Including people with disabilities and functional limitations in your CTC programs

Did you know that 20% of your community has a disability? For what group is the digital divide the greatest? Did you know that you already have a lot of accessible technology on hand?

This toolkit is a guide intended for public access computing administrators who want to learn about the issues of computer and web accessibility for people with disabilities. It is appropriate for CTC administrators and public library computing administrators with limited exposure to the issues of facility, program, and communications accessibility for people with disabilities.

BACKGROUND

At nearly twenty percent, people with disabilities are this country's largest minority. Couple this with an aging population who will increasingly experience vision, hearing and mobility limitations and it is clear that this is a critical time in the evolution of our society and the ways that we respond to the diverse needs of this growing population. We must all work to eliminate the physical and attitudinal barriers that prevent people with disabilities from having full access to the programs, services and technology tools that will allow them to fully participate in their communities and in the digital revolution.

Have you ever asked yourself any of the following questions?


This toolkit will explore some of the strategies, tools and motivations for increasing access to your CTC programs.

WHERE TO START?

Starting Points: An Introduction to Creating Access in Community-Based Organizations (or download PDF ) from the Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) will help you identify where and how you can begin to make your organization more accessible in the areas of Communications, Facilities, Program, Technology and Web Site. It is intended to be a companion piece to the ATA publication, "Access Aware: Extending your reach to People with Disabilities."


More About the Alliance for Technology Access

The Alliance for Technology Access (ATA) is a network of community-based Resource Centers, Developers, Vendors and Associates dedicated to providing information and support services to children and adults with disabilities, and increasing their use of standard, assistive, and information technologies.
Resources Library @ ATA
The Alliance for Technology Access
2175 E Francisco Blvd., Suite L
San Rafael, CA 94901
Email: ATAinfo@ATAccess.org
Voice 415.455.4575
Fax 415.455.0654
TTY 415.455.0491

 

ADDITONAL RESOURCES FOR YOUR CENTER

Center for Accessible Technology

Provides access to assistive technology that gives people with disabilities access to computers; provide art programs to provide access to artistic expression; and offer ongoing consultation and support to assist people with disabilities in maintaining and enhancing access.
Find out more @ http://www.cforat.org/
 
Access Aware: Extending your reach to People with Disabilities (book)
A comprehensive resource for individuals and organizations that provides real world ideas and templates to help you implement a Technology Accessibility Plan for your organization or community.
 
Computer and Web Resources for People with Disabilities (book)
The new edition of this award-winning book will show you how today's technology is redefining human potential and what it means to have a disability.

Freedom Machines (film and website) - Freedom Machines a public television program and national outreach campaign, looks at our beliefs about disability through the lens of assistive technology. The program explores how human experience and technological innovations are outpacing social policies and the perceptions that have guided them.

ACCESSIBILITY AND THE PERSONAL COMPUTER

In recent years both Apple and Microsoft have made great strides in making their operating systems and applications more accessible. Use the resources below to find out what is possible with your operating system and common applications.

Microsoft Accessibility: Technology for Everyone (website)
These Step by Step Tutorials introduce you to some of the most commonly used accessibility features of Microsoft software. 
 

MAKING YOUR WEBSITE MORE ACCESSIBLE

The following links will help you understand how to build your website so that it can accessible to screen readers and other accessible technologies.

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - When crafting your website it is important to understand what makes accessible technologies work and what defeats these tools. The WAI site will help you ensure your site is compliant.

WebXACT (Bobby tool) - Use this tool to find out how standards compliant your website is.

Ensure Your Web Site Is Accessible - This TechSoup tutorial explains how to test your Web site for a number of common, high-level accessibility problems.