The entries on this site are organized by category and date. These are the entries made in 2009. Content is posted within each category in chronological order, with the most recent entries first. For a complete list of categories and sub-categories on this site, visit the categories page. You may also find content by using the search feature or the site map. Consult the archives for content organized by date and title.
2009 Archives
Google Acquires reCAPTCHA: Potential Boost for Web Accessibility
Web Accessibility activists take note: Google has just purchased reCAPTCHA, the most widely used audio CAPTCHA on the internet. In this post you can read about the Google Announcement, the importance of blind user testing for CAPTCHAs, key features for effective audio CAPTCHAs, and my personal congratulations to ReCaptcha Co-Founder Luis von Ahn.
Talking ATMs: Early History in California and Beyond
October 1, 2009 marks the 10th anniversary of the first Talking ATM installed in the United States. From that first accessible ATM in 1999, there are now tens of thousands of Talking ATMs around the world. In this post, the first of several Talking ATM posts over the next two months, you can read about early Talking ATM history.
New York A.G. Announces Comprehensive Web Access Settlement
Congratulations to New York State Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo’s office for its announcement this week of a comprehensive accessibility settlement with HSBC Card Services. Read the NY AG’s press release. The settlement, negotiated by attorney Jeffrey Powell in the Bureau of Consumer Frauds and Protection, addresses web accessibility, alternative formats for visually impaired customers, relay service for deaf and hearing impaired customers, and other important accessiblity issues. Under the Agreement, the HSBC web site will satisfy Conformance level AA of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.0, promulgated by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (w3c) no later than May 31, 2010.
Trader Joe’s Point of Sale Press Release
Blind Community Leaders Applaud Trader Joe’s Commitment to Improve Point of Sale Equipment to Benefit Shoppers with Visual Impairments
Sacramento, CA (August 18, 2009)– – American Council of the Blind (ACB), the California Council of the Blind (CCB) and the American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) announced today that they have collaborated with Trader Joe’s to improve the checkout experience of guests with visual impairments and help ensure their privacy. The AFB, ACB, and CCB applaud Trader Joe’s efforts.
Trader Joe’s Point of Sale Agreement and Amendment
The Trader Joe’s Point of Sale Agreement posted here was negotiated by Lainey and Linda Dardarian using Structured Negotiations on behalf of the American Council of the Blind, the American Foundation for the Blind and the California Council of the Blind. In the Agreement, Trader Joe’s agreed to install tactile point of sale devices at all its stores in the United States.
Blind Advocates in Islamabad, Pakistan Demand ATM Access
In October, 1999, the first Talking ATM was installed in the United States. Ten years later, advocates around the world continue to push for equal and confidential access to financial information and technology. The following article appeared on August 6, 2009 in The International News, published in Islamabad, Pakistan. It is about a protest organized by blind activists in that city to protest banks’ refusal to issue ATM cards to blind consumers.