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Subject:	Computer World: "Better Equipped Yet Shortchanged"
From:	Jamal Mazrui <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:	VICUG-L: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
Date:	Sat, 12 Sep 1998 12:49:42 -0600
Content-Type:	text/plain
Parts/Attachments:	text/plain (540 lines)

From the web site http://www.computerworld.com

Computer World
September 7, 1998

Better equipped yet shortchanged
Gary H. Anthes

Information technology that helps people with disabilities
succeed on the job has made huge advances in recent years.

Fortunately, employers generally are willing to make it
available to their workers. Unfortunately, the hiring of people
with visual, hearing, mental and motor impairments hasn't kept
pace with the march of technology. In fact, a recent study
suggests that employers are increasingly ignoring that huge pool
of job seekers -- people who could help ease the IT skills
shortage.

And employers often underestimate the capacity and competence of
ITemployees with disabilities. As a result, employers fail to
nurture their careers.

"There's a tendency to not think of the person with a disability
as promotable in the same sense as someone without a
disability," says Jamal Mazrui, a legislation specialist at the
Washington-based National Council on Disability. "It's like,
'Oh, we figured out a way for this person to do this job, so why
complicate the picture by talking about other things?'"

Mazrui, who is blind, knows from experience. Formerly a database
administrator at Harvard University, Mazrui says, "I found that
when there were new projects that came up, I just wouldn't be
someone that was thought of." He should have been more
aggressive in demanding new responsibilities, he says.

Wade Churchfield lost the use of his legs in an accident 13
years ago, when he was a systems analyst at Duquesne Light Co.
in Pittsburgh. He became the company's first IT employee with a
disability, and his use of a wheelchair was career-inhibiting at
first, he says.

Duquesne was "very willing to make whatever accommodations I
could identify," he says. "The problem was, I was reluctant to
identify them; I was just so happy to have a job.

"I let them make decisions for me that really were not good for
me," Churchfield says. "They overprotected me." For example, he
wasn't allowed to go to computer conferences in other cities
because it was deemed unsafe and too difficult.

MORE INDEPENDENT

"Everyone can benefit from IT, but people with disabilities have
benefited more than any other group because of the increased
independence and improved quality of life it gives them," says
Larry Scadden, director of programs for persons with
disabilities at the National Science Foundation in Arlington,
Va.

Scadden, who is blind, cites several breakthroughs that
revolutionized his use of computers. He uses speech synthesis
and output for some applications and a braille output device for
others. He also listens to paper mail and documents after
reading them into his PC via a desktop scanner. Scadden hails
recent developments in graphical user interfaces, which are
becoming accessible to the visually impaired via speech
synthesis and braille. He also cites major progress in the
accuracy of speech recognition -- at very affordable prices --
as a boon to people who are unable to use a keyboard for input.

Speech recognition has made the workplace fully accessible to
Mark Harmon, who was paralyzed below the neck when his
motorcycle struck a tree in 1975.

An independent living specialist at Unum Corp., a Portland,
Maine-based insurance conglomerate, Harmon runs a service that
offers advice to people with disabilities via E-mail, telephone
and the World Wide Web.

Harmon uses the accessibility options in Windows 95 plus the
voice-activated DragonDictate from Dragon Systems, Inc. in
Newton, Mass., to control his PC and navigate among his
applications. He uses Dragon's NaturallySpeaking to create
E-mail and documents. "There's incredible technology out there
now," Harmon says. "I stopped writing in 1975. Last October, I
got DragonDictate and started writing again."

Mazrui uses screen-reader and speech-synthesis software as his
interface to word processing, E-mail and various online
services. He says employers today generally are willing to make
the investments in those IT tools for people already on the
payroll.

But he says employers are much less inclined to seek out and
hire people with disabilities.

"The employer often will assume the person couldn't possibly do
the job because [employers] don't know what technological
solutions exist," he says. "Or they may say, 'If I hired this
person, I'd have a start-up cost buying this equipment of $1,000
or $2,000.'"

According to a 1995 Harris Poll, 81% of employers said they had
made accommodations for employees with disabilities, up from 51%
in 1986. But in a Harris Poll published in July, the National
Organization on Disability reported that although 79% of
nondisabled adults of working age are employed, only 29% of
those with disabilities have full- or part-time jobs. The trend
is troubling; a similar survey in 1986 showed a 34% employment
rate for people with disabilities, or 17% more than are working
now. There are an estimated 54 million Americans of all ages
with disabilities.

People with disabilities say companies are doing better in
providing for their needs, possibly because of the requirements
of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. The July
Harris Poll showed a decline from 49% in 1994 to 40% today in
the number of disabled workers who say employers are insensitive
to their needs. Still, four in 10 said in the most recent poll
that they have encountered job discrimination. One-third said
they have encountered "unfavorable attitudes" toward their
disabilities on the job, virtually unchanged from 1994.

"In general, expectations are not as high as for a nondisabled
employee, so employers may not challenge the [disabled] person,"
Churchfield says. "If you are not happy with what you are doing,
you have to speak up."

Seeing his career stall after his accident in 1985, Churchfield
finally did speak up. "Once we came to an understanding that I
needed to make the decisions on what I could and couldn't do, I
got promoted three more times," he says. "In fact, they actually
created a senior-level technical position just so I'd have a
career path."

A lack of career development for people with disabilities may be
reflected in figures from the U.S. Bureau of the Census, which
reported in 1995 that men without disabilities made on average
21% more than disabled male workers. That gap had widened since
passage of the ADA. For women, the disparity was 16%.

EMPLOYER RESISTANCE

Employers sometimes resist hiring people with disabilities out
of fear they won't be able to do the job yet will be impossible
to fire, Scadden says. "There's this tremendous shortage of IT
professionals. But the IT managers are afraid the head of human
resources or an insurance company will object to hiring someone
with a disability," he says. "It's much easier to just hire
someone else."

But some employers don't see it that way. Three years ago, Joyce
Bender started Bender Consulting Services, Inc., a for-profit
outfit in Pittsburgh, with 30 employees, 28 of whom are
programmers or network engineers with disabilities. Churchfield
now manages a staff of seven in Bender's company.

What's needed in the workplace, Bender says, is education for
the nondisabled. "Sometimes people with disabilities are
excluded out of fear or ignorance," she says. She also advises
employers to establish mentoring programs for entry-level
employees with disabilities.

For the disabled job seeker, Bender advises surfing the 'net. In
particular, she recommends the Web site of the President's
Committee on Employment of People with Disabilities
(www.pcepd.gov), which has links to some 60 large organizations
that have expressed interest in hiring people with disabilities.

Scadden advises employees with disabilities to stay abreast of
the fast-changing marketplace of accessibility tools. And he
stresses not to hesitate to demand them from employers. "I put
the burden on the employee as much as the employer to know what
to buy," he says.

Gregg Vanderheiden is the director of the University of
Wisconsin's Trace Research and Development Center, which is
exploring ways to make computing/communications technology
accessible to all. He acknowledges that people with some
disabilities can't physically work as fast as those without
disabilities. "The thing to do is not to compete with quantity,
but with quality," he says. "Quality and reliability are so
valuable that [employers] will be less concerned with volume. I
expect to work a little harder than anyone else, but I don't
begrudge that," Harmon says.

"I'm glad I have the opportunity to do it and a company that
gives me the opportunity to do it," he says.

Anthes is Computerworld's editor-at-large.

For more information on this subject, see related story
Anytime+anywhere=anyone and resources.

----------
Anytime + anywhere = anyone
Gary H. Anthes

IT users with disabilities soon will reap big rewards from
trends in mobile computing and communications, says Gregg
Vanderheiden, a professor of human factors and industrial
engineering at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.

And road warriors will enjoy the fruits of IT developed for
people with disabilities, he says.

Vanderheiden describes how one day he might be at his desk
typing a memo on his PC. He has a plane to catch, so he switches
to voice input as he continues his work on a pocket-size
computer in his car.

Caught in slow traffic, Vanderheiden realizes he'll miss his
flight. Aided by speech input and output technology, he checks
the airline's Web site for flight schedules, looks up several
phone numbers, places the calls, checks his calender and sends
E-mail -- all with little or no visual or physical contact with
his computer.

Later, in a meeting or on a noisy flight, he can do all the same
things without having to hear his PC.

"If I can do this, a person who is blind can do it and a person
who is deaf can do it," Vanderheiden says.

"The formula is called 'triple A' -- anytime, anywhere,
anyone,'' he says. By the time you have interfaces that can be
used anytime and anywhere, you basically have all you need for
an 'anyone' interface."

----------
Assistive technology resources

Organizations

* [12]CAST (Center for Applied Special Technology) is a
not-for-profit organization whose mission is to expand
opportunities for individuals with disabilities through innovative
computer technology.

[13]Computers for Handicapped Independence Program Provides
information on software and hardware for persons with varied
limitations either in motor, vision, learning, hearing, or cognitive
skills. This information service is provided via the Internet free to
those requesting the service via e-mail.

[14]National Council on Disability An independent federal agency
making recommendations to the President and Congress on issues
affecting 54 million Americans with disabilities. Links to
publications, events calendar, and other resources.

[15]Alliance for Technology Access A network of community-based
resource centers dedicated to providing information and support
services to children and adults with disabilities, and increasing
their use of standard, assistive, and information technologies.
Centers can be found all across the country. Vendor and product
information, an FAQ, programs, center locations and newsletter can be
found here.

[16]National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research The
NIDRR promotes the coordination of research about individuals with
disabilities throughout the Federal and Government. Find information
about programs and grants here.

[17]Deaf World Web Maintained by Jolanta Lapiak. A comprehensive
listing of deaf realted resources.

[18]American Foundation for the Blind The mission of the American
Foundation for the Blind is to enable people who are blind or visually
impaired to achieve equality of access and opportunity that will
ensure freedom of choice in their lives. Find news publications and
reports.

[19]Rehabilitation Engineering and Assistive Technology Society of
North America (RESNA) An interdisciplinary association of people with
a common interest in technology and disability with the goal of
improving the potential of people with disabilities to achieve their
goals through the use of technology. Find links to RENSA Certified
Assistive Technology Practitioners/Suppliers here.

[20]Web Accessibility Initiative(WAI) The WAI (pronounced 'way') is
a W3C activity whose purpose is to make the Web formats and protocols
(HTML, XML. CSS, HTTP, etc) more accessible to people with disability.

[21]Assistive Technology Resource Alliance (ATRA) ATRA is a resource
for participants in the Assistive Technology marketplace. ATRA was
formed by the Research Institute for Assistive and Training
Technologies (RIATT) at the University of New Mexico, Sandia National
Laboratories, and Laguna Industries, Inc. in conjunction with the New
Mexico Technology Deployment Pilot Project (NMTDP). By linking
assistive technology product developers and entrepreneurs with
technologists, investors, policy makers, and consumers, ATRA will
assist you in determining customer needs, finding new product ideas,
new technologies, funding sources, and key market information.

[22]Center for Information Technology Accommodation A technical
demonstration and resource center assisting Federal agencies to
achieve successful investments in IT architecture and public service
applications. Site has links papers, policies, guides, products and
other resources.

Resources
* [23]WebABLE! A Web directory for disability-related internet
resources. Whoah. Stop here! Links to news, workshops, conferences
and a collection of books, press releases, white papers, articles,
plans, standards, reference, guidelines, and journals that focus
on accessibility, assistive and adaptive technology for people
with disabilities. The white papers in this section deal with
accesible design, web access, screen readers and other technical
topics.The WebABLE! directory is a project of the Yuri Rubinsky
Insight Foundation, whose mission is to stimulate research and
development of technologies which will ensure access to advanced
information systems.
* [24]Job Accommodation Network (JAN on the Web) "JAN is not a job
placement service, but an international toll-free consulting
service that provides information about job accommodations and the
employability of people with disabilities. JAN also provides
information regarding the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)."
Be sure to visit [25]Points of Interest to find web sites with all
kinds of job, services, organizations, reports, technology,
statistical, legal and other resources for multiple disabilities.
* [26]Resources for Assistive Technologies Part of the CAST website,
links to writing accessible html, disability organizations, online
reports, assistive technology vendors, educational organizations,
educational software publishers, etexts and online magazines and
other lists of links.
* [27]The Adaptive Computing Software Project This page has links on
adaptive technologies from free software sources, a reference
library, accessing and working with older systems, many other
topics to many articles on various disability and accesibility.
Link also to the The SuperAdaptoid Review Column which is an
online information source for Affordable and Lower- Cost Adaptive
Technology. Articles and reviews cover speech recognition,
adaptation and access on the internet and more.
* [28]Assistive Technology A comprehensive list of organizations,
websites and resourcces on assistive technology from The New York
State Commission for the Blind and Visually Handicapped.
* [29]ABLEDATA is a national database of information on assistive
technology and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic
and international sources. ABLEDATA is a project of The National
Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research (NIDRR)
* [30]The Center for Information Technology Accommodation (CITA) A
technical demonstration and resource center assisting Federal
agencies to achieve successful investments in IT architecture and
public service applications. Find a handbook for Managing
Information Resources for Accessibility, an overview of universal
access policy, a collection of papers associated with achieving
full accessibility to the National Information Infrastructure,
policies, a vendor list and other resources.
* [31]Assistive Technology On-Line Home Page Site has links to
vendors who have products for Alternative methods for using a
computer or modifying the workplace as well as links to
organizations, publications, specific categories of adaptive
technology and more. From the Applied Science and Engineering
Laboratories (ASEL) at the University of Delaware.
* [32]Information on assistive technology A long list of links to
organizations, centers of study, guides, books and utilities on
the [33]Virtual Assistive Technology Center which also offers
links to free and shareware software for the Mac and Windows. The
page is maintained by Denise Lance, M.S.Ed., at the University of
Kansas.
* [34]The Trace Center "The Trace Center is an interdisciplinary
research, development and resource center on technology and
disability. It is part of the Waisman Center and the Department of
Industrial Engineering at the University of Wisconsin - Madison.
The mission of the Center is: 'To advance the ability of people
with disabilities to achieve their life objectives through the use
of communication, computer and information technologies.'" Find
vendor and product information, TRACE initiatives and programs,
publications and other resources.
* [35]Solutions @disability.com Site has a myriad of links for
people with disabilities including links to vendors of computer
software and aids and organizations and vendors in the field of
assistive technology. Sponsored by Evan Kemp Associates Inc. (EKA)
which sells health and rehabilitation supplies and equipment, and
is involved in the development of marketing and communications
products for consumers with disabilities and chronic health
conditions.

Books

* [36]Computer Resources for People with Disabilities ; A Guide to
Exploring Today's Assistive Technology By Stephen Hawking with the
for Technology Access, Hunter House Publishing, ISBN
0-89793-112-2, 1996, $16.16. Discusses computer access solutions.
* [37]Assistive technology: A Resource for School, Work, and
Community Edited by Karen F. Flippo, Katherine J. Inge, and
Michael Barcus, Paul H Brookes Publishing Co., 1997, ISBN
1-55766-189-8, $32.35. Topics covered include policy, assistive
technology in the workplace and in educational settings, training
and funding issues and the perspectives of endusers..
* [38]Adapting PC's for Disabilities By Joseph J. Lazzaro,
Addison-Wesley, 1995, ISBN 0- 201-48354-8, $35.95. Book discusses
adapting computers to the needs of individuals with disablities as
well issues such as ergonomics and other relevant topics.
* [39]Assistive Technologies: Principles and Practice By Albert M.
Cook and Susan M. Hussey, Mosby-Year Book, 1994. "This book
provides information on the assistive technology industry,
including a historical perspective, important legislation, and
issues of professional practices. It also focuses on general
purposes for assistive technologies, specific areas of
application, and the consumer." See a sample chapter [40]here. It
can be ordered through the publisher, [41]Mosby Year Book,
Incorporated.

Articles, papers, publications

* [42]Communicating the Americans with Disabilities Act Transcending
Compliance: A Case Report on Sears Roebuck and Co. This paper
documents the progress and challenges that Sears and other
companies have experienced in their efforts to comply with and
transcend the ADA. By Peter David Blanck, Annenberg Senior Fellow.
* [43]Managing Information Resources for Accessibility Prepeared by
the IT Accommodation Division (CITA),General Services
Administration (GSA). This handbook presents guidance to Federal
managers and other personnel who are unfamiliar with the policy
and practice of information accessibility to accommodate users
with disabilities and provide for their effective access to
information resources. Issues reviewed represent "lessons learned"
by agencies and GSA's IT Accommodation Division.
* [44]Designing for AccessibilityBy Eric Bergman of SunSoft and Earl
Johnson of Sun Microsystems Laboratories.
* [45]Towards Accessible Human-Computer Interaction Another paper by
Sun�s Eric Bergman and Earl Johnson. Covers the relevance of
accessibilty, design guidelines, and different disabilities.
* [46]What is accessible software? From Remarks at the National
Conventions of the National Federation of the Blind (NFB in
Computer Science) and American Council of the Blind (Visually
Impaired Data Processors International) July 1997, by Dr. James
Thatcher of IBM.
* [47]Universal Accessibility - Articles, Papers, Presentations,
Design Issues, Workshops and Related Sites From Productivity Works
an Internet software company which specializes in user interface
design, software design and engineering, and Internet related
development work. Find 8 presentations on accessibility and
design.

Computer Industry Resources

* [48]The Disability Connection Apple Computer Corp.�s website on
assistive technology, resources, products, and shareware. Be share
to go to http://17.254.3.40/MAP/IntroMAP"> Mac Access Passport
database

which contains descriptions of products that help people with
disability use a Macintosh computer. It includes information on more
than 100 software and hardware tools.

[49]Sun Microsystems' Enabling Technologies Program Links to Sun�s
accessibilty program, java accessibilty, projects , resources,

[50]IBM�s Special Needs Systems Site has information on products,
conferences, web resources, and software and web accessibility.

[51]Accessibilities and disablities Microsoft Corp.�s page with
product info, other WWW resources, other accesibility aids and
products and a section for developers and authors on design.