+++E-ACCESS BULLETIN.
- ISSUE 56, AUGUST 2004.

Technology news for people with vision impairment
(http://www.headstar.com/eab).
Sponsored by RNIB (http://www.rnib.org.uk).

NOTE: Please forward this free bulletin to others (subscription details
at the end). We conform to the accessible Text Email Newsletter
(TEN) Standard:
http://www.headstar.com/ten .


++Issue 56 Contents.

Section One: News.
01: Overhaul for email newsletter standard
- E-Access Bulletin's publisher seeks signatories.

02: Unix accessibility forum unveiled
- attempt to bridge gaps between open source communities.

03: Online web browser adaptor hits UK
- users can access their preferences on different computers.

04: Plaudits for 'Chillingham' adventure game
- haunted village navigated by sound.

News in Brief: 05: DAISY age - library seeks e-book testers; 06: Jobs
campaign - employers targeted; 07: European award - design for all.

Section two: 'The inbox' - Readers' forum.
08: Strong statements: support for bank statements by email; 09: More
chips: 'chip and pin' banking; 10: Free reader - cheaper screen reader
software.

Section Three: Focus - Online shopping.
11: Diary of a dissatisfied customer: Mel Poluck reviews an exchange
of emails between disgruntled blind online shopper Karen Turner and
customer services staff at supermarket giant Tesco.

Section Four: Access concepts - The Totally Integrated Portal.
12: Universal service: a single voice-operated portal using a
hierarchical menu structure could give people with disabilities access
to vast array of information and services, says Ken Matthews.

[Contents ends].


++Special Notice: Techshare 2004
- 18-19 November 2004, Jury's Inn, Birmingham, UK

The RNIB's Techshare 2004 conference is an important event for
professionals who are interested in technology and the role it plays in
learning, work and society for people with sight problems.

For further information email
techshare@rnib.org.uk or visit:
http://www.rnib.org.uk/techshare .

[Special notice ends].


++Section One: News.

+01: OVERHAUL FOR EMAIL NEWSLETTER STANDARD.

The latest version of the Text Email Newsletter (TEN) Standard, drawn
up by the publishers of E-Access Bulletin as a blueprint for creating
email newsletter layouts that are easy to navigate by people using
special access technology such as screen readers, has been released.

The revised standard (http://www.headstar.com/ten) draws on the most
recent feedback from a range of leading organisations which have
signed up to endorse its principles and apply the standard to their own
communications.

Signatories now include the UK government's Department of Work
and Pensions; two local authorities, The London Borough of Brent
(http://www.brent.gov.uk) and Tunbridge Wells
(http://www.tunbridgewells.gov.uk); and overseas groups including the
library of the Canadian National Institute for the Blind
(http://www.cnib.ca/library) and The European Design for All e-
Accessibility Network (http://www.e-accessibility.org).

Version 1.1 of the TEN guidelines includes new suggestions on font
styles, the best use of upper and lower case text, and the most
accessible ways of embedding web links into text. There is new
guidance on how to structure a newsletter to enable easy navigation,
with suggestions on where to place contents listings and background
information, and how to begin and end sections of an email newsletter.

Organisations wishing to sign up to the standard, which merely
requires them to endorse its general principles, should email ten-
standard@headstar.com .

NOTE: E-Access Bulletin's main web site
(http://www.headstar.com/eab) has also been improved and made more
accessible, enabling easier navigation with shortcut keys, while
important elements of the page like the site menu are clearly
signposted. Users can toggle between page formats displaying ordinary
graphics and large text using a single mouse click. The web site now
meets all priority 1 and 2 and most of the priority 3 specifications of
the World Wide Web Consortium's Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines (http://www.w3.org/TR/WAI-WEBCONTENT).


+02: UNIX ACCESSIBILITY FORUM UNVEILED.

Efforts to improve the accessibility of the Unix operating system have
progressed with the launch this month of the Unix Accessibility Forum
(UAF - http://accessibility.kde.org/forum).

The forum is to be hosted by the KDE Project (http://www.kde.org), a
group of open source software engineers developing a desktop
environment similar to Windows or the Mac Operating System within
which Unix can be used.

UAF draws together developers of screen reader and magnification
technology for Unix, the widely-used open source computer operating
system.

Although developers have gradually improved Unix magnification
tools over the last ten years, development work has begun only
recently on the software interfaces needed to plug screen readers into
Unix systems.

"This is important because the internal systems of many large
employers such as banks run on Unix," said Dr Terry Barnaby of Beam
(http://www.beam.ltd.uk), a developer of assistive technology for Unix
and Linux, the popular operating system derived from Unix. "Many
bank employees have to use a Unix windows interface to verify
customer transactions, such as when a cheque is paid into an account,
for example," he said.

According to Barnaby, making Unix accessible is complicated by the
fact that desktop applications such as graphical user interfaces and web
browsers are built by different communities of developers, and often
cannot be made to work together without detailed technical knowledge.

For example, screen readers are being developed by both KDE and the
separate GNOME (http://www.gnome.org) community of developers
for Unix desktop applications. Part of the UAF agenda will be to build
bridges between the various different developer communities.


+03: ONLINE WEB BROWSER ADAPTOR HITS UK.

A new system developed by IBM allowing people to set preferences
for their web browser such as large text sizes, which can then be
accessed from any computer, is to be supported in the UK by the
charity Abilitynet.

The system works by combining a small piece of software or 'plug-in'
downloaded to the user's computer - which must be running the
Internet Explorer web browser version 5.5 or higher - with preferences
and settings stored on a remote web server by each user with a unique
password. When the user logs in to any computer at work or home
which has the browser plug-in, and enters their username and
password, their preferences and settings will be restored.

Web Adaptation Technology (WAT - http://www.webadapt.org) can
adjust settings such as page magnification, text size and spacing,
colour balance, graphics display, and audio output.

Individuals and non-profit groups can use the technology for free,
while other organisations must negotiate licence fees with IBM. The
technology has already been undergoing trials in the US, in association
with several charities and research bodies.

"Although some owners of web site are very rigorous when it comes to
accessibility, it will probably be years before most web sites are
accessible. In the meantime, this kind of service will be of some
value," said Mark Wakefield, Community Relations Manager at IBM
UK.

According to Wakefield, it is likely that many vision-impaired people
will need assistance to download and use the software. AbilityNet
(http://www.abilitynet.org.uk) is to provide information and help-desk
support for individual users, and training for organisations that sign up
for the WAT service.


+04: PLAUDITS FOR 'CHILLINGHAM' ADVENTURE GAME.

Early feedback from players of Chillingham, a computer adventure
game which uses sound alone and requires no sight to play, has been
extremely positive, according to its creators Bavisoft
(http://www.bavisoft.com).

The game is named after a haunted village where the action takes
place. Players take on the role of the protagonist Frederick, who is on a
mission to find his missing friend Lily. The adventure is controlled
using just the four arrow keys on a computer keyboard, allowing
players to select objects, navigate the village and choose to talk to its
residents such as Old Bill the hermit.

In return for objects that will help them on his adventure, Frederick
must solve puzzles, go on assignments and fend off enemies such as
cackling witches using the objects acquired en route as weapons.

"The inspiration for Chillingham was to recreate games that we
enjoyed playing as youngsters, namely the text adventures," says Russ
Byer, vice president of Sales and Marketing at Bavisoft. "The concept
of melding the adventure with a few of the arcade style games seemed
like a perfect fit," he says.

He says the company has received praise from early players on sound
quality, the challenge of the puzzles, the storyline, and the range of
arcade events. "Defending against monsters, catching bugs, navigating
the raft and mimicking the hermit were all mentioned as enjoyable
aspects. And even though they all used the 4-key interface, the controls
and games within the games were different enough to not be boring,"
Byer says.

Chillingham costs 44 US dollars. Bavisoft's previous creations include
Grizzly Gulch, the first ever sound-based adventure game, set in the
Wild West (see E-Access Bulletin, Issue 5, May 2000 and Issue 24,
December 2001).


++News in Brief:

+05: DAISY AGE: The National Library for the Blind is seeking
vision-impaired people to test a selection of DAISY format electronic
books using Dolphin's 'EaseReader' software. The aim is to improve
the access; cost-effectiveness; and quality of electronic books. In return
for their help, testers will receive a selection of DAISY books on CD
and technical support:
http://fastlink.headstar.com/nlb1 .

+06: JOBS CAMPAIGN: A campaign to highlight to employers that
sight loss need not be a barrier to employment has been launched by
RNIB with Action for Blind People. A report 'Beyond the stereotypes:
Blind and partially sighted people and work,' has been published,
along with a charter, 'Work matters.' A DVD featuring interviews with
employers and vision-impaired employees has also been released:
http://fastlink.headstar.com/rnib5 .

+07: EUROPEAN AWARD: The European Commission has
announced its first 'Design for all and assistive technology' award, to
take place in November. European designers, engineers, design
students and companies will be encouraged to enter projects that
ensure user involvement from all sections of society:
http://www.dfa-at-awards.org .

[Section one ends].


++Special Notice: The UK Association of Braille Producers
Conference
- October 4-5, 2004
- The Albright Hussey Hotel, Shrewsbury.

The UK Association of Braille Producers is holding a conference in
Shrewsbury on Monday 4 and Tuesday 5 October 2004. The two days
will be packed with presentations, demonstrations and workshops of
interest to anyone involved in Braille production including staff of
charities, prison Braille units, school resource bases and local societies,
commercial producers, and voluntary transcribers. Topics will include
changes to the Braille code, copyright rules, DAISY, tactile diagrams
and Moon production. Developers of Braille software, embossers and
raised diagram machines will be demonstrating their latest products.

For more details and to register see:
http://www.ukabp.org/conference.asp
or email conference@ukabp.org
or phone 0870 765 9388.

[Special notice ends].


++Section Two: 'The Inbox'
- Readers' Forum.

Please email all contributions or responses to inbox@headstar.com .

+08: STRONG STATEMENTS: There has been widespread support
among our readers for the suggestion of Amar Latif that banks should
send out statements by email, without the account numbers for
security, as the most accessible format.

Kawal Gucukoglu said: "I wholeheartedly agree with [Amar Latif]. As
well as having to log in to find out what is available at your bank via
their web site, they are mostly not accessible and I have repeatedly
asked my bank about what they are going to do about their website and
making it accessible for people with impaired vision. I have never had
a satisfactory response and I continue to wait for banks to make their
sites accessible to screen readers. I also would like bank statements via
email!"

Carl Jolley says: "I would like to register my vote for having my bank
statement emailed to me. I do use Halifax on-line when I have time,
but as you say, logging on and so on takes time and this high pressure
world doesn't really allow for that. We wouldn't have to have any
confidential information on the statements, so no account number or
sort code has to be printed as once we have registered our email
address with them, then there is enough security to know that they are
providing the correct information to the right person. The only security
risk is if the visually impaired person enters the wrong email address,
then someone will know you have been over spending at the
supermarket!"

The accessibility consultant Julia Schofield says she too would like
bank statements by email, and says: "I don't feel that the brailling of
statements going outside the banks to other organisations is particularly
secure."

And Simon Cavendish agrees: "Yes, I think it would be an excellent
idea to have one's banking details provided minus the account number.
What a silly excuse the banks use. I believe health and safety reasons
are still used by some organisations to discriminate against disabled
people."

Two other readers recommend telephone banking as a good alternative
to inaccessible web sites. Bart Simons, Web Accessibility Specialist at
the Belgian e-government solutions firm ASCii, says: "My bank in
Belgium runs a phone banking service. This means I can hear my
statement and the list of past transactions through the phone. This is a
regular service and thus not only set up for clients with a handicap.
This method is very convenient and fast. I consider it indeed more
secure than receiving this information via email."

And Debbie Payne of Hereford says: "I don't use internet banking, but
I do use the phone banking service provided by my bank, which I find
invaluable. It gives you spoken access to your balance, recent
transactions and so on and allows you to speak to an operator should
you wish to obtain detailed information of transactions on previous
statements. This is ideal, particularly if you do not read Braille, or find
internet banking time-consuming."


+09: MORE CHIPS: Also on the subject of banking, the debate
continues about the accessibility or otherwise of the new 'Chip and
PIN' system which will see electronic codes replacing signatures for
use with credit and debit cards.

Debbie Payne writes: "I agree with Clare Page, who was incredulous
as to why visually impaired people cannot use the Chip and PIN
system. Personally I can't wait to start using it. As a totally blind
person myself, I avoid using my card in shops, because I find using a
signature extremely difficult, and always feel self-conscious. As Clare
rightly points out, the only problem should be knowing the layout of
the keypad. Surely, it would be far easier to simply key in a four-digit
number than to worry about where to put your signature on a piece of
paper."

And Julia Schofield asks: "Do we in the UK always respond negatively
to change? Is it poor education about something new, and the often
negative stand taken by lead organisations for the blind that lead to this
reaction to progress?

"I hate fumbling for a pen and having to ask where to sign on a credit
card or other receipt. If you can use a mobile phone, surely a 'pinpad'
is no harder? Perhaps we should just be pressing for different surfaces
on important keys like 'enter' or 'validate'?

"Perhaps some unbiased 'how to' information and a little help the first
time would change opinions - it's much easier and safer. I do think
people tend to not like what they don't know, and from my past
consultancy work with the Post Office, we found that if people were
introduced to the PIN entry personally then they were converts
immediately."


+10: FREE READER: Continuing our discussion on cheaper types of
screen-reader software, Nick Freear of Bunbury IS says: "I use a audio
Web-browser 'pwWebSpeak' from Productivity Works:
http://www.soundlinks.com/pwgen.htm

"Their terms include: "If you are a visually impaired individual, or are
using the software to evaluate sites for accessibility, you may use the
software freely, but will not be entitled to support." Unlike most
screen-readers 'pwWebSpeak' does not rely on a separate browser to
access the Web - it is self contained. The download is 6.3 Megabytes."

[Section two ends].


++Special Notice: Web Accessibility Forum.

Accessify Forum is a discussion forum devoted to all topics relating to
web accessibility. Topics cover everything from 'Beginners' and 'Site
building and testing' through to projects such as the new accessibility
testing tool WaiZilla and the accessibility of the open source forum
software itself.

All you need to register is a working email address, so come along and
join in the fun at:
http://www.accessifyforum.com .

[Special notice ends].


++Section Three: Focus
- Online shopping.

+11: Diary of a Dissatisfied Customer
by Karen Turner and Mel Poluck.

E-Access Bulletin reader Karen Turner began using the Tesco
supermarket's online, home delivery shopping service when she found
herself unable to leave her home due to illness. However, even though
Tesco has provided a special 'Access Grocery Service' web site aimed
at those using assistive technologies, Turner found that ordering goods
as a blind user was fraught with difficulties.

In fact, Turner does not use the 'Access' site
(http://www.tesco.com/access/about.htm) because she says it does not
carry all the special offers shown in the main site, and it is not possible
to amend an order after it has been placed.

The following is an edited selection of a series of emails between
Turner and the customer service department of Tesco, exchanged as a
result of these problems.

1 March 2004.
From: Karen Turner.
Dear Tesco,
As a blind person, my preferred browser is Opera as this gives me
many keyboard controls instead of having to use the mouse. On
completing the order, and entering my payment details, I obtained an
error message. I tried several times with different payment cards and
received the error again and again, and became angry and frustrated
feeling that I had just wasted four hours navigating your site.

4 March 2004.
From: Suzi Harris, Customer Service Manager, Tesco.com.
Dear Karen,
If you experience any problems in future placing orders with
Tesco.com, please call our helpline where one of our operators will be
happy to help.

5 March 2004.
From: Karen Turner.
Dear Suzi Harris,
You have made no comments on the difficulty I have using Tesco.com
and my preferred browser. You state I should contact an operator on
your helpline. However, I fail to understand why you cannot give a
reason for my difficulty now, and wonder how I can contact you by
telephone at the same time as viewing Tesco.com when I have one line
for both my internet and telephone connection and no mobile phone?


9 March 2004.
From: Sean McKellican, Customer Service Manager, Tesco.com.
Dear Karen,
I'm sorry to hear of the problems that you are having with our site and
the Opera browser. The site is not designed or coded in order for
customers to use other browsers other than Internet Explorer or
Netscape. This has always been the case since day one of the web site
but fully understand as the years go by that this will have to change.

At the moment we only have three per cent of our customers using the
Opera browser - a few of them have advised us of this problem. In the
meantime, until we do decide to change the site in any way, we can
only ask that you use Internet Explorer or Netscape, or you can try our
other site of www.tesco.com/access.


11 March 2004.
From: Karen Turner.
Thank you for your kind and informative reply. Today I decide I need
further products from Tesco and grudgingly use the Internet Explorer
browser. I am not given information regarding my overall bill as I add
each item and navigating with the tab key on this page is long and
tedious, as I have to listen for my screen reader to speak each item. On
adding items to my shopping basket, the text box for the product is
omitted by the tab key and therefore not read to me by my screen
reader. I am forced to attempt to visually read these boxes in the hope
that I will order the goods I require.

After each addition, I return to the original product list and start the
procedure again, instead of being able to return to my latest choice. I
then try to update selected items to my original order, then proceed to
'check out.' I then find I now have two orders, the shopping I did on
the access page being treated as a new order.

Uncertain of the next step, I contact your helpline, and explain I want
these items to be delivered with my original order. I queried if this
would mean I had two separate delivery charges, which your operator
confirmed. It appears you are not willing to forgo one of the delivery
charges as you cannot amalgamate these two orders.


17 March 2004.
From: Stuart Robertson, Customer Service Manager, Tesco.com.
Dear Karen,
Thank you for your email. Please accept my apologies for the delay in
replying to your query. Unfortunately, I have only just received your
email after the time that your order can be amended. Orders for
delivery before six pm can only be amended up until two forty-five am
on the same day. Once again, please accept my apologies for any
inconvenience caused.


17 March 2004.
From: Karen Turner.
Thank you for replying to my email. However, I feel what you really
mean is you have delayed actioning my email. I appreciate all the time
and effort spent aiding my shop online. Unfortunately, due to the
incomplete advice given by yourselves to my individual queries at the
relevant times, I do not feel you have shown complete commitment,
empathy or satisfaction to your customer.


18 March 2004.
From: Elaine Pople, Customer Service Manager, Tesco.com.
Dear Karen,
I fully appreciate your comments. We aim to provide the best possible
service for our customers and any feedback or suggestions made are
always very welcome. The relevant department dealing with such
matters has been notified and I can assure you that this will be taken on
board.

NOTE: If other readers have had similar exchanges that might make
interesting reading, please let us know. Email the editor on
inbox@headstar.com .

[Section three ends].


++Special Notice: Test Your Site's Accessibility.

Headstar, the publishers of E-Access Bulletin, is offering a range of
independent, expert assessment packages to ensure your web services
comply with best practice and the law. We can provide you with a
clear, detailed report on the current access status of your site, and a list
of tasks you will need to carry out to ensure compliance with
government requirements.

Reports also include results from general quality assurance tests such
as link-checking. Taking accessibility action benefits all users, will
make your site easier to maintain, and can improve your search engine
rating! Please note the service is tailored in particular to larger
organisations with major web sites or services.

For more information please email:
access-consult@headstar.com .

[Special notice ends].


++Section Four: Access Concepts
- The Totally Integrated Portal.

+12: Universal Service
by Ken Matthews.

The Totally Integrated Portal (TIP) is a name I have given to the
concept of developing a highly structured web site to completely
integrate the visually impaired or dyslexic person into the digital
domain, allow them to interact with each other and the outside world as
simply as any other person who has access to the internet.

I believe the concept can be broadened to include other disabled
groups, and can be achieved relatively quickly. The technology is
available: all that is required is the will to carry it forward.

Here's how it would work. People who access the site would be
greeted by a voice message giving them a choice of a numbered menu.
The computer or other type of device that the client is using would be
voice activated, and the user would simply say a number. Here are a
number of example options, although anything could be offered:

1: News headlines.
2: Newspapers in depth.
3: Radio schedules
4: Library
5: Latest information for specific groups.
6: Communication.
7: Other accessible sites.
8: Online games rooms.
9: Voice chat rooms
10: Recorded chat.
11: Talk to the moderator.
12: Radio stations.

Upon choosing a number, the individual would be given a further set of
numbered options. In the examples listed above, options one and two
could lead to top headlines from the main national newspapers, and
selections of say 10 stories from each paper, respectively.

Option number three. Radio Schedules, would present structured radio
programme timetables.

Option number four, Library, would offer a selection of audio books
that could be listened to as streaming audio.

Option number five, Latest information for specific groups, could
cover for example announcements from the RNIB for blind people,
information for dyslexics, or information for people with a motor
control disability such as cerebral palsy.

Option number six, Communication, would offer telephone lists and
direct connection to a range of services including voicemail or doctors'
surgeries or hospitals. The concept is that this area would be tailored to
individual requirements of each person.

Option number seven, Other accessible sites, would connect to other
web sites meeting the same criteria as the gateway. Again, the
possibilities are endless as more sites become accessible.

Option number eight, Online games rooms, would offer accessible
games like live quizzes or bingo.

Option number nine, Voice chat rooms, would be live and moderated
for the most part, although the concept is basically client led. At any of
the chat rooms, the moderator could allocate a room for private advice
if required on a one-to-one basis. Options might include The social
worker; Citizen's advice bureaux; Meet the doctor; The lawyer's
forum; The Benefits session; Political forum.

Option number ten, Recorded chat, would feature recordings for people
who had missed live events.

Option number eleven, Talk to the moderator, would allow service
problems to be aired or new features to be requested.

Option number twelve, Radio stations, would combine access to
current stations with a new dedicated 24-hour web radio station
carrying content of interest to any disabled client group. The station
could become a main hub or meeting place for all groups.

The TIP concept would generally use voice recognition on the client's
own equipment to communicate with the service, and meaning the
client could make any recognisable sound to represent a number. Other
disabled groups who are unable to make any sound or movement at all,
should be able to interface with the equipment through other means,
eye movement or blinking come to mind, because these methods are
already being used in other areas. The 'Eyetracker system' seems to be
particularly effective in operating equipment for the disabled who are
only able to communicate by eye movement. This would appear to be
an obvious interface for the portal for any group with such severe
disability. Number pads could also be used by clients who have limited
movement.

The assistance of specialist societies that look after the interests of
disadvantaged groups in identifying peoples' needs and helping
provide the necessary hardware and software is fundamental to the
whole model.

The TIP gateway is envisaged as being a server in its own right and
carrying out all of its services as a stand-alone application. Integration
with other servers in different fields may happen in the longer term.
For example, the TIP server could integrate with a library server to
allow customers access to the audio books, so when the client accessed
the library from the menu of the portal, the sub-menu of the books and
the streaming audio book could be downloaded from a remote server.

The portal would also be designed to enable the clients to communicate
with their family or friends in whatever part of the world they may
reside, opening up a world of opportunity to them. Other services such
as council services might be accessed in similar ways.

The simple fact that people with severe disabilities could have better
options to integrate with the outside world makes the TIP concept
worthwhile. I don't believe the money required to implement these
ideas would be excessive, and the improvement to the quality of life to
the recipients would be immeasurable.

NOTE: Article Copyright Ken Matthews, 2004. Ken Matthews is vice-
chairman of the Mid-Fife Newstape, a talking newspaper and audio
magazine service for the visually impaired in Glenrothes and
Kirkcaldy. Individuals or organisations interested in discussing ways of
realising the TIP concept should contact him on
kenmatthews@blueyonder.co.uk .

[Section Four ends].


++END NOTES.

+HOW TO RECEIVE THIS BULLETIN.

To subscribe to this free monthly bulletin, email
eab-subs@headstar.com with 'subscribe eab' in the subject header.
You can list other email addresses to subscribe in the body of the
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Please send comments on coverage or leads to Dan Jellinek at:
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Copyright 2004 Headstar Ltd http://www.headstar.com .
The Bulletin may be reproduced as long as all parts including this
copyright notice are included, and as long as people are always
encouraged to subscribe with us individually by email. Please also
inform the editor when you are reproducing our content. Sections of
the report may be quoted as long as they are clearly sourced as 'taken
from e-access bulletin, a free monthly email newsletter', and our web
site address http://www.headstar.com/eab is also cited.

+PERSONNEL:
Editor - Dan Jellinek
Deputy editor - Derek Parkinson
Senior reporter - Mel Poluck
News reporter - Julie Hill
Editorial advisor - Kevin Carey.

ISSN 1476-6337 .

[Issue ends.]