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Technology

The use of technology in audio, video and electronic format is increasingly becoming a necessary component of society. When using these multimedia formats it is important to ensure that people with disabilities will be able to gain the same experience as people without disabilities. With so much information available about the use of technology, you can become easily confused and overwhelmed. Listed below are helpful resources. For more information about workplace accommodations, click here.

Technology Resources

• ABLEDATA This website provides objective information about assistive technology products and rehabilitation equipment available from domestic and international sources. This complete database is maintained by the National Institute on Disability and Rehabilitation Research of the U.S. Department of Education.
• Assistive Technology Information List This website is a comprehensive list of databases and Assistive Technology Centers.
• Assistive Technology Resource Center (ATRC) This is a link to the Colorado State ATRC and describes how to make accessible audio and video technology.
• Ergonomic Resources This is a site where you can purchase a wide variety of computer keyboards and ergonomic devices. 
• Specialty Keyboards This is a site where you can purchase a wide variety of computer keyboards.
• Speech Recognition Software Dragon Naturally Speaking is the most widely used speech to text software.
• Speech Technology This is a magazine that provides information on speech technology.
• Trace Center Resources and Tools This organization is an excellent source for information on all types of accessible technology.

Internet Resources

• Accessible Website Resource List This website, offered by the National Endowment for the Arts, is a list of organizations that can help make a website accessible for people with disabilities.
• Bobby This is a tool that allows you to validate your scripting language to test if it is in compliance with accessibility guidelines.
• Guild of Accessible Web Designers (GAWDS) This is a world wide association of professional organizations and web designers that promote the use of accessible design standards.
• Headscape This organization provides comprehensive information on web accessibility and provides assistance.
• Nielson Norman Group This website describes how to make the Internet easy to use for users with disabilities. 
• Web Accessibility Initiatives, WAI (part of w3c Standards) This link provides rules and regulations for creating web pages that are accessible to audiences with disabilities.
• Web Accessibility List The Trace Center offers a comprehensive list of guidelines, initiatives and resources related to accessible web and multimedia design.
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (W3C) These guidelines explain how to make web content accessible to people with disabilities and offers all the necessary tools.

Video Resources

• Captioning This link provides a description with examples of captioning.
• Creating Video and Multimedia Products This is a website that provides knowledge and resources on how to create products that are accessible to people with sensory impairments.
• Media Access Group This is an umbrella organization which consists of three smaller service organizations: The Caption Center, Descriptive Video Services (DVS), and the National Center for Accessible Media (NCAM). This group of pioneers develops accessible media for people with disabilities. They are experts on the subject of video media access.
• Taping for the Blind, Inc This is a non-profit organization that helps turn sight into sound for individuals with visual, physical and learning disabilities. They provide Radio Reading, Custom Recording and Audio Description services.
• The National Association of the Deaf (NAD) This organization provides information on captioning and sign language.

Audio Resources

• National Captioning Institute (NCI) This is a nonprofit corporation that provides captioning, subtitling and audio description for broadcast and cablecast television programs, home video programs, TV commercials, corporations and government agencies.
• Narrative Television Network This is a leader in making television and movies accessible to people who are blind or visually impaired.
• Washington Ear This is an organization that provides audio-description, training, and services for people who need audio representation of printed material.