Assistive computer technology and web accessibility
Just thought I’d pass this link on: http://www.assistiveware.com/videos.php (short write-up here — thanks to Roger Johansson for the link.)
These are video profiles of people with disabilities — mild to severe — who use assistive computer technology to improve their lives. Some people use their computers to simply help them with their jobs (such as a blind person who is a professional French-to-English translator), while others use their computers as a lifeline to the rest of the world.
I want to publicize this link for two reasons: One reason is because the people in the videos are completely inspiring; I can only hope that if faced with a similar situation I can be as positive and productive as they are.
The other reason is because as e-learning/web developers, we have a responsibility to be aware of the needs of people with disabilities, and try our best to make our work accessible. For e-learning and web development, this has become surprisingly easy, yet many developers still don’t do their part, or even realize that what they create isn’t particularly accessible.
Armed with a basic understanding of accessibility, and with a little planning, a web developer can create courses and/or websites that contain rich content — even Flash movies and videos — while supporting a majority of assistive computer/alternative web browsing technologies.
If you Google “web accessibility“, you’ll find a ton of tips and rules of thumb for making websites accessible. Here’s a great starting point: http://www.w3.org/WAI/quicktips/Overview.php
I hope you can spare some time to read a little about the subject; in this case, I think a little knowledge can go a long way. It isn’t hard to make sites accessible, I promise! 
PS – I’m not affiliated with nor do I endorse AssistiveWare, the company that produced the videos.
