Accessible version of the AOL Web Suite impresses

From: "BlindNews Mailing List" <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <BlindNews@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Date: Sun, 30 Sep 2007 19:40:38 -0400

AOL Mail Blog
Sunday, September 30, 2007

By Tae Kang

AOL tries hard to offer mail products that can be beneficial to the majority of
the online users and one of the groups that is not forgotten is our visually
impaired group. The Basic version of the Web Suite (aka Accessible Version)
helps visually impaired users by being screen reader friendly with a robust set
of keyboard shortcuts. A few months ago, I blogged about some of the most
common shortcuts (email me if you'd like the full list-too long to post here).

Anyways, even more accessibility improvements are slated for inclusion next
month but I wanted to share with you what one major organization had to say
about the new Accessible Version of the Web Suite. Curtis Chong is the
President of the National Federation of the Blind in Computer Science and is a
recognized expert on accessible technology. Here's what he wrote to AOL:

"I must say that I am quite impressed with the work that has clearly been done
to create the accessible Web-based AOL mail interface. After I played around
with it a bit, I found that the keyboard shortcuts do work if you give them a
chance to do so <grin>.

I admit that I have spent perhaps two hours working on this, but so far, I can
find very little to criticize and much to be glad about. My instincts tell me
that a lot of thought and work went into the design of the accessible
interface. The design clearly demonstrates a strong understanding of how
screen-access programs for the blind work, knowledge of the shortcuts they use
to facilitate efficient navigation of Web pages, and a practical understanding
of what blind people need and want in an e-mail system. I'm hard to impress,
but I will tell you that this has impressed me.

Cordially,
Curtis Chong"

We hope our visually impaired friends are enjoying the new Basic Version of the
Web Suite.

Thank you all for choosing AOL.

Tae Kang
"The AOL Mail Blog Guy"
http://mailblog.aol.com

http://journals.aol.com/websuiteblog/productinsider/entries/2007/09/30/accessible-version-of-the-web-suite-impresses/293
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Accessible version of the AOL Web Suite impresses

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