There are several technology - and disability-related items in this message.

Peter



                NEWS NOTES FROM THE NATIONAL OFFICE

For the week ending February 28, 2003.

Date line: Washington DC.

      Mysterious object gets attention of security forces.

      Air Force jets scrambled on Thursday evening and helicopters
combed the Silver Spring Maryland area as reports from citizens
poured into police phone banks over a mysterious glowing green
thing that seemed to travel on its own through the night.
Parents kept little children inside and news radio broadcast
alerts and advice on how to handle any eerie sightings of the
object until security forces finally tracked the glowing thing
down.

      It was a local blind resident by the name of Charlie
Crawford testing out his new glow in the dark ACB mobility cane
that is now on sale from California Canes and actually glows in
the dark!  No comment from Charlie Crawford on the hubbub, but
his guide dog Ruthy was heard to mutter that she never would have
caused all that excitement at all.

      *  ACB and Trace Research Center talk science.

      It was a fascinating discussion this week between Melanie
Brunson, Penny Reeder, Charlie Crawford from ACB and Gregg
Vanderheiden from the Trace Research Center.  Topics included
cell phone matrix and how to make them accessible, kiosk design
and accessibility, and even some future think about what Gregg
called "text anywhere."  This latter topic was fascinating since
it is the simple combination of a small camera perhaps in a pen
hooked up to a micro processor weaved into clothing that would
take pictures of text seen by the camera and convert it to
speech.  So we could literally be walking down the streets with
everything in text whispered in our ears by the device.  Not only
would it take the text to speech but prioritize it by the rules
of display to give us the important stuff first.  Science fiction
or fact?  Don't expect to be able to call up Radio Shack and
order one today, but who knows, maybe in another ten years eh?

      *  Audio Access Coalition gets ready for advocacy.

      Things are coming together in the world of trying to restore
described video for television and other venues.  Readers will be
hearing all about it over the next few weeks and we will be
asking everyone with a concern to make sure that video
description survives and grows to join with us shortly.  Stay
tuned!

      *  Go get 'em California Council and disability community!
                Thanks to the fine efforts of folks from the California
Council of the Blind and all the others in the California
disability community, the state is dropping its obnoxious claim
of sovereign immunity in the case involving the medical board and
their discriminatory denial of a license to a doc who has been
depressed.  This is no single victory for any particular group
but for all disabled people who can take real encouragement from
our having risen to our rights and made clear that we are a
people who will not be forced back into the shadows of society.

      *  Web accessibility made easy?

      ACB Exec Director Charlie Crawford spent a day at the DC
offices of Microsoft looking at new web tools and verification
programs to both generate better web site content management and
accessibility for folks with disabilities.  Of note was the
demonstration of Hisoftware verification and monitoring tools to
measure compliance of sites with both Section 508 and W3C
guidelines.  That software rocks and is itself accessible.  From
what we have seen to date, looks like Hisoftware has got it's act
together and we encourage blind folks to let inaccessible web
site producers know about Hisoftware and to check them out.

      *  Legislative seminar issues to be released soon.

      Melanie Brunson informs news notes that she has March 10 as
the target date to have completed the work on the legislative
seminar issues.  There's a great deal going on and so be on the
lookout for info coming your way!


                                ***

      News notes are a compilation of the highlights of the events
of the preceding week and are not intended to provide a
comprehensive listing of all activities, or treatment of the
topics mentioned.  For information and more detailed treatment of
especially legislative concerns, call the Washington Connection
at 800-424-8666 nights and weekends eastern time.  Be sure to
read the Braille Forum each month and check in with the ACB web
site and radio at WWW.ACB.ORG and WWW.ACBRADIO.ORG respectively.


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