EASI Webcast focuses on exciting work being done at Adobe to make its famous PDF documents fully accessible to users with disabilities. Now available at http://www.rit.edu/~easi For many computer users with disabilities PDF has been 'infamous' and the cause of much pain and anguish. Many document providers have used PDF especially libraries and frequently government agencies. The coming of Section 508 requiring Federal agencies to purchase only accessible products appeared to create a giant problem. Adobe, however, has actually been working to transcend this problem for some time and has had people working on it. There is now a new dedication and commitment to make PDF a universallly accessible document format. Not only will the help disabled users, especially the blind, but as more and more people access the Internet with cell phoenes and other very small wireless products, PDF will need to be able to be rendered intelligently for these users as well. This week's webcast is an interview with: Dianna Husum Product Manager, Professional Publishing Solutions Group Adobe Systems Incorporated Dianna Husum is a senior product manager in Adobe's product and technology integration group. One of her primary projects is developing and implementing an accessibility strategy across Adobe product lines. Prior to coming to Adobe Systems, Dianna published an online magazine dedicated to coverage of emerging Internet technologies. She has been involved in electronic/Internet publishing since 1993. Dianna holds a BS in journalism from California Polytechnic State University in San Luis Obispo, Calif. Rick Brown Accessibility Product Manager, ePaper Solutions Group Adobe Systems Incorporated As the Accessibility Product Manager for Adobe's ePaper Solutions Group, Rick is responsible for defining and marketing accessibility solutions for Adobe Acrobat software and the Adobe PDF file format. He has been with Adobe Systems for the last six years, serving as product manager for PageMaker. Rick has more than 11 years of experience with high-technology companies. Prior to Adobe Systems, he was the public relations manager for technical markets at Sun Microsystems and held a variety of positions at leading PR and marketing consulting firms, including Ketchum Communications. Rick has a BA degree from the University of California, Davis. Loretta Guarino Reid Acrobat Accessibility Engineer, Document Technologies Group Adobe System Incorporated Loretta is a Senior Computer Scientist in the Acrobat Development Group, working on accessibility issues in the Acrobat family of products. She has been with Adobe Systems for five years, and with the Acrobat group for nine months. Prior to Adobe Systems, she worked for MicroUnity Systems Engineering, Digital Equipment Corporation, and Xerox Corporation. She has an BS and MS from Stanford University and PhD from Carnegie-Mellon University. ***** Note, EASI plans to have a follow-up interview in the fall after the release of Adobe's next version of a more accessible product. If you want to ask questions of the Adobe folk, send questions by e-mail to Dick Banks: [log in to unmask] Barrier-free Web Design Online Workshop Workshop starts June 7, 2000 http://www.rit.edu/~easi/workshops/easiweb.htm