AOL Launches Real-Time IM Based on Collaboration with Trace Center and Gallaudet
A new real-time text function has been added to the popular AOL Instant Messaging, allowing users to see each other's text live as it is typed. This option, included in the latest beta version of AIM 6.8, grew from a collaboration between AOL and the RERC on Telecommunications Access - a partnership of the Trace Center and Gallaudet University's Technology Access Program.
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Posted at 1:28 PM on January 16, 2008.
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Last Call Working Draft Released
A second Last Call Working Draft of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 (WCAG 2.0) and updated working drafts of Understanding WCAG 2.0 and Techniques for WCAG 2.0 were released by the W3C for broad community review and comment. WCAG 2.0 addresses accessibility of web content for people with disabilities. It will apply to a wider range of web technologies than WCAG 1.0, and is intended to be understandable to a wider audience.
Read More: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 Last Call Working Draft Released
Posted at 12:45 PM on December 13, 2007.
International Universal Remote Console Standards Approved
(updated) The national bodies of ISO/IEC JTC1 voted in January 2008 to adopt international standards for universal remote console technology. No negative votes or comments were received on this round, and the standards will therefore proceed directly to publication. This is a key step towards enabling the use of URC technology with mainstream consumer electronics, which is a goal the Trace Center has worked toward for the past ten years.
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Posted at 8:57 AM on December 4, 2007.
Universal Remote Console Applications Demonstrated
The Trace Center’s work on pluggable remote control user interfaces through the Universal Remote Console (URC) framework has resulted in a new series of demo applications. Short videos are now available to demonstrate how each application could be used to remotely control a home entertainment center with digital media such as music, video and photos. PlayIt is a small Flash application running on a PDA; DragIt is a Web 2.0 application for Web browsers on PCs; and PickIt is a simple, task-oriented application running on Windows Mobile-based smartphones and PDAs. These applications were first demonstrated at the International Consumer Electronics Show in January 2007.
Posted at 3:11 PM on July 19, 2007.
RadioShack Commits to Accessible Website, Point-of-Sale Equipment
Major electronics retailer RadioShack has agreed to bring its website into compliance with WCAG 1.0, priorities 1 and 2, by the end of 2007. By the end of September 2007, a new point-of-sale payment device with tactile keypads will be installed in every RadioShack store. The Trace Center contributed to making this possible through its leadership in development of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. Trace also provided technical assistance to those working with RadioShack on this initiative based on Trace's research and development on interface techniques for public terminals.
Read More: RadioShack Commits to Accessible Website, Point-of-Sale Equipment
Posted at 10:25 AM on June 13, 2007.
Updated WCAG 2.0 Working Draft Published
An updated working draft of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.0), addressing the accessibility of Web content for people with disabilities, was published on May 17, 2007. An overview of WCAG 2.0 provides links to a the WCAG Quick Reference document, as well as a high-level summary, WCAG 2 FAQ, the working draft, and other helpful documents.
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Posted at 2:39 PM on May 21, 2007.
Institute of Medicine Issues Report on Disability in America
The Future of Disability in America concludes that immediate action is essential for the nation to avoid harm and to help people with disabilities lead independent and productive lives. The report, developed by a committee of 14 experts including Trace Center Director Gregg Vanderheiden, contains chapters on definition and disability monitoring, disability trends, health care transitions for young people, secondary conditions and aging with disability, the environmental context of disability (with particular focus on health care facilities), assistive and mainstream technologies, access to health insurance, coverage of assistive technologies and personal assistive services, and organization and support of disability research.
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Posted at 1:29 PM on April 24, 2007.
Vista Includes Trace-Developed Access Features
Eight of the accessibility features included in Windows Vista were originally developed by the Trace Center. MouseKeys, StickyKeys, FilterKeys (RepeatKeys, SlowKeys, BounceKeys), ToggleKeys, SoundSentry (renamed "Visual Notifications"), and ShowSounds (enhanced and renamed "Captions") originated at the Trace Center, and have been included by Microsoft in all of its operating system releases since Windows 95.
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Posted at 2:34 PM on March 13, 2007.
Emerging Technology Overview Available
This new resource provides a glimpse into the future of information and communications technologies (ICT). The images and references in this overview provide a sense of how future technology could impact disability access research, development, and policy. Instead of creating a compendium of the latest technology advances, Trace staff selected items for inclusion in this overview because they illustrate significant changes that consumer groups, researchers, product developers, standards bodies, and government regulators should be aware of. Included are technologies currently in research and development, some that have been demonstrated in the laboratory as prototypes, and products that are already commercially available.
Posted at 1:52 PM on January 30, 2007.
Brain-Computer Interface Study Featured on Local News
Graduate student Elizabeth Felton's study exploring the control of a computer cursor using only brain signals was featured on a recent local news broadcast. These experiments are being conducted at the Trace Center, funded in part by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research. Felton is pursuing an MD-PhD under the direction of Biomedical Engineering Assistant Professor Justin Williams. This type of interface shows great promise for people with severe physical disabilities, and may one day allow people who cannot speak or move to more easily and efficiently use computers and other devices.
Read More: Brain-Computer Interface Study Featured on Local News
Posted at 10:07 AM on January 30, 2007.