INTERNET
ACCESS FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES
O.
Almog, E. Bar Hayim
Center
for Educational Technology ,
Israel
Most internet
websites are not accessible for many users with various
disabilities; Blind
people, people with impaired vision, people who are
unable to use a
standard mouse or keyboard, people with learning
disabilities and
more. The "Resisim" website is an accessible RSS
reader in Hebrew,
developed by CET with the support of the National
Insurance
Institute. It enables people with all kinds of disabilities
(sensor, motor or
learning disabilities) to read updated information
from the internet
in the most adapted and accessible way for them.
"Resisim"
provides unique access via a range of access tools such as
a screen reader,
Braille screen, touch screens, switches, various
scanning methods, adapted
mice and more. In addition the site
enables adaption of
the display to the specific needs of each and
every individual.
It enables the reading of informative summaries from
existing websites,
in any language and access to the original website.
This exposes the
users to a wide spectrum of information that
previously was
inaccessible to them. "Resisim" provides 1600 Hebrew
content channels
with updated information (RSS updates), in various
subjects, divided
into multiple categories. Users are also able to add
their own channels
and organize their individual information. There's a
significant gap in
usage of computers and internet, between people
with special needs
and the general population. "Resisim" will not close
the digital gap but
it significantly contributes in reducing it, especially
for people with
disabilities using computers, who experience
difficulties in
daily internet use.
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