[nvda] Fw: Press Release: Nonprofit Launched to Bring Free Accessibility Worldwide
- From: "josh" <jkenn337@xxxxxxxxx>
- To: "nvda email list" <nvda@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Thu, 31 Jan 2008 14:33:36 -0500
NEWS RELEASE
email: jkenn337@xxxxxxxxx
skype: jkenn337
msn: kenn6498ku@xxxxxxxxxxx
----- Original Message -----
From: Accessibility Is a Right Foundation
To: jkenn337@xxxxxxxxx
Sent: Thursday, January 31, 2008 2:00 PM
Subject: Press Release: Nonprofit Launched to Bring Free Accessibility Worldwide
NEWS RELEASE
Media Contact:
Janelle Schulenberg
Tacet Consulting
612-720-1068
janelle@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Nonprofit Launched to Bring Free Accessibility Worldwide
The AIR Foundation committed to ‘accessibility is a right’
Orlando, Florida – January 31, 2008 – The AIR Foundation, a nonprofit
organization headquartered in Minneapolis, Minn. was announced today at a press
conference held during the Assistive Technology Industry Association (ATIA)
2008 National Conference at the Caribe Royale Resort in Orlando, Florida. The
mission of the foundation is to promote universal accessibility so that every
blind and low-vision person in the world has access to digital information over
the Internet and Worldwide Web.
The foundation’s executive director, Art Schreiber, also announced
that the organization’s first offering will be free usage of a Web 2.0
accessible screen reader. The product is provided through an exclusive license
in perpetuity granted to The AIR Foundation from Serotek Corporation, the
leading provider of Internet and digital information accessibility software and
services. The screen reader is called SA To Go and is powered by Serotek’s
award-winning System Access software which provides immediate text to speech,
magnified visual, and Braille access to digital information presented through
the Web or other means, while the user is directly connected to the Internet.
The software does not remain resident on the user’s computer when the
connection to the Internet is interrupted or terminated. Users can obtain
access to the free software by calling 877-369-0101 or visiting
www.AccessibilityIsaRight.org.
“The basic tenet of The AIR Foundation is that accessibility is a fundamental
human right, regardless of financial or geographic constraints” said Art
Schreiber, executive director of The AIR Foundation, “by allowing the blind and
visually impaired to have equal access to computer and Internet information
through the free use of an advanced screen reader like SA To Go, we have
already taken great strides toward our mission.”
The AIR Foundation will solicit funds and contract development of product
enhancements including availability in other languages. The organization’s
first priority is to make SA To Go available in Mandarin Chinese.
“SA To Go is highly intuitive and requires minimal training to use,” said
Serotek CEO, Mike Calvo, “the user not only has access to information displayed
on Web pages, but to Web-based applications such as Internet telephone service,
and to applications resident on the host computer. The user can also access PDF
files, fill out forms, and otherwise interact with information with the same
facility as a sighted person.”
The AIR Foundation will operate through the generosity of organizations
donating their time, expertise, and funds. It invites other nonprofits,
assistive technology vendors, mainstream hardware and software companies and
anyone interested in promoting accessibility as every person’s right, to align
with the AIR team.
The AIR Foundation
The AIR Foundation is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to advocate,
teach, and deliver information accessibility tools. We focus on the
accessibility needs of blind and low-vision people. Our mantra is
“accessibility is a right” and we work with corporations and agencies worldwide
to deliver free accessibility to all. For more information, call 877-369-0101
or visit www.AccessibilityIsaRight.org.
Serotek Corporation
Serotek Corporation is a leading technology company that develops software and
manufactures accessibility solutions. Committed to the mission of providing
accessibility anywhere, Serotek launched the first online community
specifically designed to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Since
then, Serotek has introduced several powerful, affordable solutions that
require minimal training and investment. For more information, visit
www.serotek.com.
###
Other related posts: