October 31, 2006
Two New Releases of Trace Open-Source URC Software
The Trace Center has released new versions of two components of its open-source software suite on the Universal Remote Console (URC) framework, part of the Center's continuing R&D on URC technology. The URC Software Development Kit (SDK 3.2) has several new features, including the ability to use non-Java targets, and also includes new tutorial sections. The URC Simulation Environment 3.2 includes a simulated elevator target (written mostly in C) plus other improvements. Source code and binaries of both URC software suite components are available free for download. Developers and researchers are welcome to use these tools as a showcase for the URC technology and for developing their own URC-compliant clients and targets.
Posted at 2:48 PM on October 31, 2006.
October 20, 2006
IDEAS 2006 Keynote on "The Future of Accessibility"
Trace Center Director Gregg Vanderheiden presented the closing keynote at the IDEAS Conference in Washington, D.C. on Nov. 14, 2006. This is the Federal government's annual conference on Section 508, presented by the GSA. The presentation overviewed emerging information and communication technologies and how key technology trends will impact accessibility.
Posted at 10:23 AM on October 20, 2006.
October 17, 2006
Trace Participates in Advisory Committee for 508/255 Review
The U.S. Access Board has formed an Advisory Committee to review and suggest changes to the accessibility standards for electronic and information technologies purchased by the Federal government (pursuant to Section 508) and also the guidelines for accessibility of telecommunications (mandated by Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act). Trace Center Director Gregg Vanderheiden was selected to serve on this committee, formally called the Telecommunications and Electronic and Information Technology Advisory Committee (TEITAC). Read more about the TEITAC and opportunities for getting involved in its activities.
Posted at 9:08 PM on October 17, 2006.
October 4, 2006
HFES Conference Panel on High Tech Standards
Trace Center Director Gregg Vanderheiden will chair a panel that will be discussing usability and accessibility standards to ensure the successful utilization of advanced technology by all members of society. This panel is a special program at the 50th Annual Meeting of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society on Oct. 17, 2006, in San Francisco.
The panel, scheduled for 1:30 - 3:00 PM at the San Francisco Hilton, features a review of the current status, issues, and strategies for accessibility and usability standards for interactive software and medical devices. Panelists include experts who represent both industry and academia in national and international standards efforts, including Gregg Vanderheiden, Daryle Gardner-Bonneau (Michigan State University), Aaron Bangor (AT&T Labs), and Molly Follette Story (Univ. of California-Berkeley).
The Human Factors and Ergonomics Society is the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ISO for ergonomics standards. In the past few years, a long-standing effort within HFES to promote human factors/ergonomics standards for software at the national and international levels resulted in the publication of a canvass draft for a software ergonomics standard, HFES 200 (Human Factors Engineering of Software User Interfaces).
The Trace Center contributed to the development of HFES 200.2, and Center Director Gregg Vanderheiden serves as co-editor of HFES 200.2. Funding for Trace's work on this and other standards has been provided by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research, U.S. Department of Education, under grant #H133E030012 (RERC on Universal Interface and Information Technology Access).
Posted at 10:32 AM on October 4, 2006.