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Accessible News #26 — Winter 2006
Should you be using these old newsletters, please bear in mind that the web addresses were correct when the newsletter was created but that they may not be accurate now. We do not plan to change the back issues of the newsletters.
Contents:
- Visit us at CSUN
- Accommodation Can Increase Productivity
- More New Features in APT
- Saskatoon Company Now the Maker of Stove Guard
- ATRC and Web-4-All
- RI — ICTA members Active in World Summit on Information Society by Betty Dion, ICTA Global
- News Bits
- Our Web Site
- Communications From
ADIO
- Where To Find Us
Visit us at CSUN
ADIO will be back again this year at the annual Technology & Disability Conference, which is presented by California State University, Northridge (CSUN) in Los Angeles from March 20-25. If you are attending CSUN, drop by and say hello. You'll find us in Booth Number 336 in the Marriott Hotel's main exhibit hall. Just look for the booth with the big Canadian flag.
This year, our booth will again have product literature on display from various Canadian AT companies and organizations, along with a peek at some of the new and exciting changes we are making to the Accessible Procurement Toolkit.
The North American chapter of the International Commission on Technology and Accessibility (ICTA-NA) is holding an open meeting at CSUN on Thursday, March 23 from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM in the Atlanta-Boston Room of the LAX Marriott Hotel. Speakers are expected to include Cynthia Waddell (Chair, ICTA-NA), Mary Frances Laughton (ADIO), Tim Creagan (US Access Board) and Chuck Letourneau (ICTA-NA). The presentations will cover ICTA's participation in the World Summit on the Information Society (WSIS), updates on accessibility initiatives in both the Canadian and US federal governments and general information about ICTA-NA. Everyone is welcome. You'll find late-breaking news about the meeting in the Industry Canada booth.
Contents.Accommodation Can Increase Productivity
Alan Cantor defines accommodation as "the art and science of treating people differently as a means to treat them equally."
For 18 years, this Toronto-based consultant has been working with employers and employees with disabilities across the country to develop workplace accommodations that improve the individual's performance and productivity. A case study recently posted on Mr. Cantor's Web site (www.cantoraccess.com/csun2006-casestudy.htm) illustrates how keyboard training and the use of hotkey macros helped quadruple the productivity of one of his clients. This was not an isolated case. (For those of you attending the CSUN Technology and Disability conference, Mr. Cantor will be presenting his case study findings there on March 24.)
"I see my role as a facilitator", Mr. Cantor says, explaining what he does when he is hired to develop accommodation strategies for a worker. "I'm going in there to make things easier, to make a difference." No two accommodations are identical, he says, citing the example of identical twins with the same disability who do very different jobs and who require very different accommodations to carry out their work; a teacher and an accountant for example.
He says he considers 15 different but complementary accommodation strategies, usually drawing on four or five of them, to design an appropriate accommodation. "The easiest and usually no-cost accommodation is to change the physical environment", Mr. Cantor notes, explaining that it is sometimes as simple as rearranging the equipment in a treatment room to allow a blind physiotherapist to move about without the probability of colliding with items that have been relocated by another practitioner; or rearranging office furniture so that a wheelchair user can access his or her desk without having to do a three point turn upon entering the office. Such changes are not always immediately obvious to either the employer or the employee.
Physical access improvement is just one aspect of the service Mr. Cantor provides his clients. He is also an industry leader in providing users of high tech equipment such as computers with access methods that are better suited to their needs and that can increase their productivity. Since 1998, Mr. Cantor has been providing training workshops to AT (assistive technology) professionals, in which he demonstrates counter-intuitive techniques to make computers more usable to people with a wide range of disabilities. There is now a small but growing population of AT professionals who are able to implement these techniques and can provide specialized training. "But", says Mr. Cantor, "there's still not a lot of cultural knowledge and cultural skills out there to identify the way tasks can be morphed to become accessible. Macros are often what's needed, not mouse emulators, to improve productivity. A combination of macros, user interface modifications and custom commands will often reduce physical strain on the worker's body, reduce eyestrain, decrease mental effort, reduce the time it takes to carry out repetitive tasks and increase the worker's accuracy."
But not all accommodations are actually simple, he adds. For workers who use computers, barriers unintentionally introduced by software developers can result in the need for extremely complex accommodations. "What I'd like is to be able to talk to software programmers to reduce the amount of customization that's needed to make their applications usable for people with disabilities. I'm convinced that 90% of the problems [encountered when a user needs alternative input or output methods to use an application] would evaporate if software engineers tossed aside the mouse and used only the keyboard to test their software." He points out that in the organizations in which he has designed accommodations, the technical people are generally quite receptive to his recommendations. They rarely object to the changes he suggests, although he sometimes encounters reluctance to permit the loading of macro software designed to facilitate the full use of applications, on corporate systems.
Managerial support is one of the keys to a successful workplace accommodation. Many fail, he says, because of a lack of managerial support and the manager largely sets the tone for how well an accommodation will be accepted within a work unit. With good awareness training for all employees and an understanding of the accommodation policies being implemented, accommodations are better positioned to succeed. Without this support and understanding, an employee with a disability may find the accommodation does not suit his or her needs and the work environment can be "poisoned" by resentments, jealousies and misunderstandings. "Not accommodating workers who need it reduces productivity and makes for unhappy employees. It's a systemic problem. Workplace accommodation", insists Mr. Cantor, "is integral to good working conditions."
There's a real payoff both for the accommodated worker and for the employer. In the case study Mr. Cantor has posted on his Web site, Cantor Access Inc. (www.cantoraccess.com), he states that the cost for the accommodation was about $4,000, including the macros provided to enable the employee to more efficiently use the applications required to complete her assigned tasks and training in their use. The employee, who had been experiencing back spasms caused by her use of a mouse found the spasms abated significantly. She also found that tasks that had initially taken her an hour to complete could now be accomplished in 16 minutes. Mr. Cantor estimates that the accommodations provided to this employee increased the value of her work by $50 a day and that they would therefore pay for themselves in four months.
"Many of my clients are professionals: doctors, lawyers, accountants and I also work with people in blue-collar jobs. What they all have in common is significant disabilities and the ability to be extremely productive in their fields. Their disabilities are irrelevant to their ability to do a job," he says, "if they are accommodated."
As Mr. Cantor says, whether they are simple or complex, job accommodations are "not rocket science." True, but they can make a "rocket science" difference in the quality of a person's worklife.
Contents.More New Features in APT
The APT, Accessible Procurement Toolkit (www.apt.gc.ca), continues to add new content and features to make it even easier to use.
We have added improved search routines that allow you to search the Toolkit for keywords or phrases. The Toolkit also gives you the option of searching for specific information by entering UNSPSC codes. This is in addition to the GSIN or FSC/PSC codes we had previously added to it.
You will find some new product categories under the Office Furniture section, in a subsection called "Office Supplies". This new section will provide you with some ergonomic and/or environmental advice regarding such items as hole punches, staplers and marker pens (we recommend using non-toxic markers for both flip charts and white boards.) Rest assured, we will continue to add content to this and other sections of the Toolkit as information becomes available.
You will also see that the clauses taken from the Canadian Standards Association (CSA) standard on Accessible Design for the Built Environment and the CSA's guideline on Ergonomics have been reorganized to make clearer the link between standards and how they apply to your procurement of equipment, furniture, etc.
Last but not least, we have added a button to click on to get a printable version of requirement clauses. We think this will make it easier for you to cut and paste requirements into your procurement documents.
Contents.Saskatoon Company Now the Maker of Stove Guard
Save On Security Systems Inc of Saskatoon is now manufacturing a revolutionary stove fire prevention safety device. Stove Guard dramatically reduces the chance of a stovetop fire starting by automatically turning the stove elements off when it detects that no one is present in the cooking area of the kitchen.Save On Security Systems Inc of Saskatoon is now manufacturing a revolutionary stove fire prevention safety device. Stove Guard dramatically reduces the chance of a stovetop fire starting by automatically turning the stove elements off when it detects that no one is present in the cooking area of the kitchen.
Don Uhrich is the President of Save On Security. "We had been selling Stove Guard for a number of years and last year, we purchased the patent and all rights to it from Applied Devices. Since then, Save On Security has been its manufacturer and distributor."
Stove Guard is a unique safety device that uses advanced technology to control the stove's electrical system. It's easy to install and use, with a power control box connected between the stove plug and wall outlet and a small sensor/timer unit that mounts to an upper cabinet or to the wall near the stove. Total installation and setup time is about 10 minutes and doesn't require the use of a professional. The device is also UL and CSA approved for use in Canada and the US.
Stove Guard is recognized by Fire Prevention Officers and Occupational Therapists as an effective safety device for people with Alzheimer's and other conditions that involve memory loss, allowing people to remain in their homes and to live more independently. This May, the magazine Consumer Reports will run a feature on kitchen fire prevention in which Stove Guard is highlighted as a good device to use to prevent kitchen accidents caused by someone leaving a pot or pan on the burner too long, simply forgetting it while engaged in other activities.
To find out more about Stove Guard and Save On Security's other personal safety/security devices, visit the Stove Guard Web site (www.stoveguard.ca) or Save On Security (www.save-on-security.com), call them at 306-931-3707 or toll-free at 1-800-931-3707, or email Save On Security at: sales@save-on-security.com .
Contents.ATRC and Web-4-All
The University of Toronto's Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (ATRC) is asking assistive technology vendors to make their products interoperable with Web-4-All.
The Web-4-All software system was developed by ATRC to make it easy to configure AT installed on multi-user public access computer workstations to provide specialized access to the Internet for people with disabilities. This interoperability can be achieved by writing a software configuration plug-in which will permit Web-4-All to launch and configure the AT according to the user's preferences. ATRC will provide technical support to plug-in developers during February and March.
For more information on this, please contact the ATRC via email at: general.atrc@utoronto.ca .
Contents.RI — ICTA members Active in World Summit on Information Society
by Betty Dion, ICTA GlobalMembers of the Rehabilitation International's ICTA Commission (International Commission on Technology and Accessibility) were actively involved in the World Summit on the Information Society, held in Tunisia from 16-18 November 2005. The event was extremely well attended, with over 25,000 people descending on Tunis for the conference. At the close of the Summit, participants adopted the Tunis Commitment and Tunis Agenda for the Information Society.
The Global Forum on Disability, a two-day event organized by Hiroshi Kawamura, provided an opportunity for fruitful exchange of ideas and presentations on how people with disabilities are using and can benefit from the use of information technologies. On the opening day, Catherine Roy, a member of ICTA-North America, presented a paper on an e-collaboration initiative in Quebec to build the capacity of people with disabilities. Betty Dion, the Chair of ICTA Global, took part in the closing plenary on opportunities for further action, as well as in a presentation with UNESCO. A declaration was drafted by participants for presentation at the Summit plenary session.
The exhibit area was extremely busy and had information on the accessibility of the information society for persons with disabilities, with booths from South Africa to Sweden. Others provided information on their inclusive technologies and programs to address poverty reduction utilizing information technologies.
A meeting is anticipated in Athens in the next six months, to continue the conversations about internet governance. Information on the Summit, Global Forum on Disability is available in English and Japanese at:
Global Forum on Disability (English):
www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/english/prompt/wsisindex.htmlGlobal Forum on Disability (Japanese):
www.dinf.ne.jp/doc/japanese/prompt/wsisindex.htmlFor further information on the follow up to WSIS, check out the ICTA Global website at: (www.ictaglobal.org) or contact Betty Dion, Chair of ICTA Global via email at: icta@bdel.ca
News Bits
- In December, Ottawa's T-Base Communications (www.tbase.com) gave Santa Claus a helping hand by preparing braille replies to letters he received from blind and low vision children around the world. The company worked with Canada Post to help the jolly old elf send the responses, as he receives more and more letters each year from his blind and partially sighted young admirers. In the true spirit of the holiday season, T-Base, which has been in the business of providing alternate format contractual and customer management materials since 1994, did the work for free.
- Also in December, the Canadian National Institute for the Blind (CNIB: www.cnib.ca) began distributing consumer products by mail order. With a range of over 1,100 items, from canes through talking watches and magnifiers to large print bingo cards, the CNIB is able to provide overnight access to most of the products they sell. CNIB has moved from having retail stores to providing local demo and display functions with mail-order fulfilment of the actual orders from the national service centre. All clients have a 30 day "no hassle" window to return products for exchange or refund. A Web-based online store is planned for a Summer 2006 launch, as well as the existing telephone order desk. You can see the CNIB's catalogue of products at (www.cnib.ca/tech_aids/catalogue/index.htm) and to order, you can either email the CNIB store at: store@cnib.ca (English) or CNIB boutique at: Boutique@cnib.ca (French) or call them toll-free at 1-866-659-1843. In the Toronto area, call them at 416-486-2500.
- In January, HumanWare announced the opening of its Edmonton office, with Steven Phillips as its newly-appointed Western Canada Sales Manager. The office is at 10408 — 124 Street, Suite 400, Edmonton, Alberta T5N 1R5, tel.: 780-447-0513 or (toll-free) 1-866-654-7715, fax: 780-447-2935, email HumanWare Canada: ca.info@humanware.com, you may also find HumanWare on the Web: (www.humanware.ca) . In other news, HumanWare is working with the Royal New Zealand Foundation of the Blind to assist in a pilot project to evaluate the distribution of Digital Talking Books (DTB) via the Internet. The objectives for the trial are to find out whether a DTB player and service solution can be designed to replace the postal system with Internet delivery of books and magazines for users of its library who are not computer literate.
- AudioVision Canada (www.audiovisioncanada.com) has entered into a contract with the National Film Board of Canada (NFB) to describe a selection of film titles from the NFB's vast library. The described versions will be added to the content on the NFB's current website to increase access to it by persons with either a vision or hearing disability. In addition to its existing online material, NFB will be creating a new website focusing on animation that will also feature described titles. Described video is currently incorporated into the regulator commitment of many major broadcasters in Canada. AudioVision Canada provides description services to these broadcasters as well as to producers looking to expand the audience that can fully enjoy their programming. They also have a library of more than 500 described movies, including classic and current films. For information on how to obtain descriptive services, call Khel Baldeo toll free at 1-866-966-7667. To purchase described titles, call John Harris toll free at 1-866-297-7623.
- Aroga (www.aroga.com) has added some new product lines to its catalogue. The company is now the exclusive distributor for Merlin LCD Enhanced Vision Systems and they are now distributing Voisec Buttons, battery-operated devices which record, store and play short spoken messages. Aroga is also the exclusive Canadian distributor for Code Factory's Mobile Speak Pocket software to make standard PDAs accessible. Last but not least, the company recently moved its Edmonton office to a new and larger location: 510 — 10621 100 Ave., Edmonton, Alberta T5J 0B3 tel.: 780-415-5600, toll-free: 1-877-274-0044, fax: 780-477-9581.
- On February 16, the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) announced how funds from the deferral accounts of incumbent local exchange carriers (ILECs: Bell Canada, Allstream Inc., Saskatchewan Telecommunications, TELUS Communications Inc., Aliant Telecom Inc., Société en commandite Télebec and the former TELUS Communications (Québec) Inc., now TELUS Communications Inc.) will be used. Up to $650 million from the accounts will support initiatives to expand broadband services to rural and remote communities and improve accessibility of telecommunications services for people with disabilities. The amount will be finalized shortly after the ILECs file updated deferral account schedules, which are due by May 15, 2006. ILECs will be required to consult with provincial governments on proposed broadband initiatives prior to submitting their proposals to the Commission. This will ensure that their plans consider existing government initiatives and priorities. They will also be required to consult and work with the appropriate advocacy organizations for people with disabilities.
- In the lead-up to our recent Federal election, the Conservative Party pledged as part of its platform, to draft a National Disability Act, similar to that of the United States. Now that the Tories have formed the government, stay tuned for action on this pledge.
- We recently discovered an Ottawa-based company that makes chronic pain relief products for people with arthritis, diabetes, fibromyalgia, etc. WoodHoodz TheraFleece is a company whose goal is to create unique, highly functional, user friendly therapeutic and assistive fleece accessories that provide simple and effective joint, muscle, poor circulation and respiratory pain relief. The company's Web site allows you to shop online and an online catalogue will be added to the site in the near future. To find out more, visit TheraFleece: (www.therafleece.com) or contact the company's proprietor, Marta Wood by email at TheraFleece: marta.wood@therafleece.com or by phone or fax at 613-838-2330.
- Congratulations to Jay Drew, the volunteer from the Vancouver chapter of the Tetra Society of North America (www.tetrasociety.org) for the superb job he did in crafting the holster that the Olympic flag was placed in, on Vancouver Mayor and Tetra founder Sam Sullivan's wheelchair at the Closing Ceremonies for the XX Winter Olympic Games in Torino, Italy. Sleek and elegant, the holster looked as if it belonged on the chair, not as if it was added as an afterthought, thus showcasing how even a simple adaptive device doesn't need to look clunky. And it worked perfectly too: could there have been a better highlight to the whole Closing Ceremony than the sight of Vancouver's mayor proudly and joyously waving the six-metre flag in a world-class invitation to Vancouver/Whistler in 2010 for the Winter Olympics and Paralympics?
- On May 10, the U.K.'s Royal National Institute of the Blind's PhoneAbility group is holding a one-day seminar on "Location-based Services for People with Disabilities" in London, England. There is no cost to attend the seminar, but registration is necessary. For more information, contact Dr. John Gill, PhoneAbility, Royal National Institute of the Blind, 105 Judd Street, London WC1H 9NE, tel.: +44 20 7391 2244, fax: +44 20 7391 2318, email Dr. John Gill (RNIB): johngill@rnib.org.uk .
Our Web Site
Our Web site can be found at www.at-links.gc.ca. At this site are all our old newsletters as well as different listings and links to other sites of interest. Should you be using these old newsletters, please bear in mind that the web addresses were correct when the newsletter was created but that they may not be accurate now. We do not plan to change the back issues of the newsletters.
Communications From ADIO
If you would prefer to receive our newsletter on disk or by
e-mail, please contact us at the address below.
Where To Find Us
For more information or to get on our mailing list, please
contact:
Mary Frances Laughton or Deb Finn
Assistive Devices Industry Office
Industry Canada
P.O. Box 11490 Station H
Ottawa, Ontario
K2H 8S2
Tel: 613-990-4316 or 613-990-4297
fax: 613-998-5923
TTY: 613-998-3288
Email: adio@crc.ca
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