[Sigia-l] Boston Area Event: Live Demo of Access Technology on April 12

[P.J. Gardner]

Dear Boston Area SIGIA-L subscribers,

Boston-IA (www.Boston-IA.org), an organization bringing together
Information Architecture and Internet Accessibility, will host our next
meeting on Monday, April 12, from 6 to 9 p.m. at the LaCava Campus Center
at Bentley College in Waltham, MA.  Our topic is "Using the JAWS Screen
Reader to Surf the Internet" with Valerie Clare Haven, Program Development
Specialist at the Institute for Community Inclusion at UMass, Boston.

TOPIC:

Nothing is more central to accessible Web design than avoiding barriers for
people with disabilities.  Do not miss this extraordinary opportunity to
see World Wide Web accessibility in action, with both good and bad examples
demonstrated by an expert user of JAWS, the most popular auditory Web
browser on the market today.

Valerie Clare Haven will demonstrate how she uses the JAWS for Windows
screen reader to access the Internet and listen to the content of Web
pages.  The JAWS for Windows program, available from Freedom Scientific,
helps blind and low-vision users hear the information on their computers
rather than seeing it.  (Similar programs include IBM Home Page Reader or
Window-Eyes from GW Micro.)

Valerie's presentation will give you a very direct and useful experience of
how blind users experience the World Wide Web.  You will learn a great deal
about how Web sites (and other electronically delivered information) can be
made more accessible.  There is a lot more than simply following the
accessibility standards, and this event will demonstrate how important
incorporating accessibility techniques can be!

During her presentation, Valerie will demonstrate both accessible and
non-accessible Web sites.  We will also have a drawing for a chance to hear
a Web page of your choice.  Please bring a business card or a slip of paper
with your name and the address of one Web page you would like read by JAWS.
Find out how Web pages sound to a blind person.

Do not miss this exciting opportunity.  To register or for more
information, please visit our Web site at:

http://www.Boston-IA.org/meetings.html

Cost is $25 for non-members, and $18 for members.  If you decide to join
Boston-IA now, you can attend and join for a combined cost of $35
(memberships will be renewable on July 1).

If you have any questions, please contact us at info at Boston-IA.org.

We look forward to seeing you on April 12.

Best Regards,

..............................................
P.J. Gardner
Information Designer
..............................................
Boston-IA
info at Boston-IA.org
www.Boston-IA.org

Bringing Information Architecture
and Internet Accessibility Together
..............................................