Assistive & Information Technology Resources

Accessible Information Technology
Assistive Technlogy

Accessible Information Technology Resources:

Accessibility in Distance Education
The Accessibility in Distance Education website at the University of Maryland aims to educate online faculty about how people with disabilities navigate the web and the things they (faculty) need to do to ensure that electronic learning materials are accessible.
Center for Applied Special Technology (CAST)
CAST is an educational, not-for-profit organization that uses technology to expand opportunities for all people, especially those with disabilities.
Cynthia Says
This free service will allow you to test web pages and help expose and repair barriers to accessibility and encourage compliance with existing accessibility guidelines, such as Section 508 and the W3C's WCAG.
IBM Accessibility Center
IBM checklists and guidelines regarding Software accessibility, Web accessibility, Java accessibility,IBM Lotus Notes® accessibility, Hardware accessibility, and Peripherals accessibility.
Microsoft Accessibility
Tutorials and guidelines on how to use the accessibility features of Microsoft products such as Windows and Office.
National Center for Accessible Media
The CPB/WGBH National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM) is a research and development facility dedicated to the issues of media and information technology for people with disabilities in their homes, schools, workplaces, and communities. They are the developers of MAGpie, used to create captions and audio descriptions for rich media. They also have guidelines on making CD-ROM-based educational software accessible.
Section 508: The Road to Accessibility
A federal government website devoted to Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act.
Trace Center
The Trace Center is currently working on ways to make standard information technologies and telecommunications systems more accessible and usable by people with disabilities.
Understanding Accessibility
This book introduces the accessibility initiative and its challenges and provides a complete reference on accessibility remediation. It also provides guidelines for accessible Web design, and information that will assist organizations in integrating accessibility into their existing quality assurance and content management practices.
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Resources
The initiative pursues accessibility of the Web through five primary areas of work: technology, guidelines, tools, education and outreach, and research and development. Their Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is the most popular standard used for web accessibility.
WebAim
Web Accessibility In Mind (WebAIM) 's goal is to improve accessibility to online learning opportunities for all people; in particular to improve accessibility for individuals with disabilities who currently may have a difficult time getting access to postsecondary online learning opportunities. The website includes tutorials, training, guidelines and more.
Web Publishing Accessibility Wizard for Microsoft Office
The Accessibility Wizard simplifies the task of converting PowerPoint presentations, Word documents, and (in the future) Excel spreadsheets to accessible HTML through an easy-to-use user interface and automation of many of the details of conversion.

Assistive Technology Resources:

Abledata
ABLEDATA is a federally funded project whose primary mission is to provide information on assistive technology and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources to consumers, organizations, professionals, and caregivers within the United States.
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.
assistivetech.net
Helps people find assistive technology (AT) solutions that match their needs by maintaining searchable databases of thousands of products and resources.
National Center to Improve Practice in Special Education through Technology (NCIP)
Promotes technology to enhance educational outcomes for students with sensory, cognitive, physical and social/emotional disabilities. Large section on technology for early childhood.
RESNA
Purpose is to improve the potential of people with disabilities to achieve their goals through the use of technology
Technology Integration in Education
Information for teachers, section on special needs and assistive technology