Software Accessibility

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Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) (4 Links)  Adobe Accessibility Information on how to create accessible PDFs and forms using Adobe products. 

Convert Adobe PDF files into HTML. Converts an Adobe PDF document into HTML (HyperText Mark-up Language) from its URL (Uniform Resource Locator). 

How to Create Accessible Adobe PDF Files Booklet A step-by-step guide to creating Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) files. 

NLM (National Library of Medecine) Docmorph. DocMorph enables browsers to process image and information in five ways: creating PDF files, creating TIFF (Tagged Image File Format) image files, splitting TIFF files into single images, extracting text, and using synthesized speech for reading files. A scanned image of a page or a text file can be submitted to DocMorph, which will return it in the required format within a minute.

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Apple Accessibility (2 Links)  Apple Accessibility. Apple's Universal Access features in OSX are described on this site as well as Apple's VPAT (Voluntary Product Accessibility Template). 

Leopard Guides: User Experience - Accessibility. These guidelines are designed by developers of products for Mac OSX users.

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Development Software and Tools (2 Links)  Libbraille. Libbraille provides a simple API to write text on the display, directly draw dots, or get the value of keys pressed on the Braille keyboard and makes it possible to easily develop for Braille displays. </li>

Papoo CMS. Papoo is an accessible CMS (Content Management System), which can be downloaded as either a free "lite" version or paid professional versions.</li></ol>

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E-mail Accessibility (1 Link)  Email Standards Project. The Email Standards Project works with developers and designers to improve web standards support and accessibility in e-mail. It has a list of e-mail clients and gives them a rating from "excellent" to "poor". </li></ol>

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Java (4 Links)  Coding for Accessibility - Use JFC/Swing to Build Accessibility into your Java Applications This article provides guidelines on using JFC (Java Foundation Classes) and Swing to develop accessible Java applications. </li>

IBM Sofware Accessibility Checklist. This checklist is suitable for software applications which have a user interface, Java applications that use AWT (Abstract Windowing Toolkit) components for Windows only platforms, and Eclipse applications written with SWT (Standard Widget Toolkit). </li>

Java Access Bridge for Windows Operating System. The Java Access Bridge enables Windows-based assistive technology to interact with the Java Accessibility API (Application Programming Interface). </li>

Sun Microsystems Accessibility Programme: Developers' Information. This web page provides accessibility resources on Java, GNOME, StarOffice, Mozilla and OpenOffice.</li></ol>

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Linux and Unix (5 Links)  BLINUX. A discussion list for issues relating to accessibility of Linux for blind and visually impaired users. </li>

GNOME Accessibility. Information about free open-source GNOME accessibility tools. </li>

IAccessible2. An accessibility API (Application Programming Interface) which complements Microsoft's MSAA (MicroSoft Active Accessibility). </li>

KDE Accessibility Project. KDE is a free software graphical desktop environment for Linux and Unix. The aim of the Accessibility Project is to raise awareness of accessibility issues amongst developers and users of KDE. </li>

Speakup Screen Reader for Linux. The Speakup Screen Reader gives audible feedback using a synthetic speech device and allows users to interact with applications and the GNU/Linux operating system.</li></ol>

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Microsoft Accessibility (3 Links) <ol title="Microsoft Accessibility"> <li>Accessibility Tutorials for Microsoft Products. The Microsoft Accessibility site has tutorials for setting up Microsoft operating systems for accessibility, an overview of assistive technology and resource guides for people with disabilities. </li>

<li>Benevolent Bill - What Microsoft® Does for Accessibility (TechDis Staff Pack) "This pack looks at the range of built in features in Microsoft® Windows and Word that are either designed to enhance accessibility or can be used creatively to make learning more accessible to certain groups". </li>

<li>Microsoft Accessibility. Information and tutorials about accessibility features in Microsoft products, documentation presented in accessible format about Microsoft products, details of keyboard shortcuts, and accessibility for developers.</li></ol>

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Software Design (2 Links) <ol> <li>IBM Web Based Lecture on Accessibility. IBM have produced an online lecture (available in PowerPoint and PDF format) on implementing accessibility. It is primarily aimed at students learning programming techniques. </li>

<li>Trace Research and Development Center Application Software Design Guidelines Guidelines which highlight what application developers can do in order to make software accessible and usable by people who have disabilities or reduced abilities due to aging.</li></ol>

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