EASI: Equal Access to Software and Information Activities for January 2006 Three items in this issue: 1 EASI Joins the World of Podcasting! 2 Free, Interactive Webcast January 19 3 EASI/USM Certificate in Accessible Information Technology ***** ***** ***** ***** 1 EASI Joins the World of Podcasting! What is podcasting and why should you care? From one point of view, podcasting is nothing more than providing multimedia content on the Web which has been common for several years. What is new, however, is that it is available for quick and easy downloading for you to use off-line, anywhere and any time. It is like downloading a music audio or a video, transferring it to your Ipod or MP3 player and taking it with you as you go about your daily activities. You can make your own, personal podcast collection and play it without being tied to your computer or your office. You can share it with others. We used to talk about online, asynchronous learning as any time, anywhere learning, but you did have to be at your computer and have to have a live Internet connection. Podcasts can really be anywhere, any time content. Watch for the announcement of our podcast unveiling on Wednesday January 11. These items will normally be kept to about 15 minutes and provide "tips and tricks" to make your uses of info tech more efficient and enjoyable. The EASI podcast Web page will be at: http://easi.cc/podcasts/ 2 Free, Interactive Webcast January 19 Comparing Accessibility Checker Tools: Presenter Dick Banks Several times each year, new tools are coming online to assist Web designers to evaluate whether their Web pages are accessible. However, many designers have a basic misconception in understanding these tools. They do not do the evaluation automatically. Several of the accessibility guidelines and standards necessitate a human judgment to estimate whether or not they are accessible. To use such tools to evaluate and repair pages requires skill and know-how. This live, hour-long presentation will provide an overview of these tools, their strengths and weaknesses. While the information provided here is valuable as an overview and introduction, they only get the user started. From there, he or she is on their own or else need to get help from more experienced users. Dick will be teaching a hands-on, individualized 4-part fee-based workshop in February for anyone who wants personal hand-holding to learn how to use these tools most effectively. Read more about the single free event or the 4-part, fee-based series at: http://easi.cc/clinic.htm 3 EASI/USM Certificate in Accessible Information Technology EASI is the premiere provider of online training on designing accessible information technology. EASI continues to provide online courses that lead to the Certificate in Accessible Information Technology given jointly by EASI and the University of Southern Maine. Completing 5 of these courses will earn you this certificate. EASI Courses for January 2006 (The links below will take you to an online syllabus and online registration). Designing Accessible Course Content Using Familiar Software http://easi.cc/workshops/dacc.htm Advanced Barrier-free Web Design http://easi.cc/workshops/advwbsyl.htm Train the Trainer http://easi.cc/workshops/train.htm --------------------------- Check out EASI New Synchronous Clinics: http://easi.cc/clinic.htm EASI Home Page http://www.rit.edu/~easi Online courses and Clinics http://easi.cc/workshop.htm Check the EASI Library Web http://www.rit.edu/~easi/lib.htm >>> Error in line 8 of AXSLIB-L.MAILTPL: unknown formatting command <<< -> . . . . . . . . . <-