The May 2004 issue of AccessWorld, the American Foundation for the Blind's
technology magazine, is now available on our web site.

Be sure to sign up to receive AccessWorld Extra, the e-mail newsletter
produced by AccessWorld staff in each of the six months when AccessWorld is
not published. When you sign up for AccessWorld Extra, you are also added
to the list of people who receive e-mailannouncements when a new issue of
AccessWorld is posted.
The May issue, which you can read at
http://www.afb.org/accessworld features:

Conference Report: CSUN 2004
Deborah Kendrick and Jay Leventhal

We report on the 2004 Technology and Persons with Disabilities
conference hosted by the Center on Disabilities of the California
State University at Northridge (CSUN.) Read a round-up of the
largest and best assistive technology conference in the business.

The Key to the Information Age: A Review of Three Screen Readers,
Part 1
Jim Denham and Jay Leventhal

We review Freedom Scientific's JAWS for Windows 5.0 and GW Micro's
Window-Eyes 4.5. We evaluate each screen reader's documentation, as well as
their performance in Microsoft Word and Excel and on the web. WE will
review Hal from Dolphin in July.

An Accessible, Pricey Answer: A Review of the Mobile Phone
Organizer
Jim Denham

The ALVA Mobile Phone Organizer (MPO) is the first combination
personal digital assistant and phone specifically designed for
persons who are blind or visually impaired. The MPO features
braille input, synthetic speech output and a 20-cell refreshable
braille display. Applications include notes, phone, SMS (short
message service), contacts, agenda, utilities and settings. Phone
calls can be handled using a headphone microphone for privacy or
through a speaker phone. This article will help you decide whether
a fully accessible cell phone and a notetaker are worth the high
price of the MPO.

We Think They Hear Us Now: Cell Phones with Speech
Darren Burton and Mark Uslan

We evaluate two cell phones: the Audiovox CDM 9950, also sold as
the Toshiba VM 4050, and the Samsung SPH-a660. The Audiovox phone has many
features found in today's top phones, and "Voice
Guidance," which provides speech and other audio output to
communicate some screen information. The Samsung phone includes a
Global Positioning Satellite capability and web access. Voice
Recognition, which allows you to control the phone via voice
commands, also includes the speech output that is of interest to
users who are blind or visually impaired. Learn what our cell phone
experts think of these two new products.

An Introduction to Web Design
Joe Lazzaro

This article provides an introduction to creating a web site. It
introduces some basic HTML commands and walks you through creating
your first web page. If you have been thinking about designing a
web site or writing a web log or blog, this article will get you
started.

What Color is Your Pair of Shoes? A Review of Three Color
Identifiers
Deborah Kendrick

We review color identifiers--the ColorTest Memo from Caretec, the
Color Teller from Brytech, and the Cobolt Speechmaster Colour
Detector. These three devices are designed to assist you in
selecting appropriately coordinated clothing, sort laundry, select
file folders or other office materials coded by color, identify
packaging of products or medications, and more. The ColorTest also
includes additional features. Now you won't hesitate when someone
tells you to "Keep only the yellow copy."

AccessWorld News

Calendar of Events

Contact us at [log in to unmask] and let us know what you think of the
new, web-only AccessWorld.

Jay Leventhal
Editor in Chief


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