Jose Amoros

Intel leaves the "1 laptop per child"

// January 7th, 2008 // No Comments » // Accessibility

Next Thursday, Intel will announce that leaves his participation in the project One laptop per child (“One Laptop Per Child“) and resign from the governing body after it, sue the maker of chips for failing to support other efforts in emerging markets.

Un Ordenador Portatil por Niño (One Laptop Per Child (OLPC)), is a nonprofit project directed by Professor Nicholas Negroponte de MIT, which aims to sell $ 100 laptops for poor children in the world. Although, last October, The project began by selling 200 dollars through a grant program that funded its launch.

But, the governing board of the OLPC”asked Intel to cease its support for non-OLPC platforms including the”Classmate PC” and other systems”comentó Chuck Mulloy, Intel spokesman who said”They wanted only we focused our efforts on the OLPC project “.He also said that this decision was taken after six months of discussions.

Last year Intel introduced the “Classmate PC“, a notebook for developing economies in ways. Probably, this year, other projects in this line see the light, because according to Intel, the most important priority is to meet the needs and possible solutions there are always lots to do.

What is desirable is that all these battles for the leadership of an excellent idea, serve to ensure compliance with the aim of meeting an urgent need to bring knowledge to those people who for economic reasons, unable to do so with full guarantees. Time will tell, and I hope to say in favor of the poorest.

Is your website accessible to the physically handicapped?

// December 20th, 2007 // 1 How » // Accessibility

This is the story of Amber Grant, a girl 18 years to come, internet live and sleep with. For his father, who is the CEO of SEO Inc.ubicada and Carlsbad, California. The company has 65 employees and often called Amber to use his prodigious skills to the Web to help them around the ancient problem: Check the websites of its customers are accessible to blind people.

“usually assigned tasks for you to browse pages, performs checks and even attempts to purchase in order to see how long it takes before performing any routine, if I see that entertains a lot or you are unable to complete a transaction, then we know we must improve that part…” comenta Garry Grant, whose daughter is blind from birth. Amber can surf the Internet using a “Screen reader“. This is a software designed for individuals who are blind, dyslexic or have low vision. The software resides on the user's computer and read aloud the text on the screen using, instead of mouse,an adapted keyboard commands Braille.

But the adjustments made to many Web sites over the past six years retain the screen reader software Stymie and make navigation very difficult when using pull-down blinds. There are similar problems for the hard of hearing, they need captions for training videos using. As for people with limited dexterity or no ability to manually manipulate a keyboard, commands exist for effective communication via voice. What really makes it impossible for these reduced, being able to use the site correctly and browsing are: spam blocking, detellantes animations, Photos, videos, security systems, etc..

As the Internet has opened a wide path to communication for those who see, we hear and are able to perform movements, has become a huge nightmare for those deprived of their full abilities.

But, Website developers are already alerted to these problems and now, increasingly see necessary characteristics, Navigation favoring the disadvantaged, especially when California law is being created around the violation of the Americans Disability Act and two regulations of a state law that, defending the population decreased.

Web adaptations to a more accessible are more expensive but will eventually become standards when designing a web site. To see if your site meets the minimum accessibility standards can use this on-line tool evaluation.