+++E-Access Bulletin - Issue 121, January 2010.

A Headstar Publication. http://www.headstar.com/eab/ .

Please forward this free bulletin to others (subscription details at the end).

++Section One: News.

Contents.

+01: Severely Disabled Pupils Face Wait For Home Access.

School pupils with serious disabilities are facing an indefinite delay, likely to last six months or more, to receive the assistive technology they need to benefit from the government's new 'Home Access' computer scheme, E-Access Bulletin has learned.

The £300 million scheme ( http://www.homeaccess.org.uk/ ), managed by education ICT agency Becta ( http://www.becta.org.uk/ ), is providing computers to children aged 7-14 from low-income families. Launched this month, it aims to help around 270,000 families by March 2011.

The project does take extensive account of pupils with special access needs, with its basic package - computers, software, internet access and support - coming pre-loaded with a suite of assistive technology software, which includes literacy support tool Read and Write ; 'concept mapping' tool MindView 3; and magnification and speech tool iZoom.

To meet the assistive needs at home of pupils who have more severe visual impairments or other complex disabilities such as mobility issues or deafness, two further, more specialised packages are available. Package one - which includes a keyboard with larger keys and a large trackball mouse for those with limited motor skills - is also available from the outset.

However package two, a bespoke package to provide equipment for pupils who are blind, have cerebral palsy or severe mobility problems such as a touch-screen, a Braille keyboard or screen- reader software, is not yet available, and may not be for six months or more, E-Access Bulletin has learned.

The delay is due to the original supplier tender being pulled following non-compliance with some of its terms, according to Mick Thomas, universal access manager at Becta. Thomas declined to supply details of the non-compliance, but said: "We've discussed it with other suppliers and are looking to provide a service that's up and running before the end of the summer holiday."

Thomas says that as well as the obvious benefits to pupils of the assistive elements of Home Access, the programme's scale - thought to be the largest ever provision of assistive technology in the world - will help bring assistive technology further into the public eye. "We've got a package that will overcome physical access issues for a whole bunch of people, and once we get the final piece of the jigsaw in place, it will be an amazing opportunity. A lot of the software and hardware traditionally thought of as being very niche is going to become more mainstream. I've worked in the assistive field for many years, and this is the opportunity we've been waiting for," he said.

NOTE: For the full story see Section Two, this issue.

And you can comment on this story now, on EAB Live: http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=379

+02: Global Copyright Treaty On Access Formats Edges Closer.

An international treaty allowing people to share accessible versions of copyright works across national borders moved a step closer last month, with an agreement by the World Intellectual Property Organisation (WIPO) to consult on the issue.

The 19th session of the WIPO Standing Committee on Copyright and Related Rights (SCCR), held in Geneva in December ( http://bit.ly/cHnS2R ), agreed to host a series of consultation meetings aimed at producing an international consensus.

The move builds on a formal proposal for a treaty on copyright exceptions and limitations from the World Blind Union, backed by WIPO member states Brazil, Ecuador and Paraguay earlier in 2009 and endorsed in December by others including the US.

For many years, disability organisations have protested against a frequent inability to produce accessible versions of copyright works, since this is viewed by many legal systems as the production of an illegal copy. Last year Amazon, the maker of the Kindle electronic book reader, disabled the reader's text-to- speech function after publishers protested that accessible speech amounted to the creation of a new and unlawful audio copy (see E-Access Bulletin, March 2009: http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=244 ). Exchange of accessible works across borders is doubly hard, as the law varies between countries and where there is a grey area, few are willing to risk taking any action.

Cynthia Waddell, Executive Director of The International Center for Disability Resources on the Internet ( http://www.icdri.org ), told E-Access Bulletin this month: "One of the main issues for the proposed treaty is to address the book famine of accessible works.

"At this time, it is estimated that 95% of printed works are not available in accessible formats. One goal of the proposed treaty is to reduce the cost redundancies for the creation of accessible works and to remove the barriers to exporting and importing accessible works. For example, copyright restrictions on the internationally-bestselling Harry Potter novels mean copies translated into accessible formats cannot be shared across national lines, but must be retranslated in every country."

The WIPO committee undertook to circulate a questionnaire on national views and laws on copyright exceptions to member states, for replies by May 10, 2010. The committee will also gather examples of accessibility practices and solutions across member states. Results will be presented to the 20th session of the SCCR, set for June 2010.

And you can comment on this story now, on EAB Live: http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=381

+03: Amazon Bows To Pressure On Kindle Accessibility.

The online retailer Amazon.com is to incorporate extra accessibility features into its Kindle DX electronic book reader or 'e-reader', after several American universities rejected the device as a potential teaching-aid, citing inaccessibility to blind students (see E-Access Bulletin, issue 119: http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=357 ).

Audible menus and an extra-large font size will be added to the new version of the Kindle DX on its release this summer. The menu feature addresses claims by Syracuse and Wisconsin- Madison universities that although the Kindle features a text-to- speech function valuable for blind users, inaccessible menus meant that such users would not be able to activate the function.

In a related development, one US university that did use the Kindle in a pilot programme reached a settlement earlier this month in a lawsuit filed by the US National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and the American Council of the Blind (ACB).

Arizona State University was one of several universities to pilot the Kindle, all of which were due to give feedback to Amazon.com to assist with the device's development. However the NFB and ACB alleged that as the Kindle was not fully accessible to blind students, its use in the university, even in a pilot, violated federal law.

Amazon's new plans to make the Kindle more accessible have emerged as a factor in the Arizona settlement, as was a commitment by the university to provide students with accessible e-book readers over the coming years.

In a statement, NFB President Marc Maurer said his organisation was "pleased with this settlement, which we believe will help to ensure that new technologies create new opportunities for blind students rather than new barriers."

And you can comment on this story now, on EAB Live: http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=383

++News in Brief:

Contents.

+04: Mainstream Issue:

Almost eight million UK adults have sensory impairments or other health problems which could make it difficult for them to access websites, according to a study by YouGov on behalf of disability employment charity Shaw Trust. The charity urged public sector bodies in particular to review their website accessibility in light of the Central Office of Information's 'Delivering inclusive websites' report, which set out minimum accessibility requirements for all public sector websites from December 2009: http://bit.ly/8V04Sq

+05: Mixed Results:

Levels of compliance with web accessibility guidelines "remain very low" in EU member states, a new study published by the European Commission has found. However it is hard to accurately track what progress is being made, the report found, since assessment against international Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) often employs a basic 'pass/fail' system based on full compliance: http://bit.ly/4U4kve

+06: Shared Editorial:

Customised content management software and a specially developed text editor will make the new website of the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) more accessible for both users and the blind and partially-sighted staff who edit the site. The website uses the 'SharePoint Accessibility Solution' (SAS) - a customised addition to Microsoft SharePoint 2007 which interacts with screen-readers - and an enhanced version of software company Telerik's 'RadEditor' developed to work with screen-reading technology. Both the public-facing and internal areas of the new website conform to the RNIB's 'Surf Right' accessible web standard: http://bit.ly/58sDhz

[Section One ends].

++Sponsored Notice: Adept Transcription- Alternative Formats At Affordable Prices.

Contents.

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[Sponsored Notice ends].

++Section Two: Focus - Home Access.

Contents.

+07: The Biggest It Help Scheme In The World.By Tristan Parker.

A government scheme to ensure all school pupils in England have access to computers and the internet at home could have a huge impact on the assistive technology sector.

Earlier this month, the government announced the launch of its 'Home Access' scheme to improve technology access for school pupils from lower-income families. Backed by some £300 million, the scheme is expected to provide computers and internet access for home use to around 270,000 families by March 2011.

Aimed at children in years 3-9 (ages 7-14) of state education in England, the scheme offers grants to low-income families, means-tested to establish eligibility, allowing them to purchase Home Access packages from selected suppliers. The packages consist of a computer, a year's internet access, installed 'office productivity suite' software, and service and support for a year.

A pilot scheme run in Oldham and Suffolk during December last year proved successful, and roll-out across England is now taking place. The project is being managed by Becta ( http://www.becta.org.uk/ ), the government's agency for information and communications technology in education.

So far, so good. But what provisions are made for pupils with disabilities?

According to the programme's website ( http://www.homeaccess.org.uk/ ), all packages come pre-loaded with a suite of assistive technology software, which includes Read and Write Home Access Edition (a literacy support package); MindView 3 (a 'concept mapping' programme to help pupils visualise and solve problems); and iZoom (a magnification and speech tool). The inclusion of these features within the basic package - expected to reach 270,000 families - makes the project what is thought to be the largest ever provision of assistive technology in the world.

The 'Read and Write' and 'MindView' tools are aimed primarily at children with a range of learning difficulties such as dyslexia, while the 'iZoom' magnifier assists pupils with visual impairments. However, iZoom is only adequate to cope with the milder end of visual impairment. To meet the assistive needs at home of pupils who are blind, have severe visual impairment or other complex disabilities such as mobility issues or deafness, two further, more specialised packages are available.

Package one, supplied by assistive technology company Keytools, will be given out when requested by either the child or their parents. It contains a 'BigKeys' keyboard with larger keys and lettering, for mild visual impairments; a lightweight mini keyboard, allowing easier use by those in wheelchairs, for example; a large trackball mouse for those with limited motor skills; and high visibility stickers, again designed for visual impairments.

Package two is a bespoke package to provide equipment enabling internet access for pupils with specialist needs not covered by the basic package or package one. This may include, for example, pupils who are blind, have cerebral palsy or severe mobility problems.

It is the distribution of this second package which is likely to present the biggest accessibility challenges for the Home Access programme. Provision of equipment will be based on an individual assessment of the pupil's needs, which are to be gauged by talking to the pupil, his or her parents and the school.

Mick Thomas, universal access manager at Becta, told E-Access Bulletin that this process is likely to take place remotely. "It doesn't preclude a face-to-face assessment, but my guess is that in 90% of the cases it will be remote."

As for the equipment provided after needs are assessed, Thomas said: "in theory it won't exclude anything but in reality - and this was born out from the pilot scheme - the package is likely to be accessed more by people who have severe visual problems and people who are blind." People with these visual impairments might receive, for example, a larger screen, a touch-screen, a Braille keyboard or screen-reader software, he said.

However, though the national rollout of funding and provision of the basic Home Access package and package one began earlier this month, package two - catering for more complex needs - is not yet available, and may not be for six months or more. "Our original objective was to get it running in late April or early May," says Thomas. However, this date has now been moved back, due to the original supplier tender being pulled.

Despite this setback, the process is continuing, albeit at a slower rate than planned, Thomas said. "The procurement is going ahead, but we're looking at doing it in a different way. In the original procurement there was non-compliance from a couple of the suppliers. We've discussed it with other suppliers and are looking to provide a service that's up and running before the end of the summer holiday."

The task is a considerable one for a sector that is still emerging into the mainstream, according to Ian Litterick, founder of educational assistive technology specialists iansyst ( http://www.iansyst.co.uk/ ).

"For the assistive technology industry, it's quite a challenge to produce what is thought to be around 11,000 systems on a very short timescale," Litterick told E-Access Bulletin.

Litterick was generally positive about the Home Access scheme. He said it should cater adequately for pupils with a range of learning difficulties, including blind and visually impaired students, through provision of screen-reader software and other tools. However, he raised concerns over the level support offered: "There's still a training need which at the moment isn't met under the Home Access funding, but my guess is that, in many cases, if you were a blind student you'll be prescribed what you've already been using in school. But there is still potentially a big need for training there."

Another potential concern is a lack of information about package two or any fixed date for its roll-out, with the result that pupils with more complex needs must wait at least four months for their assessments, Litterick said.

"It's been done in a huge hurry, to extremely tight deadlines, and not every decision along the way has been optimal, but broadly speaking I think it is a very exciting project" he said. "They've addressed the inclusion issue, as far as technology is concerned, in a pretty comprehensive and broadly admirable way."

Mick Thomas of Becta says that as well as the obvious benefits to pupils of the assistive elements of Home Access, the scale of provision will help bring assistive technology further into the public eye. "We've got a package that will overcome physical access issues for a whole bunch of people, and once we get the final piece of the jigsaw in place, it will be an amazing opportunity. A lot of the software and hardware traditionally thought of as being very niche is going to become more mainstream. I've worked in the assistive field for many years, and this is the opportunity we've been waiting for," he said.

And you can comment on this story now, on EAB Live: http://www.headstar.com/eablive/?p=385

[Section Two ends].

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Contents.

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[Special notice ends].

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Contents.

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[Special notice ends].

++End Notes.

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