the week of 1/23/2012 – 1/27/2012

Look, Ma, No Hands! Operating a Laptop With Eyes Only – New York Times

A hygienic keyboard is almost ready to go mass market

Tutors Teach Seniors New High-Tech Tricks

A new app or ‘human rights technology’?

Captioning of TV on the Internet? Yes, it’s now required.

Wrapsol Non-Slip Grip Pad Keeps Your Gadgets In Place for Easy Reading

Insightful Technology

Paralyzed firefighter walks again with help of wearable robot

5 Infographics on Web Accessibility for Designers

Agents Creating At-Home Insurance Jobs for Disabled Veterans

Shopping Assistant for the Blind (Yanko Design)

4 consumer technologies for your enterprise

Snow storms, hurricanes, tornadoes or more…there are any number of reasons to make sure that you have the needed resources to ensure that you’ve planned ahead to meet AT needs during an emergency.

Below are some resources that may be helpful to persons with disabilities and for emergency preparedness planners who would like information on how to use assistive technology to communicate with persons with disabilities in an emergency.

Disability Preparedness Resource Center – http://www.disabilitypreparedness.gov/

Inclusive Preparedness Center – http://inclusivepreparedness.org/

PASS IT ON Center – FEMA Region III 2011 Summit on Emergency Management and Assistive Technology Reuse (Program Materials) – http://www.passitoncenter.org/EmergencyManagement/EMATReuseSummitFEMARegionIII.aspx

FEMA – Preparing Makes Sense for People with Disabilities and Special Needs – http://www.ready.gov/document/preparing-makes-sense-people-disabilities-and-special-needs

Additional resources may be found on the MDOD Emergency Preparedness Page.

Auto-playing Audio, Button Text, HTML5 and ARIA are just a few of the subjects in the upcoming 52-weeks of ALL NEW web accessibility tips!

In partnership with WebAim, MDTAP is excited to announce the launch of another year-long series of web accessibility tips. Starting next Wednesday, February 1st, MDTAP will publish one tip a week right here on the MD AT Blog. Be sure to stay tuned! And if you’ve missed 2011’s series of Beginner and Advanced web accessibility tips, visit our web tips archives to catch up.