Desire2Learn expands its platform with technologies from Cisco WebEx, ReadSpeaker, Ellucian and Automatic Sync Technologies

EDUCAUSE – KITCHENER-WATERLOO, ON AND DENVER, CO: Desire2Learn Incorporated (“Desire2Learn”) announces that its strengthening its leadership position in the education industry by incorporating technologies from Cisco WebEx, ReadSpeaker, Automatic Sync Technologies (AST) and Ellucian, to further promote lifelong learning.

Within the Desire2Learn platform, the Company is now empowering its customers with Cisco® WebEx® virtual conferencing capabilities to improve collaboration capabilities, ReadSpeaker’s cloud-based text-to-speech technology and AST’s technologies for increasing accessibility for people who are deaf and hard of hearing. In addition, Desire2Learn is working closely with Ellucian and their Partner Community Program to deepen the integration with its student information system.

“Desire2Learn’s products help learners learn, instructors teach and extend learning well beyond the classroom,” said Dennis Kavelman, COO of Desire2Learn. “By offering an open platform and enabling integrations with technology and education providers such as Cisco, Ellucian and ReadSpeaker, we’re delivering on our promise to advance education globally and continue to provide rich learning experiences.”

CISCO WEBEX: Together, Desire2Learn and Cisco WebEx now offer a virtual classroom environment that streamlines experiences for instructors and students. Seamless integration between WebEx Meetings and the Desire2Learn learning environment means users can utilize WebEx functionality within Desire2Learn online rooms, enabling instructors and students to collaborate more effectively.

READSPEAKER: A leader in cloud-based text-to-speech (TTS) technology, ReadSpeaker is now integrated within Desire2Learn’s platform to provide users of the learning environment with the ability to listen to text content. The TTS service helps all learners expand their comprehension and allows for bi-model learning as well as ease of use with model access. The seamlessly integrated TTS feature requires no downloads and works on all supported devices and operating systems, further enabling users that would otherwise have to download and install third party installed software.

AST: CaptionSync is now integrated within the production and administration features of Desire2Learn Learning Suite and Desire2Learn Capture solutions, to support accessibility in education for the deaf and hard of hearing across its customer base. The integration enables Desire2Learn products to further support multiple accessibility standards and regulations.

ELLUCIAN: Desire2Learn is a part of the Ellucian Partner Community, a formal network of companies with extensive higher education domain expertise. This community is comprised of product and service providers that furnish proven software applications, hardware, and services that complement and extend Ellucian’s software and service offerings, such as Student Information Systems.

Desire2Learn is in booth #1440, at EDUCAUSE 2012 in Denver, Colorado on November 7 – 8, 2012.

About Desire2Learn

Desire2Learn is helping to transform the way the world learns. Providing the next generation learning environment and solutions to engage and inspire lifelong learners, Desire2Learn helps clients break down barriers to access the highest quality learning experiences, and is recognized for its leadership in accessibility. Desire2Learn is a global leader in cloud (SaaS) based learning solutions and provides an open and extensible platform to over 700 clients and more than 8 million learners in higher education, K-12, healthcare, government and the corporate sector, including the Fortune 1000. Desire2Learn has personnel in the United States, Canada, Europe, Australia, Brazil and Singapore. For more information or to contact us, visit: http://www.desire2learn.com.

Source: GAATES

Freedom Scientific Releases MAGic 12 Screen Magnifier

Freedom Scientific, the world leader in assistive technology for those that are low vision or blind, on October 24 announced the release of version 12 of its MAGic^® screen magnification software.

MAGic makes it possible for computer users with macular degeneration, diabetic retinopathy, and other causes of low vision to use a PC. It increases the size of what a user sees on the monitor, all the way up to 36 times magnification and can also speak out loud what’s on the screen.

“This MAGic release has a simple, attractive user interface delivering the enhancements most requested by our users,” says Dusty Voorhees, Senior Product Manager at Freedom Scientific. “The new HD Text feature smooths the letters no matter which font or magnification level you choose – no more looking at blocky, pixilated text as you increase magnification. The new HD mouse offers selectable styles and continuous mouse pointer sizing that remains sharp at all magnification levels. This new look and feel provides intuitive access to any feature while being easy on the eyes, so users enjoy longer computing sessions with more comfort and less fatigue.”

This release is replete with unique new features that enhance productivity for low vision users:

• Take full control of what MAGic says, and when it says it, with Speech On Demand^™. Using speech can reduce eye fatigue and improve efficiency, but sometimes too much speech can be overwhelming. MAGic 12 goes far beyond a simple on/off toggle for speech, allowing you to eliminate extra chatter. No other screen magnification product provides this level of control over the speech you hear.

• All new mouse, cursor, and color schemes make it easier for low vision users to work in today’s modern applications. Enhancements offer high-contrast, low-glare screens and a customizable, easy-to–track mouse and cursor.

• Application-specific voice profiles make it very easy to select, create, change, and save default voice settings

• Research It gives you quick and easy access to a wide range of information available on the Internet, and it’s available at the touch of a button if you’re using the MAGic Large Print Keyboard

• Navigation Quick Keys make surfing the Web and working with PDF files more efficient. Get to where you want to be with just a key press.

• The Skim Reading tool gets you quickly to just the information you want

For a downloadable demonstration copy of MAGic 12, or to find out how to upgrade, visit the MAGic What’s New page.

Competitive Upgrade Promotion

“We’re sure that many longtime screen magnification users will want to upgrade to MAGic 12 once they see its features,” says Voorhees. “We want to give them that opportunity, even if they are not currently using MAGic. Through January 31, 2013, ZoomText users can upgrade to MAGic 12 for just $199. They’ll get MAGic 12 with Speech, a MAGic Large Print Keyboard, and an SMA. A five-seat license can be upgraded for $995, including five keyboards and the SMA.”

For more information on this upgrade promotion, call 1-800-444-4443.

About Freedom Scientific

Freedom Scientific is the leading worldwide provider of assistive technology products for those with vision impairments. The Company sells its products worldwide and has offices in Florida and Switzerland. The Company’s products have been translated into 24 languages and are available in 55 countries. Freedom also has a line of software products for those with learning disabilities.

Freedom Scientific®, MAGic®, and Speech On Demand™ are either trademarks or registered trademarks in the United States and/or other countries. The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the trademarks of their respective owners.

For more information, visit www.FreedomScientific.com or contact Brad Davis 800-444-4443 or 727-803-8000,info@FreedomScientific.com

Source: GAATES

Sochi 2014 Puts Accessibility on the Map to Mark 500 Days Until the Paralympic Games

Russia marked 500 days to go until country’s first Paralympic Winter Games, which will be hosted in Sochi and begin on 7^th March 2014.

To celebrate this milestone date Sochi 2014 volunteers have already located and placed 500 accessible venues from dozens of Russian cities on the Accessibility Map; Sochi became the heart of the celebrations with the opening of an Equal Opportunities Park and with an outstanding “Class Mira” theater musical, and Paralympic lessons across the entire country marked the launch of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Education School Program.

Accessibility Map

In the build up to 500 days to go the Accessibility Map (www.kartadostupnosti.ru) – the unique interactive internet project has been launched by the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee with the support of the International Paralympic Committee.

Sochi 2014 Puts Accessibility on the Map to Mark 500 Days to Go to Paralympic Games 24 October 2012. (Photo credit: Sochi 2014)

The new Accessibility Map website was presented and demonstrated by the President of Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee Dmitry Chernyshenko, the General Secretary of the RPC Mikhail Terentiev and Sochi 2014 volunteers to the guests gathered at the Park via a big screen. The volunteers together with the internet users will create on this website the complete list of barrier-free venues and infrastructure to make it easier for people with a disability to find places to play sport near to their home, sometimes for the very first time. The Sochi 2014 volunteers from 26 volunteer centers all over the country have already found and put on the map the data on 500 barrier-free venues in their cities.

The website has been expressly developed to take accessibility requirements into account, allowing a user to switch to an alternative version for visually impaired users with just one click of a mouse.

After the Paralympic Games, the project will be further developed, with the internet allowing the program to reach thousands of people online.

Equal Opportunities Park

In the center of Sochi the Equal Opportunities Park was the heart of the celebration. All visitors could speak with prominent Paralympic sportsmen and were able to try their hand at several Paralympic sports including sledge hockey, wheelchair curling, biathlon and basketball and had the chance to attempt to cross an obstacle course blindfolded. The guests of the Park also got into the spirit of the Winter Games by ice skating, playing table hockey and taking photographs with the Paralympic Champions and mascots of the Paralympic Games, the Ray of Light and the Snowflake.

The Park’s guests of honor included the President of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, Dmitry Chernyshenko, General Secretary of the Russian Paralympic Committee, Mikhail Terentiev and the Mayor of Sochi, Anatoly Pakhomov.

Class Mira

The guests of the Equal Opportunities Park also watched a scene from the outstanding “Class Mira” theater musical, which actively includes children with a disability and provides them with an opportunity to participate in leading theatrical performances. The full premiere will take place in the Sochi Winter Theater on 27^th October as part of the Sochi 2014 Cultural Olympiad. The star roles in this unique performance will be played by leading talents including Andrei Merzlikin, Artur Smolyaninov, Maria Golubkina and Ekaterina Volkova.

Paralympic Lessons

A Paralympic lesson took place for schoolchildren in the Equal Opportunities Park. The lesson was held by RPC General Secretary, Mikhail Terentiev, “Sochi 2014 Our Champion”, Ivan Goncharov and Sochi 2014 Ambassador, Sergei Shilov. To further celebrate 500 days to go, Paralympic lessons took place across the entire country, with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, and marked the launch of the Sochi 2014 Paralympic Education School Program.

The Paralympic lessons throughout Russia were not only held by teachers, but also by Sochi 2014 volunteers who organized 500 lessons in different cities. Sochi 2014’s Official Supplier English First (EF) introduced all those taking lessons to their online language school, Englishtown, and gave out gift cards towards the study of English language.

A video version of the “London 2012 – Sochi 2014″ lesson was also uploaded today on the official Sochi 2014 website, http://www.sochi2014.com/games/education/education_program/. The video was shot at the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee’s Moscow office on 1^st September 2012, the first days of the Paralympic Games in London, and included Russia’s Paralympic athletes.

Sir Philip Craven, IPC President said:

“I am delighted that to mark 500 days to go until the Winter Games, Sochi 2014 is launching its innovative accessibility map. This project will help generate awareness across Russia of accessible facilities and is a project that, with the help and support of the IPC, could act as a blueprint for other countries to follow. Planning for the launch of this project started some time ago under the supervision of the IPC and I am pleased to see it come to fruition to mark 500 days to go.”

Dmitry Chernyshenko, the President of the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee, marked:

“In 2014 Sochi will host the first Paralympic Games in the history of Russia. I am sure that the high accessibility standards that will have been set in the Olympic region by 2014 will be needed in other cities across the whole country, and our efforts in passionately promoting the Paralympic values will help to remove the “barriers” in society towards people with a disability forever”.

Mikhail Terentiev, the General Secretary of the RPC, noted:

“The Accessibility Map is a completely unique project for Russia. Its uniqueness lies not only in it being the first interactive map of the sports venues for people with a disability, but also in the fact that it is created from and will be added by the data received from the residents of Russian cities. Every resident of Russia can contribute to the creation of a barrier-free Russia which will make it possible for people with disabilities to lead an independent lifestyle and to actively participate in the development of our society.”

Sergei Shilov, Sochi 2014 Ambassador, underlined:

“I am delighted that the Sochi 2014 Organizing Committee has undertaken such a significant and groundbreaking project. Thanks to the Accessibility Map, so many people will be able to engage in sport who previously did not have the opportunity, helping them to enjoy all the benefits that playing sport can bring and be fully included in society”.

Source: GAATES

Finnish Organization Publishes Open-Source Software for Talking Publications

Kolibre, a Finnish non-profit association founded in the spring of 2012, has published the first components for a system that makes it possible to produce, distribute and consume digital publications using the Internet in an effective manner. More software will be published in the future and the open model makes it possible to use the software components for any purpose, also internationally.

Previous software versions have been developed under the auspices of the Pratsam project since 2003, primarily through the financial support of Finland’s Slot Machine Association (RAY). Thanks to the Pratsam system, over 2000 Finns with print disabilities can easily access talking publications, also with an easy-to-use mobile player. The project has developed support for speech synthesis, which enables cost-effective production of greater numbers of talking publications with natural and human speech. The software being published supports Daisy, the international standard for talking publications and Daisy Online, the international standard for the transmission of talking publications using the Internet.

Kolibre was established by the Pratsam project partners – Norra Österbottens svenska synskadade rf (NÖSS), the Federation of Swedish Speaking Visually Impaired in Finland (FSVIF) and Pratsam Ab – with the purpose to publish the results of the project openly to all and to coordinate future cooperation. The vision for the Kolibre ecosystem is that all individuals should have access to talking publications with a natural voice, regardless of their location, through a customized receiver: whether a smartphone, computer, e-reader or customized player for people who are blind or low vision.

The Finnish Federation of the Visually Impaired (FFVI), the Finnish state-owned special library Celia and the Finnish Centre for Open Systems and Solutions – COSS are part of Kolibre’s cooperative network. The software is published under an open source license and allows all interested parties to use and develop the system for their own needs. Publication occurs in accordance with best practices within open source code publication.

For more information contact: Martin von Willebrand, Kolibre Chairman, tel. +358 40 770 1818

Daniel Ainasoja, Acting Director, tel. +358 50 527 4174, www.kolibre.org

Source: GAATES

CAP Releases New Smartphone App

Computer/Electronic Accommodations Program (CAP) has released a free iPhone app.  The CAP Mobile app allows Smartphone users to learn more about Assistive Technology, accommodation solutions and disability events.

For persons with disabilities, this is a great resource to find out about solutions that may make your Smartphone more helpful.

The CAP mobile app provides the following features:

• News and tips on the latest and greatest assistive technology.
• Information about events in the disability community.
• Downloads of CAP event presentations and materials right to your Smartphone.
• Export events to your Calendar so you don’t miss anything.
• Videos to learn about assistive technology and how it can help users.
• Videos to hear how CAP has helped others.
• Contact CAP with questions.

An Android version is coming soon.

CAP works to make the Federal Government a model employer of persons with disabilities by providing job accommodations and equal access to electronic and information technology.

The CAP Mobile App is now available in the iTunes App Store.

Source: GAATES

Qualcomm and Project RAY Unveil Eye-Free Mobile Device

Sometimes, technology is more than just a boost in processing power or an increase in capacity. Sometimes, it's about the people. Qualcomm has just unveiled some pretty radical stuff through its Wireless Reach initiative, and in cooperation with Project RAY. Project RAY designs accessibility tools for blind and visually impaired people, and the company jointly announced this week that they have developed the RAY mobile device, an always-on, easy-to-use, multi-function, smartphone that is synchronized with Israel's Central Library for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Handicapped audio books content.

Today, the majority of blind and visually impaired people use simple 2G mobile phones for voice telephony only. In addition, they depend on an array of specialty devices, such as audio book-readers, color readers, navigation tools, raised Braille labels, special bar-code scanners, and large-buttoned, voice-enabled MP3 players which are prohibitively expensive. Based on an off-the-shelf Android OS smartphone powered by Qualcomm Technologies, Inc.'s Qualcomm Snapdragon processor, the Project RAY device integrates the capabilities of smartphone technology and the capabilities of these multiple specialty devices into a single, cost-effective handset with 24/7 mobile broadband connectivity and a UI designed for eye-free interaction. A trial project is currently underway that is testing the new system with 100 participants throughout Israel.

It's pretty great that these kinds of projects are ongoing, and we're certainly hopeful that more companies follow suit. To close, here's a bit about the background from those involved:

"Audio-books, magazines and periodicals are an important method for accessing information for blind and visually impaired people, but the current system requires renting items by mail, which is not timely. Subscribers can now use RAY devices to easily access and download audio assets from the library over an advanced mobile broadband network, rather than waiting to receive CD copies," said Amos Beer, chief executive officer of the Central Library for the Blind, Visually Impaired and Handicapped. "Our library is delighted to be working with Qualcomm and Project RAY to build a system enabling people with vision impairments to remotely access and download audio assets from the library. Also, the system is being designed specifically for Project RAY devices and specific user identities to ensure digital rights management protection for copyrighted material."

"We believe the Project RAY device will enhance the ability of blind and visually impaired people to access resources and information independently," said Don Rosenberg, executive vice president and general counsel for Qualcomm. "This project, which is part of our Wireless Reach initiative, demonstrates one of the many ways Qualcomm technology can improve people's lives and we are proud to support this important program."

Source: HotHardware.com

Texas Department of Information Resources Launches Website Accessibility Scanning Program

The Texas Department of Information Resources (DIR) has announced a new program to assist state agencies, local government entities, and institutions of higher education in improving the accessibility of their public websites for people with disabilities. DIR will utilize web accessibility scanning services from Virginia-based Deque through a DIR cooperative contract with Knowbility, Inc., an Austin-based accessibility services vendor.

This new program will help agencies ensure that their websites are accessible to all Texas citizens, regardless of ability, by improving accessibility levels of public facing web pages. The service scans and analyzes key portions of agency public websites and provides precise information on accessibility errors found.

“The Texas Governor’s Committee on People with Disabilities (GCPD) understands that full inclusion and accessibility allows Texans with disabilities to participate fully in state government and its programs and services,” said Angi English, Executive Director of GCPD. “This new DIR program will assist Texas government public websites achieve this imperative.”

“This accessibility program is the first of its kind as it encompasses a large cross section of state agencies,” said Karen Robinson, State CIO and DIR Executive Director. “It is a cost-effective approach to improve and monitor key elements of website accessibility for the state, and we believe that it can serve as a model for other states to follow.”

“We are delighted to support DIR’s goal of providing an accessible online experience for government sites in the state of Texas,” said Preety Kumar, CEO of Deque Systems. “Deque’s tools will help to support the important efforts that are underway to ensure that online users with disabilities will be able to access the important information and services that appear throughout the network of sites that the state administers.”

“The program will use a graduated approach, ramping up to bring agencies into the scanned environment over a number of months;” according to Jeff Kline, Statewide Electronic and Information Resources Accessibility Coordinator at DIR. “We selected a scanning model that provides high benefit at a very low cost on a per agency basis. We elected to scan the top 150 pages per agency, which are typically the most frequently visited or most important pages.” Once fully deployed, the accessibility scanning services will include nearly every state agency and state-funded institution of higher education.

For more information, contact statewideaccessibilitycoodinator@dir.texas.gov.

Source: GAATES