To Chat, or Not To Chat?

Dear Blog Readers,

If you do not use a chat, or instant messaging (IM), program of some sort, I am assuming you at least know about their existence. You may not be aware, however, of their immense importance to the social lives of the "kids" growing up here in the information age. Instant messaging can often determine the fate of our Saturday night plans, or help us get through that particularly difficult math assignment. After all, isn't the Information Age all about finding different ways of not having to get up?

So, in order to further promote couch-potatoism, I have decided to review the usability of a few, different chat programs with a JAWS screen reader. I chose to focus on three big ones right now — AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), Facebook Chat (found on the Facebook home page), and GChat (Google and Gmail's official chat software). Please take note that these are by no means the only chat programs available, or the only widely used ones, either.

Let's start by talking about the classic AOL Instant Messenger (AIM). AIM's main window seems accessible enough, when given patience. It is easy to scroll (with the arrow keys) through my buddys' screen names, their profiles, and initiate conversations with them. Many of the options listed on the page are hard to find, but using the tab key, they are all eventually locatable. I am still more satisfied with AIM's chat window, over its main page. The chat, between my buddy and me, is presented in a clear, list-like conversation. All I have to do is repeatedly tab between the edit field and the conversation list. I would be more satisfied if my screen reader would actually read my buddy's IMs aloud, but alas…nothing is perfect.

So with one reasonably accessible option on the market, let's also look at alternatives that your friends may be using instead. Facebook Chat is an interesting option, because many users are likely to find more of their friends on Facebook than on AOL. Facebook's chat window, however, is by no means as cleanly laid out as AOL's. Names are listed as "on mouse over links" and it is difficult selecting a specific name. Once a chat is initiated, the chat window will pop up at the top of the Facebook page. There is more than one form field, which can be confusing. There are also a few poorly labeled buttons, which have the potential to throw off users completely, as well. However, the most irritating drawback of this chat window is that it makes the screen reader jump around the page constantly. (Facebook and I are working out some of these kinks as we speak).

So this brings us to our last attempt. Google and its affiliates are known to be particularly thoughtful with regard to the visually impaired. They always offer an audio CAPTCHA throughout their various web sites, and offer basic HTML format on Gmail specifically designed for users of screen readers. So naturally, all this made me want to try GChat. Let me tell you: GChat is a disaster. When using it on my Gmail account, all the links are visible, but only as plain text. Initiating a conversation, or doing anything else on the chat program for that matter, is simply impossible. So I gave Google Talk, the downloadable version of the same program, a try. This time, when opening the software, my screen reader refused to read a single word. No luck!

So what's my conclusion? Seeing as instant messaging is a pivotal part of so many people's lives, glitches in accessibility should not hold any of them back. AOL Instant Messenger is your best bet, but if you have more friends on Facebook Chat, this can work for you, as well. The most important thing, surely, is keeping up to date. And, of course, not having to walk all the way over to the telephone!

Michelle

We Can't Keep Quiet About Silent Cars

Guest Blogger Mark Richert, Esq., Director, Public Policy

With the price of gas continuing to soar, many Americans are turning to fuel-efficient hybrid cars to save some money at the pump. While these cars are better for the environment, and our pocketbooks, they pose a real threat to the safety of pedestrians. Because hybrid car engines are basically silent, it's difficult for pedestrians—particularly pedestrians that are blind or visually impaired—to know when these cars are driving by.

A recent article in The San Diego Union Tribune talked about a meeting held in Washington where members of the blindness field, including yours truly, gathered to talk about how hybrids and other quiet vehicles threaten far more than the 1.1 million legally blind Americans because many people depend on auditory cues to know when a car is approaching. This includes people talking or checking their cell phones while walking, or children who forget to "look both ways" before crossing the street. Without these noises, all pedestrians could be at risk for being hit by a car. As we move toward making more environmentally friendly vehicles, we need to ensure that we are also protecting the safety of pedestrians. There is no reason we can't do both.

The Newest Addition

Hi, blog readers,

My name is Michelle Hackman, and I am AFB's Communications intern for the summer. I am a sophomore in high school, and am having an amazing time here already. Some would say that blogging can't be considered a job—but I'll tell you differently. As an aspiring journalist, I highly value the news and interactive journalism (layman's language for the blogosphere, I suppose).

Maybe you've seen my name dropped once or twice on this blog before. Last year, I had the rare opportunity to travel with AFB and L'Occitane to Provence, France, with four other girls my age—Emma, Kate, Nicole, and Stephanie. Prior to that trip, I had never worked with (or even heard of the doings) at AFB. The idea of this trip initially held meaning and promise for me in that I would be able to travel to France (honestly, who wouldn't?), practice my not-so-developed French skills, and see the "magical" factory of a skincare brand with which I had, I'll admit, a slight infatuation. (I held the group up for an hour at the discounted L'Occitane factory store…40% off, you know.) The trip held no meaning for me, at first, in terms of meeting blind peers and being connected to the larger world of opportunity so powerfully supported and expanded here. Before joining up with the Foundation, I used to shy away from my future; now, I embrace it. What a strong sense of community…boy was I missing out!

While there, in the most potentially fragrant region in the world, I used my time not only to explore the world of lavender, gardening, and fabulous French pastries, but also to start asking questions. I spent more time, perhaps than the others did, with the representative from AFB, Adrianna Montague-Gray. She introduced me to the organization that is AFB, and though I was hesitant to even admit this to myself, I became fascinated in the works of the organization. Naturally, a couple months later, I found my first chance to get involved, on Facebook.com.

One day last September, Adrianna invited me to the newly created American Foundation for the Blind page on Facebook's "Causes" application. I joined, perhaps the fourth or so member, and began to recruit all my friends. I invited people I knew, who invited people they knew—and in the blink of an eye, we had over 100 online supporters. Then, Facebook's "Causes" application changed the interface of the "Invite Your Friends" page, making it utterly inaccessible. Ironic, no?

So when I pointed out this little flaw, AFB aided me in contacting Facebook about the issue, and from there I expanded to target accessibility all throughout the social networking web site. I did so by building a relationship there with Jeff, who is in charge of accessibility, and who began work with us last January. He still takes my every little concern into account. We've addressed a variety of issues, from the interface of that pesky page, to faulty buttons throughout the site, and even to the rewriting of certain directions given in the "Help" section offered. It has been, and I am confident that it will continue to be, an extremely successful endeavor.

And now, not so surprisingly, I find myself here. I will be an official blogger for the summer to keep all of you informed on the latest happenings in the world of the visually impaired. I'll try to cover a range of stories, from the inspiring to the interesting. So leave feedback about what you would like to see in the future, in the comments below. I'm open to any suggestions you may have! This is going to be amazing fun—even possibly more so than frolicking through sunny Provence.

Michelle

Protecting Your Eyes…And Not Just of the Fourth of July

One of the things I love most about the Fourth of July are the fireworks displays—I can't imagine celebrating Independence Day without them. But as fun as they are, it's always important to take proper precautions around them (you know me…safety first!). This week, I happened upon an article from Occupational Health & Safety Magazine about eye injuries. Interestingly, most Americans think that eye injuries occur as a result of accidents related to events like the Fourth of July fireworks displays. But as the article points out, most eye injuries occur during everyday activities like frying up the morning's eggs and bacon or mowing the lawn. It's important for all Americans, especially the millions of older Americans losing their vision, to practice eye safety when doing these everyday activities in the home. If you're interested in some inexpensive, easily implemented tips that will help keep you and your eyes safe, check out AFB Senior Site.

Accessibility's In For Summer!

It's another great day on the accessibility front! Today, Representative Edward Markey (D-MA) and Representative Heather Wilson (R-NM) introduced "The 21st Century Communications and Video Accessibility Act of 2008" in the House of Representatives. While this bill includes measures that affect a variety of people with disabilities, we are pleased that it includes clear requirements for access to TV programs and receivers, extends access to Internet-based telecommunications technologies, and adds a new provision to clarify that text messaging must also be accessible under an existing law known as Section 255—all things that will greatly affect the lives of people with vision loss.

Today's events are the next steps in the long journey to bring about improved access to Internet-based communications devices and services, and television programs and receivers. A little over a month ago, my colleague and fellow blogger, Paul Schroeder, wrote about an important hearing that focused on the draft of this bill. I'm thrilled that we've taken another huge step toward making accessible communication devices for people living with disabilities a reality and hope we continue moving in the right direction!

For more details about the legislation, check out the Coalition of Organizations for Accessible Technology's press release or an article that ran in today's Washington Post.