We are looking for feedback on a web site developed specifically for
visually impaired students participating in distance learning by one of our
professors.  We realize that this site would not be of great value for those
with significant hearing loss, and we are working on solutions to that
issue.  He did this in tutorial format so that he can describe animations
that appear on his web site.  You will need a sound card to access this
page.  Your feedback in private is appreciated.  Here is the info regarding
the site.

The site has two programs, one for most students, the other for the visually
impaired (including complete vision loss students).  I think it may be the
first chemistry site specifically for the blind in the nation.

To create the web site, I wanted the following features:

(1)  high contrast lettering for those with partial vision (easy enough to
do); I chose dark background/light lettering;
(2)  no animations, which implies that anything that is typically
demonstrated in chemistry will have to be explained;
(3)  no "hot buttons"; that is, 100% keyboard navigation.

For the third feature, I could not use standard HTML code, since keyboard
navigation controls are only now beginning to show up, and are still overly
cumbersome (three keystrokes are required).  I went with a product called
"Authorware" by Macromedia, which works, but, unfortunately, does have some
distinct draw-backs.  First, programming the navigational controls with
keyboard navigation was possible, but even in this package was very
challenging.  Second, to run the piece on the web requires a browser plug-in
(which is free and available for both Netscape and Internet Explorer) called
the "Authorware Web Player" (other Macromedia plug-ins do not work).  I
expect this to be the key drawback for visually impaired; although the
plug-in is available and free, the site does not strike me as user friendly
for those with visual impairments.

Any feedback you can offer on my work would be VERY greatly appreciated; the
URL is

http://courses.dsu.edu/intchem/

(this will take you to the front page of the site; you'll have to follow a
few links from there).  You SHOULD be automatically taken to the Macromedia
site from there automatically if you do not have the plug-in, but I'm not
sure how that works.  If you don't mind, this is all I'm going to tell you
for now so I can get your feedback on how somebody coming in with no
foreknowledge might do.

Thank you so much for being willing to look at this site; I'm very excited
by the possibilities it represents, and only hope I have managed to
capitalize on some of them.

Sincerely,

Richard E. Bleil, Ph.D.
Associate Professor of Chemistry
Dakota State University
College of Natural Sciences

Keith Bundy
Director of Student Development
Dakota State University
Madison, SD


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