STAE June 2009 Table of contents 1        Ask the expert Why PDFs Suck!   2        Business commentary The campaign killers:  12 people you need to fire   3        From the soap box Massive Disability Employment Survey and Business Case Released   4        The reader’s choice Canada must lead by example on human rights   5        News and views The new Amazon Kindle 2 has arrived   6        Helpful tips   7        Accessibility news Some technology leaves the blind behind   8        Editorial The knowledge divide   9        Comments to the editor   10    Notes     Special announcement We congratulate our president Donna J. Jodhan on her recent election to the board of the Alliance for Equality of Blind Canadians.  Donna was elected as second vice president at the AEBC’s AGM which was held in New Westminster British Columbia in early May.  Donna delivered the keynote speech at this conference and the theme of her speech was “Keep on fighting the good fight.”  We salute our Pres!     Acknowledgements We would like to acknowledge the following contributors to this month’s STAE issue. The Sterling Creations accessibility team, the Sterling Creations business team, the Sterling Creations research team, Scott Savoy our managing editor, Christian Robicheau our assistant editor, our readers, and Donna J Jodhan our president.   Donna J Jodhan is the founder and president of Sterling Creations which was founded in 1994.  As a blind woman she has had to overcome mountainous challenges in order to get where she is today.  She is a very successful business woman, consultant, and author and she continues to help produce daily blogs that contain weekly features on topics of interest and relevance.  She is never tired, always willing to help others, and never gives up when it comes to helping others to voice their opinions.  As she puts it:  "My undying commitment is to ensure that the kids of tomorrow have a more level playing field when it comes to such things as employment opportunities, equal access to the Internet and technology.  I think that if I can do my little part to help someone else succeed then in turn they will help others."   We are all very proud to be part of the Sterling Creations team but above all, we are pleased and delighted to have Donna J Jodhan as our leader.   Now you can view blogs written by our unstoppable president at: http://www.donnajodhan.blogspot.com (Donna Jodhan!  Advocating accessibility for all) http://numpadplus.com/blog/?page_id=7 (access and accessibility) http://www.accessibilitynews.ca/acnews/editorials/donna.php (accessibility issues in Canada) http://www.accessibilitynewsinternational.com (Under the editorial section, an international perspective) http://www.onestopbookcafe.com (under the café talk link)  http://www.sterlingcreations.com/businessdesk.htm (important answers to consumers concerns) http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html (monthly editorial) http://www.sterlingcreations.ca/blog/blog.html (blogs for language professionals and special needs business consultants)     Ask the expert Why PDFs Suck! June 2009 By the Sterling Creations Accessibility team   Hello there!  One of the more frequently asked questions that we receive is this one:  Why is it we feel that PDF content is inaccessible and how can this be fixed?  In answer to this question, we say that it is just not us who feel this way.  PDF content is largely inaccessible when content developers fail to tag their files correctly.  This month we would like to share a very insightful article with you.  It comes from an impeccable source and it has a lot of vital information to impart to the reader.    Why PDFs Suck!    2009 Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB)   PDFs get a rough press when it comes to accessibility and understandably so as most PDFs on the web today are not accessible. I thought I'd turn the spotlight on the much maligned thorn in many a web site owners side, and look at some of the reasons why PDFs are inaccessible. What follows is a list of some of reasons behind why PDFs suck that are not about the technology itself but how we (the web designer, the content author, the content commissioner, the manager, the policy maker) use it and what we can do to start changing PDFs on the web.   1. Content Authors   There's really no excuse to not create accessible PDF as Adobe have built in tools to support the creation of accessible content and given us guidance on how to make the most of those tools (see the resources at the end of this post). There are other hindrances (as listed below) and arguably the overall responsibility may lie with the organisation you work for but this doesn't mean that we have a devolved responsibility for the work we produce. If you are part of the chain that produces PDF in your organisation then you have a responsibility to do what you can to make the PDF accessible. Some ways of doing this include:   . Follow Adobe's accessible PDF guidelines (a link to which is in the resources below). . Ensure third party content providers are made aware that they must create accessible content  and write this into their contract. . Ensure you organisation supports you in your efforts (read on to point 2).     2. Organisational Support   First there is the issue of having the skills to make accessible PDFs but often, before you even get that far, it's all too common to find that the systems and processes within an organisation are simply not in place to support people creating accessible PDF. People may not know they: a) have to do it, b) how to do it, c) have the appropriate training and support to do it and d) have time built into their workflow.   It's no good saying to content authors "Now go forth and make accessible PDFs" and leave it at that. Systems and processes need to be put in place to ensure that what is required can be achieved. This can be done by:   . Training content authors; investing in them is ultimately an investment in your site. Ensure they have access to up to date resources and support. Join forums, attend workshops and most importantly pool knowledge.  . Document what needs to be done to create an accessible PDF. Create checklists and guidelines in-house if necessary. . Ensure people are clear of what is expected of them: write an Accessible PDF Policy (see number 3) . Monitor content and prevent anything being uploaded to the site that has not been quality assured. . Have creating accessible PDFs written into objectives, sounds harsh but it works, it gives people a motivation to do it.   3. PDF Policy   We talk a lot about how a website should have an Accessibility Policy to help guide people who maintain the website when making decisions on what technologies to use, maintenance, testing, compliance and so on. A key part of an Accessibility Policy is a section on using PDF (not to mention other areas that are also overlooked such as software accessibility, e-document design and procurement policies). If there is no clear steer to PDF content authors as to what is expected of them then there is less of a chance that they will fulfil the requirement.   So what sort of information should go in an Accessible PDF Policy?   list of 6 items . Outline of what version of Adobe Acrobat should be used. The latest version is recommended but note that all versions before version 7 lack real accessibility support. . Outline a level of compliance or goal. This could be based on WCAG 2.0 which is designed to be technology agnostic and therefore relevant to non-W3C technologies.   . Outline what must be done if a PDF can't be made accessible, i.e. provide a Word or HTML alternative and consider removing the PDF altogether. . Outline what type of content is permissible in PDF - it's not appropriate to put some types on content in PDF (see point 4). . Outline a testing plan: who checks the PDF before it is published . Outline a requirements document for third party providers of PDF. list end   4. Content   People seem to use PDF as a fallback format for content that really shouldn't be in PDF. There are types of content that arguably can be in PDFs and others that a PDF shouldn't even come near.   Maps and forms are a particular bug bear of mine. Maps are totally inaccessible in PDF and impossible to make accessible unless you write a text description. That being the case why not instead have an HTML page that includes, for example, the address of the place and basic directions of how to get there by car, train, tube, bus and so on. You can then always link to the map as a back up/visual aid.   The second example, forms, should really be avoided unless it is a form that is intended to be printed and signed. Forms are hard to mark up accessibly in PDFs, extremely difficult to navigate, understand and fill in if you are a screen reader user. Ideally forms should always be presented in HTML. If it is a form that needs signing then have it generated in a PDF after the user has filled it in on the web page and hit "save" i.e. an HTML form that converts to PDF once completed and can then be printed and signed.   Ways of counteracting un-necessary PDF content:   list of 4 items . Ask yourself when creating new PDFs "Should this content really be in HTML or Word instead?" . Avoid putting forms, complex images and key content in PDF. . Only put content in a PDF is it is already there in the website. For example a downloadable PDF brochure makes sense in a brochure ware website. . Don't scan text and put it into a PDF. Use OCR software to translate it to readable text instead. list end   5. Third Party Content   This is an issue that affects accessible web development as well as PDFs. If commissioning content from a third party you need to be clear about what you want. This includes not just content but also how the content is structured and the requirement that it meets the accessibility standards of your organisation. Just because it is not content generated by you or your organisation it doesn't mean you are not responsible for it; if it is published on your site then as far as the user is concerned it is your content.   Ways to ensure accessible PDFs from third parties include:   list of 2 items . Have accessibility written into the contact. Don't just cite WCAG and a level of compliance but list those checkpoints you want the PDFs to meet and stipulate that the accessibility must be verified by third party consultants if need be (also a great clause to have in a web design contract). . Share your Accessible PDF policy with the third party. It's there to guide after all so make them as aware as possible of what you expect. list end   6. Source Documents   PDFs are often generated from other source documents. The document source can have an enormous affect on what the accessibility will be like for the finished product. As the old adage says: rubbish in rubbish out. Make sure that you use a format that can support accessibility and can have structure added.   list of 4 items . Create tagged PDF from a structured word document (structured using Word Styles and heading levels). . Ensure tables in the source Word document are created using the proper table grid formatting option and that no merged cells are used. . Ensure images have concise Alt text assigned to them. . Ensure all text is typed in directly from the keyboard and no text is contained within Text Boxes or images. list end   Things To Not Do Are: list of 3 items . Create PDF from Word documents using software that cannot produce tagged PDF (at time of writing this is most software other than Adobe's) . Create PDFs using Quark Xpress or other page layout software and without taking the PDF into Acrobat and tagging it manually. . Create PDF from scanned images without taking the file into Acrobat and running OCR process and then tagging it manually. list end   7. Legacy PDF   All of the above is all well and good but what about all the PDFs out there today that don't even give a nod to accessibility? There are literally billions of PDF on the web; some websites make heavy use of PDF to the extent where they represent a core format for the site (think about government websites for example).   It would be unreasonable, and impossible, to go back and retrofit every PDF on the web. So how do we deal with legacy PDF?   list of 3 items . Look at fixing key PDFs only by reviewing your web stats and seeing what the most popular PDFs are. . Look at fixing PDFs that have been published in the last year, two years. . Look at fixing PDFs that you know are important for people and key to your site for example annual reports. list end   Conclusion   So this is really a call to action. It's time to stop shaking the proverbial fist at PDFs the technology and start taking matters in our own hands. Adobe have worked hard to get accessibility support built into Acrobat (and very soon there may be more resources to help us publish accessible PDF - watch this space), so it's down to us to start implemening the processes to support the creation of accessible PDF.   Resources list of 3 items . Defining PDF accessibility : recently updated resources from WebAim, and very good they are too. http://www.webaim.org/techniques/acrobat/ . Accessing PDFs using Jaws, a screen readers guide: an practical guide on navigating PDF if you are a screen reader use from RNIB's Hugh Huddy. It also outlines how to recognise when problems are to do with PDFs and not the screen reader. http://www.rnib.org.uk/wacblog/pdf/tips-for-accessing-pdfs-with-screen-reade rs/ . Creating accessible PDF using Adobe Acrobat 7.0 (10.2MB, PDF) : Adobe's -how to' guide on creating accessible PDF. http://www.adobe.com/enterprise/accessibility/pdfs/acro7_pg_ue.pdf list end   http://www.rnib.org.uk/wacblog/pdf/why-pdfs-suck/     Business commentary The campaign killers June 2009 By the Sterling Creations business team   Hello there!  For our selection this month, we thought that we would share an article with you that talks about who you should be ridding yourself of if/when you decide to run a marketing campaign.  This article is a very common sense one and we hope that you find it of value.   The Campaign Killers: 12 People You Need To Fire By Jerry Bader (c) 2008      Sometimes it seems like the hardest thing to do in business is to get things done: so little time, so many obstacles. And when it comes to marketing it gets even worse, after all there are all those administrative details that need to be dealt with, emails, inquiries, suppliers, and on and on. Finding the time to devote to creating a sustained, focused marketing effort seems like it's near impossible. But the biggest obstacles of all are some of your trusted colleagues and advisors; you know the ones I'm talking about, the ones that are a royal pain-in-the-ass. So lets just call them on the proverbial carpet and fire their butts; but first let's check the files and find out who they are.   File One: Mr. Inertia Everybody knows this guy. He's the one who hasn't had a new idea in five years. This is the fellow who thinks everything is just fine the way it is, so let's not rock-the-boat, everything is just hunky-dory, thank you very much.   You have to treat your business like it's a shark: no standing still, if you don't keep moving forward, you won't survive. It's a competitive world out there, and in the Web-centric marketing environment, you're not only competing with the shop down the street, you're competing with the whole world, so standing still is not an option. Mr. Inertia, you're fired!   File Two: Mr. Know-It-All I love this guy, he knows everything, he's done everything, and if you ask him he'll tell you he invented it. It doesn't matter what it is or even if it relates to your business, he's done it all and seen it all, or so he says. This is Mr. Know-It-All; he stopped learning, stopped improving, and stopped listening years ago.   Despite all his self-proclaimed knowledge and insight, this guy hasn't contributed anything meaningful to the marketing effort since a Blackberry was something you ate. Mr. Know-It-All, you're fired!   File Three: Mr. My-Business-Is-Unique We all like to feel that we have created something unique, something different, something that no one else does. The fact is business is business; it's very dangerous to think that your company is so unusual that it's irreplaceable, so different that you don't need to market, so special that branding isn't required, and so singular that positioning is a waste of time.   Don't be fooled, finding your 'mark of differentiation' is just as much an exercise in marketing as it is an exercise in product development. Mr. My-Business-Is-Unique, you're fired!   File Four: Mr. We-Always-Do-It-This-Way At one point in my career I ran a company that manufactured photo albums. We had a large competitor who always undercut our price no matter what we sold our product for. In an effort to find out how they were gaining this advantage, we cut open one of their new albums and found that they were using cheap corrugated cardboard as a stiffener instead of the more expensive traditional 80-point board everybody in the industry used.   Our sales manager made an appointment with a major photo chain known for just buying quality. He made a dramatic presentation by cutting open our competition's product illustrating the superior nature of our product and demonstrating how they were being duped into buying the inferior junk our competitor was selling them. The buyer, who was also one of the owners looked at the products on his desk, uttered an expletive-deleted and laughed, "Yea," he said, "but they are cheaper."   Just because things were done the same way forever, doesn't mean that you can keep doing it that way. Keep innovating, experimenting, challenging the status quo. Mr. We-Always-Do-It-This Way, you're fired.   File Five: Mr. Everybody-Is-Stupid (But Me) This clown's a real buzz-kill. In brainstorming sessions this is the guy who shoots down every idea that comes up without offering any alternatives. If some idea is actually adopted he immediately begins to try and change it. You'll usually find him with a coffee in one hand and a donut in the other, standing over someone who is actually trying to work, telling them to move it a pixel to the right or add a little blue or saying stuff like, "I think it needs a pony, ya add a pony." This jerk is like a dog going from hydrant to fencepost depositing his mark without any purpose or validity other than leaving his scent. Not only is this guy unproductive, he makes everybody around him less productive. Mr. Everybody-Is-Stupid (But Me), your fired!   File Six: Mr. I-Know-All-The-Customers-Worth-Knowing Hard to believe but this guy does exist. I once called on a potential client who told me he didn't need a website because he knew all the customers worth knowing, all six of them. He was a manufacturer and he did sell to the six largest retail buyers of his merchandise but one thing I've learned over the years, you never have enough customers, and as soon as you think you've got them all sewed up, watch out, because every competitor is out to take them away from you. And as good as you are or as good as you think you are clients will eventually be pursued by a competitor offering something better or cheaper. Never stop prospecting, never stop looking for new business, and never be satisfied. Mr. I-Know-All-The-Customers-Worth-Knowing, you're fired.   File Seven: Mr. I-Know-All-The-Benefits We all could be guilty of this marketing sin if we're not careful. Thinking you know everything that people do with your product or service is a risky mindset and speaks to a lack of vision. This guy goes to the appropriate conventions, listens to all his industry's experts and reads only stuff about his own established market. If it's about something else, he's just not interested, and he doesn't see or understand the relevance.   The fact is all your customers are people who have lives outside of business; they all have problems, insecurities, hobbies, and interests that have nothing to do with business. And they may have a totally different point-of-view as to what you provide and how they can use it. You must pay attention to what's going on in the world and how people think and react to events and situations. The market is an emotional and psychological minefield and you must pay attention to outside forces because if you don't you're limiting your potential. Mr. I-Know-All-The-Benefits, I'm sorry but you're fired!   File Eight: Mr. Everything-Is-Bulls@%t This employee is not just useless, he's downright destructive; no matter what marketing plan you're considering implementing this guy thinks it's bull. He doesn't believe in branding, positioning, or any form of sophisticated marketing. He doesn't believe that psychology or emotion plays any part in the sales process and is probably the master of wining and dining clients resulting in the biggest expense account in the company but not much else. His clients were customers before he arrived and will probably be there after he leaves unless he pisses them off. This guy still doesn't see the benefit of a website and keeps repeating, 'it's just an electronic brochure.' His answer to a dip in sales is always the same, to cut prices. Mr. Everything-Is-Bulls@%t, you're fired!   File Nine: Mr. I'll-Get-Around-To-It Nobody really knows what this guy does. He is pleasant, tells good jokes, and he most likely is the guy who brings coffee and cookies to the office for everybody once a week. His desk is always piled high with papers, files, and binders, and when you ask him for something he invariably starts to rummage through this heap of junk ultimately telling you that he'll bring it along as soon as he finds it, he's just been 'sooo' busy. It takes him three days to answer an email, a week to return a phone call, and at least two weeks to respond to a request for a quotation. This guy just has to go. Mr. I'll-Get-Around-To-It, you're fired!   File Ten: Mr. Automatic Pilot This chap believes that the great benefit of having a Web-based business is that he doesn't have to work. This guy spent a considerable sum of money having a bunch of programmers, probably from one of those offshore sweatshops, develop a website system that automatically answers emails, fills orders, and processes inquiries. The only problem is that it doesn't matter if a customer has a question or complaint they all get the same email-response that says they can order even more stuff they can't figure out how to use. Mr. Automatic Pilot, you're fired!   File Eleven: Mr. I-Don't-Need-No-Stinking-Creativity This guy doesn't believe in any kind of creativity, he thinks everything is based on rational dollar-and-cents decision-making. His website lists as many features and benefits in 48 point red Times Roman as he can think of; he highlights each point in yellow and underlines them in green with a big purple checkmark beside each one. He adds several royalty-free photographs of fake customers with quotations he made-up while sitting on the john. And just to enhance his specíal offer page, he tacks-on a bunch of extra bonus gifts like a useless free e-book. This guy's idea of marketing got stuck in the fifties; so Mr. I-Don't-Need-No-Stinking-Creativity, you're fired.   File Twelve: Mr. Get-Me-the-Coast You run across these types every now and again. I once went to a meeting with this guy who was the Vice President of Whatever Mega Corporation. At first glance, he was very impressive, handsome and tall with a big office and lots of hair, and a voice made for AM radio. He talked faster than anyone I ever met. As we made our presentation, he slammed his hand down on the intercom and bellowed to his secretary to "Get me Johnny on the coast!" Before I knew what hit me, he's talking to his guy in California who's on his way to his dry cleaner to pick up his laundry. He asked him a couple of questions as fast as I ever heard without much reference to anything we were discussing and slammed down the phone with a thud. I had no idea what we were talking about or if this guy heard a single word we said. This guy was the master of taking meetings and impressing people, but with what I am still not sure. Mr. Get-Me-the-Coast, your fired!   A Final Thought The single most important thing about managing good staff or contractors is that they will only be as good as you let them. So now that you've laid-waste to a staff of deadweight, what's next? You need to hire or outsource the right people; people who are creative, innovative, and talented; people who are interested in getting things done, whether it's filing or creating your next marketing campaign.     About The Author Jerry Bader is Senior Partner at MRPwebmedia, a website design firm that specializes in Web-audio and Web-video. Visit MRPwebmedia.com, 136Words.com and SonicPersonality.com. Contact at info@mrpwebmedia.com or telephone (905) 764-1246.     From the soap box Massive Disability Employment Survey and Business Case Released June 2009 By Scott Savoy   Well, a new month and I am on the war path because of what I would like to share with you this month.  Yes, a survey that is no news to me, but certainly will be for those of you who still have your heads in the sand.  It is time for you to wake up and smell the coffee.  Time for you to realize that there are others less fortunate than you; the disabled.  I hope that you take note of this article.   Massive Disability Employment Survey and Business Case Released   News release from ODEP 1/09/2009   Findings of most extensive employer survey ever on people with disabilities released by U.S. Labor Department’s Office of Disability Employment Policy   Agency also makes available ‘business case’ on value of employees with disabilities   WASHINGTON - The U.S. Department of Labor’s Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP) today released findings of the most extensive survey in history of employers’ actions and attitudes toward employing people with disabilities. The report is available at www.dol.gov/odep.   CESSI, a division of Axiom Resource Management Inc., conducted the survey of 3,797 companies, which statistically represent more than 2.4 million companies nationwide. This survey found that a majority of large businesses are hiring people with disabilities and discovering that costs for accommodations differ very little from those for the general employee population. Additionally, the survey showed that once an employer hires one person with a disability, it is much more likely that employer will hire other people with disabilities.   ODEP Assistant Secretary Neil Romano hailed the report. “This research shows us the pathway for workers with disabilities to enter and succeed in the workplace,” he said. “Employers consistently discover that hiring and retaining people with disabilities helps their bottom line, and our efforts at the Department of Labor to educate businesses on this fact are paying off for workers.”   The survey does provide some disappointing news in that it reveals some resistance among businesses to viewing people with disabilities as able to advance up the corporate ladder.   “While in many cases the front door has begun to open for people with disabilities seeking employment, unfortunately, all too often a glass ceiling still keeps these valuable employees in lower level positions,” Romano commented.   In partnership with The Conference Board Inc., ODEP will present major findings of this report via webcast on Feb. 18 from 11 a.m. to noon EST during the program “Are New Recruits Ready to Work?” This webcast will be open to the public and is part of the larger series “Maximizing Human Capital: Employees with Disabilities.” To register, contact The Conference Board at                 212-339-0345         .   In related news, ODEP has articulated a “business case,” or comprehensive feedback from employers on the value of employees with disabilities, which is available on the agency’s Employer Assistance and Recruiting Network (EARN) Web site at www.earnworks.com/businesscase.   The business case, as supported by research, is intended to facilitate a business-to-business dialogue in six areas: return on investment, human capital, innovation, marketing, diversity and social responsibility. The Web page includes links to resources at the federal, state and local government levels, including resources specifically for veterans.   ODEP is leading a 21st century federal response to the historic underemployment of people with disabilities. In collaboration with other government agencies, public and private employers, and additional stakeholders, ODEP facilitates the development and implementation of innovative policies and practices necessary to achieve a fully inclusive workplace.   For more than 90 years, The Conference Board has created and disseminated knowledge about management and the marketplace to help businesses strengthen their performance and better serve society. The Conference Board is a not-for-profit 501(c)(3)organization operating as a global independent membership organization working in the public interest.   Reproduced from http://www.deafhh.net/wp/2009/02/04/massive-disability-employment-survey-and http://www.deafhh.net/wp/2009/02/04/massive-disability-employment-survey-and     The reader’s choice Canada must lead by example on human rights June 2009 Contributed by Tim Lemay of Toronto   Dear Tim, Many thanks for sending this along to us.  We chose your article for publishing this month because we would like to showcase what Canada needs to do in the area of Human Rights. Thank you!   Canada must lead by example on human rights   Lloyd Axworthy and Alex Neve Ottawa Citizen , Feb. 5, 2009   As part of a new United Nations review process, Canada's human rights record has just been examined. Much is at stake in how we respond. It is a time for strong Canadian leadership.   For decades, UN human rights reviews have been politicized and inconsistent. Powerful countries have brushed off criticism. Countries with few friends have been easy targets. Israel has received far more attention than any other country. Many countries with serious problems have never made the list. Discussions have often focused more on avoiding scrutiny than facing up to problems.   This new "universal periodic review" process is an effort to break through these shortcomings and actually put human rights at the heart of the UN human rights system.   The key is that the new process is "universal." For the first time, the human rights record of every country in the world will be reviewed, once every four years. That applies whether a country is big or small; well-respected or a pariah.   The review is carried out by other governments which means politics are still front and centre. That will be a problem as many countries will have a "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" mindset.   It is also a great advantage, however, in that the recommendations might be taken more seriously by governments because they come from their peers. Canada championed the adoption of this new process when it was debated within the UN in 2005 and 2006. That is all the more reason for Canada to model the best possible approach.   Sixteen countries will come under the human rights microscope this week and next. This week that includes our own human rights record. Next week China is slated for review. Both pose challenges for Canada. Both offer great opportunities.   The review of China's human rights record is much anticipated. This is the first time that governments have scrutinized China's record at the UN. Previously China was always able to marshal enough countries to its side to fend off any criticism. This time it can be different. Countries must demonstrate that despite China's economic clout, they are prepared to raise difficult issues. The spirit of exchange should be constructive, but must face up to China's human rights reality.   We will be looking to Canada to lead the way. Also on the list are other powerful countries that generally escape international critique, such as Russia and Saudi Arabia. Some are close allies of Canada, including Mexico and Germany. Others are countries with well-documented human rights problems, such as Tajikistan and Cuba. Canada must take each review seriously.   Canada is well-placed to be a leader because of the fact that our own record is being examined.   That is a first for us as well. Canada's human rights record has never before been assessed by a group of governments.   One of the most meaningful contributions we can make, therefore, is to go through our own review ready to hear the criticisms and to implement the recommendations that emerge.   But for a country that is the envy of the world when it comes to human rights, Canada's rate of complying with UN human rights recommendations is shamefully low. Over the past 30 years, UN human rights experts have made recommendations to Canada dealing with many pressing concerns: aboriginal peoples; poverty and homelessness; women and children; refugees, migrants and racial minorities; people living with disabilities; counter-terrorism practices and more.   But those recommendations have come back to Canada and become lost in a maze of government departments and in the complexities of federalism. Very few have been implemented and there has been no meaningful public reporting as to why.   It is time for a new approach to how Canada lives up to its international human rights obligations. With overlapping jurisdiction among federal, provincial and territorial governments, that new approach needs to be innovative and it needs political champions. There has not been a meeting of federal, provincial and territorial ministers responsible for human rights in this country since 1988. Such a meeting is long overdue.   The first item for ministers at a human rights meeting should be the recommendations that come out of the review in Geneva. They should adopt an implementation plan that is well-co-ordinated, publicly transparent, and backed up with clear political accountability.   Canada's global voice as a human rights champion must ring true this week and next. Looking to others, we must be ready to pose hard questions.   Looking to ourselves, we must be ready to accept criticism and heed advice.   Lloyd Axworthy is former Canadian minister of foreign affairs and Alex Neve is secretary general of Amnesty International Canada.     News and views The new Amazon Kindle 2 has arrived June 2009 By Christian Robicheau   Hello there!  Hope everyone is having a wonderful springtime.  This month, I bring you an article for you to read and judge for yourself.  It is great to have a new release of the Amazon Kindle, but how accessible is it?  I’ll let you be the judge. Have a happy June.   Dear Amazon Associate:   We're excited to introduce Amazon <http://www.amazon.com/gp/r.html?R=21BL5JYTHSE01&C=1BZ4TTD4EFK9Y&H=U2kiiEIFB aupOb0BfPMDYMAUApYA&T=C&U=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2Fgp%2Fproduct%2FB0015 http://www.amazon.com/gp/r.html?R=21BL5JYTHSE01&C=1BZ4TTD4EFK9Y&H=U2kiiEIFB> Kindle 2, the next generation wireless reading device. With a sleek and thin design that makes Kindle 2 as thin as a typical magazine and lighter than a paperpack, the new Kindle has seven times more storage and now holds over 1,500 books. It has a longer battery life and faster page turns. An advanced display provides even crisper images and clearer text for an improved book-like reading experience. And Kindle 2 even reads to you, with "Read to Me", our new Text to Speech feature.   With Kindle 2 we kept everything readers love about the original Kindle-the convenience of reading what you want, when you want it, the immediacy of getting a book wirelessly delivered in less than 60 seconds, and Kindle's ability to "disappear" in your hands so you can get lost in the author's words. We're also excited to announce that the Kindle Store has over 230,000 ebooks available.   Read-to-Me   Now Kindle can read to you. With its new Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud to you. You can switch back and forth between reading and listening, and your spot is automatically saved. Pages automatically turn while the content is being read, so you can listen hands-free. You can speed up or slow down the reading speeds or choose a male or female voice. Anything you can read on Kindle, Kindle can read to you, including books, newspapers, magazines, blogs and even personal documents. In the middle of a great book or article but have to jump in the car? Simply turn on Text-to-Speech and listen on the go.     Helpful tips June 2009 By the Sterling Creations research team   Hey there!  It’s your favorite team and we’re here with some of your favorite tips of the month! Enjoy!   Helpful tips for June:   Would you like to know some important information about your thyroids? Well, here goes. They are located near your windpipe and are to small glands that control your metabolism among other things. One should have a first thyroid test by age 35. A hypo thyroid condition means that your thyroid is under functioning. A hyper thyroid condition means that your thyroid is over functioning. Some indicators that your thyroid may not be functioning normally include:  Tiredness, and loss or gain of weight.   What is ear wax made up of? Hair, skin, and water from when you wash your hair.   What's this about HDL and LDL? These two terms refer to your cholesterol. HDL refers to the good cholesterol and LDL refers to the bad cholesterol.   What's this about bees having a hard time surviving these days? It's very true.  It seems as if they're being bothered greatly by those cell phones.  Their communication with each other is being greatly hampered by the growing number of cell phones and they are starting to disappear.  Moreover, their inability to communicate with each other is having an adverse affect on their ability to produce honey.   Guess how much of our food contains honey pollination? Yes!  About 25%.    Would you like to learn something very interesting about salt water? That is, a bit of salt in some warm water? You can gargle with this mixture when you have a sore throat. You can also use this mixture to flush out your nostrils in time of a cold or sinus infections.   What to do when you have a hang over? Here are two new tips for your consideration. Eat a bacon sandwich or drink a glass of chocolate milk.   What are two main reasons for constipation? Not enough intake of liquids or fiber.   What are the two most common afflictions that school kids face? Ah!  The common cold and head lice.   What you should know about liquid diets? They consist mainly of fruit juices and shakes that are meant to limit the intake of calories. They should not be used as a long term solution.   What you should know about newborn babies! They should be given sponge baths two or three times per week for the first few months of their lives. Why?  You don't want to dry out their skins. They should avoid the sun. Their skins are extremely sensitive.    What's this about aspirins and your kids? Yes and very serious!  You should never give aspirins to your kids. They are potentially harmful for their brains.   What exactly is a green tomato? A red tomato that does not ripe on the vine.   How do you make pasta not stick when boiling? First, place a tip of oil in the water. Next, stir vigorously for the first minute after placing pasta in the pan of water.   What is one of the leading causes of absenteeism among primary school kids? Yes!  It's tooth decay. Did you also know that the innocent action of licking your kid's pacifier can cause tooth decay? Tooth decay is also contagious.     Accessibility news Some technology leaves the blind behind June 2009 By the Sterling Creations research team   We’re back!  For our second contribution and on a more serious note, we would like to present you with an article on how blind and visually impaired persons continue to lag behind when it comes to advances in technology.  A very somber article for you to ponder.   some Technology Leaves The Blind Behind   By Joshua Brockman NPR Morning Edition, January 30, 2009   For those who can't rely on vision or hearing to guide their navigation of consumer electronics devices, doing simple tasks can become a huge challenge. Meanwhile, the price of many of the devices created specifically for the blind or deaf is anything but accessible -- and would give most consumers sticker shock.    As consumer electronics companies race to create more flat screens, touch-screens and other sleek innovations to woo mainstream consumers, there's at least one group of people who are not celebrating this trend: the blind and visually impaired.    For those who can't rely on vision to guide their navigation of consumer electronics devices, doing simple tasks like changing a thermostat's settings, navigating a playlist on an MP3 player or using a GPS device may require the assistance of a sighted person.    "The real detriment today are flat screens, flat panels - flat everything,"  says Mike May, the president and chief executive of Sendero Group, a California-based company that makes accessible Global Positioning System products for blind and visually impaired people. "If you can't feel it, that's not a good thing in terms of buttons. If it's all touch control, that obviously doesn't work for a blind person. You feel around and you set things off, which is what would happen on a touch-screen."    Compounding the problem: DVD players and other consumer electronics typically now have onscreen menus in lieu of knobs. And these menus don't typically offer audible feedback or voice prompts.    "Hundreds of thousands of people on this planet are blind or with low vision," says recording superstar Stevie Wonder, who has been blind since infancy. He spoke with NPR at the International consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas earlier this month.    "So to me, that's enough to say, 'Let's do something about it.' And when you think about how by making things more accessible for those who are blind, how it would then make them more independent, then for the taxpayer that means less money. I think it's just time for the manufacturers and the companies that are making millions and millions of dollars to get on top of their game and do what they need to do to make it happen."    High Cost Of Accessible Products  An accessible product is one that someone can use independently. Unfortunately, the  price of many of the devices or software applications created specifically for the blind or deaf is anything but accessible and would give most general consumers sticker shock. A case in point is the KNFB Mobile Reader, software that enables a cell phone to read printed text aloud to a blind person through synthesized speech. It sells for close to $1,000 not including the cell phone.    Advocates for accessible technology say they would like to see more accessible features in mainstream products. The key for manufacturers to keep costs down is to get feedback from the blind, deaf and others early in the design process, then integrate features to make  mainstream products accessible.    Manufacturers, however, also face another challenge: What works for someone who is deaf - such as a touch-screen menu or a flashing light - may be completely unusable for a blind user. And the beeps or tones that are helpful for blind people do nothing for a person who is deaf  or hard of hearing.    "There's not very many products in the mainstream arena or even in the accessibility arena that are perfect," May says. "There's always room for improvement. We're on something like our 10th version of our GPS for the blind, and it's far from perfect.  But the important thing is we have a dialogue with the customers."    The menu screens on some gadgets can be especially frustrating. Wonder says it's important for accessible technology to avoid having menus that just go round and round and round. He suggests a musical solution: "If you're going to do that, then maybe put some tones on there and then make the tones be in a scale that once you get to the end of the various menus, it goes back to the lower tones, so that a person knows where they are in the scheme of that screen. And those things to me are very simple to do."    Showcasing Vision-Free Technology  At a booth showcasing "vision free" products at the Las Vegas show, accessible technology experts gathered to demonstrate a handful of products developed with features that make them accessible for the blind. Wonder gave awards to some of these companies, including NPR , which was honored for helping to develop four accessible radios, including a captioned radio for deaf users, as well as a radio with Braille, among others.    Peter Cantisani, a blind technology engineer for RL & Associates Inc., a networking company that also sells products for the blind and visually impaired, gave this reporter a hands-on tour of the booth. Cantisani demonstrated some of the products - including a talking  thermostat made by Talking Thermostats.com and a talking blood pressure monitor made by Life Source, and an HD Radio made by DICE Electronics with voice prompts and audible cues in addition to supporting a forthcoming radio reading service that will provide spoken text from some magazines and newspapers. Many of these products were designed using voice chips.    He also demonstrated how a mainstream product, like the Bose SoundDock for iPods, has features that make it accessible.    "It wasn't designed for the blind," Cantisani says. "It was just designed by Bose to be a good speaker." But he says the speaker's slightly recessed volume buttons provide good tactile feedback, and when the power cord is plugged in or taken out, it makes an audible sound.    But it may not be enough for companies to accidentally arrive at features that are user-friendly for the blind or deaf.    "I think the government has to get involved and say, 'Listen, if you want to get some of the tax breaks that you want, then you've got to make things accessible for those who are physically challenged,' " Wonder says  . "You've got to give something to get something. I'm all the way with that.  If you want to win, let's all win. Let's do this to make it happen for everyone."    Technology At Work  Accessibility can be particularly problematic in the workplace.  Employers often use technology that's incompatible with devices designed to be accessible to the blind and deaf.    "It isn't always that our technology doesn't keep up, but the developers of the software that is used in mainstream America do not develop their software so that it can be accessible with our  technology," says Marlaina Lieberg, chair of the information access committee of the American Council of the Blind.    Lieberg says problems with technology in the workplace contribute to the nearly 70 percent unemployment rate among those who are blind. Deaf and hard of hearing people also say they have disproportionately high rates of joblessness. ( Listen to what Stevie Wonder has to say about this.)   Anne Taylor, director of access technology for the National Federation of the Blind, says the NFB would like to see more mainstream product manufacturers and application developers seek feedback from communities whom they serve.    Taylor says the market potential isn't just about those who are  presently blind or vision-impaired: "They're missing out on real market opportunity if they're not prepared to cater to people who may experience vision loss in the future."     http://thin.npr.org/s.php?sId=100029415&rId=1006&x=1     Editorial The knowledge divide June 2009 By Donna J. Jodhan   The knowledge divide   How ready are we to tackle the problem of the knowledge divide?  Up until the economy started to slide, this was a very big problem but now that things have changed somewhat, yes it is still a problem but we have been given somewhat of a reprieve.   With the present economic crisis playing havoc with the incomes of retirees, seniors, and aging baby boomers, more and more persons have been forced to put off retiring choosing instead to stay longer in the workplace.  This was not the case about a year ago when so many aging baby boomers were so anxious to stampede out of the workplace and into retirement.  At that time many companies were facing a real problem of having to cope with an ever widening knowledge divide.  A divide that was threatening to swallow us up but now; things have changed drastically.   In years to come, many companies may look back on this economic crisis as having played a huge role in saving them from having to deal with the knowledge divide.  As things stand today, aging baby boomers are choosing to stay longer in the labour force and retirees and seniors are choosing to seek jobs to help them bolster their diminished savings.  These two factors will definitely help to stem the knowledge divide for now but make no mistake!  As soon as the economy turns around, aging baby boomers will be packing their bags in droves and retirees and seniors will be deserting their temporary positions in favor of days of not having to work.    Of course, it may take years before the problem of the knowledge divide comes to the front again but in the meantime, I do believe that we should be taking this lull to prepare more thoroughly for this eventuality.  What can we do to prepare?  More incentives for aging baby boomers and experienced workers to pass on their knowledge and skills to younger workers.  More initiatives to ensure that knowledge and skills are passed on in a timely and appropriate manner.    What exactly is the knowledge divide?  The knowledge and skills that baby boomers possess and will eventually take away with them versus the lack of knowledge and experience that those in their twenties and thirties possess.     Comments to the editor June 2009 From the desk of the editor   From Maria Lopez of Miami:  Donna, I love much your new blogs but they are so personal and I hope that people believe much.  Your stories are so honest!  They make me cry!   From David Poche of New York: Although this magazine has some very interesting stuff for readers I would like to see more stuff on advocacy.   From Tina Berrell of Washington DC: So what!  you are writing all these wonderful blogs!  What do you hope to accomplish?  Fame or failure?   From Pete Featherly of Wisconsin: I have to agree with you that seniors are indeed easy targets for scams and we need to do more to protect them.   From Sophie Devrise of Montreal Quebec: Boy!  You people have surely hit out at Canada in some of your articles.  Sad but true, I have to agree with you though and Donna's charter challenge is breaking ground history.  Good for you lady!   From Brad Marshall of Missouri: Too bad that companies can't see what is really facing them let alone be able to know who their future consumers are.  Your April editorial was a good one.   From Kelly Waterman of Boston: You know something?  One thing that these darn companies could start by doing is to bring back their call centers to America.  Why on earth would they continue to keep them in India?  Could someone explain this to me?   From Olive Nickolin of Atlanta: I wish I had the answer for why it is society continues to separate disabled persons from the mainstream.  Why, why?   If you have something to say, an opinion to express, or anything that you wish to share with the rest of the world, then please send it on to info@sterlingcreations.ca.  Comments to the editor are yours and yours alone.  All comments are reviewed to ensure appropriate language.     Notes   If you would like to contribute an article to our magazine then please contact us at: Tel (416) 491-7711 Email info@sterlingcreations.ca Comments to the editor can be submitted free of charge.  All submissions are reviewed and you will be notified if yours is chosen.  If your submission is chosen for “the reader’s choice” section of our magazine we will print it at no cost.   If you’re looking for a one-stop writing shop then look no further! 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