Table of contents
1 Ask the expert
2 Business commentary
3 From the soap box
4 The president’s feature
5 News and views
6 Helpful tips
7 Accessibility news
8 Letters to the editor
9 Editorial
10 Notes
Acknowledgements
We would like to acknowledge the following contributors to this month’s STAE issue.
The Sterling Creations accessibility team, the Sterling Creations research team, Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison who are our resident business consultants, Scott Savoy our managing editor, Christian Robicheau our assistant editor, and Donna J Jodhan our president.
Meet Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison
Our resident experts with over 45 years of business consulting experience between them. These two are the authors of several books, articles, and newsletters. They are highly paid consultants to the US, British, and Canadian governments and they continue to “Walk the talk” on a daily basis.
They and their team of consultants work tirelessly to produce daily blogs that are jammed packed with up to the minute news wires and headlines from around the world, business news and trends, and current strategies. Marquis and Harrison are also motivational speakers and are booked solid till the end of 2008. They and their team also help countless businesses and individuals to research and write complaints and editorials so that the voices of their clients can be heard.
Their books include:
Secrets to Financial Success, Untapped Wealth, and Untapped Wealth Discovered first and second editions. They are presently at work on other books.
You can purchase a copy of any of their best sellers from www.amazon.com, or from any other large bookstore. You can check out their daily blogs on the business desk page at www.untappedwealth.com as well as at: www.untappedwealthdiscovered.com, www.utranslate4me.com, and www.sterlingcreations.com. Marquis and Harrison have also made many of their newsletters and articles available to all four of these websites.
Lawyer warns that PDFs fail on accessibility
November 2007
By the Sterling Creations accessibility team
Hello there! This month we’d like to address a frequently asked question and that is can blind and visually impaired persons read PDF files? The answer is no. Unless the PDF file has been properly prepared by the content author. In short, if the PDF file has not been properly tagged, and if a blind person does not have the right combination of technology, IE the appropriate versions of Adobe and the accompanying version of access technology, then it is almost impossible for PDF files to be read. Most PDF content is still very inaccessible to the blind and visually impaired, and the following article backs up our opinion. We’ll let you be the judge.
Lawyer warns that PDFs fail on accessibility
By David Meyer
ZDNET (UK), May 01, 2007
PDF documents on websites and intranets need to be accompanied by accessible
HTML or text versions if they are to comply with disability legislation, a
leading technology lawyer has claimed.
Struan Robertson, a senior associate at Pinsent Masons and the editor of IT
law website Out-law.com, said that the accessibility of the PDF (portable
document format) was often forgotten, even by those companies that are
striving to comply with the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). The DDA,
first introduced in 1995 but revised in 2005, requires organisations to make
"reasonable adjustments" when catering to the requirements of people with
special needs, such as visual impairment.
"The legal duty is to provide the information in a way that is accessible
and usable," Robertson told ZDNet UK. "Many PDFs are not accessible and the
solution is to provide accessible HTML in addition to PDFs, if you wish to
use PDFs."
Robertson added that, although an organisation that has generally "addressed
web accessibility" would be unlikely to be sued over its PDFs, a failure to
provide an accessible alternative "might trigger a complaint".
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"Many of us will dutifully warn the user that a PDF is going to be opened.
but we stop short of offering an accessible document," he said, indicating
that this meant that "many disabled users take 'PDF will open in a new
window' to mean 'don't click here'".
Robertson was speaking on Tuesday at a seminar at London's Internet World
event, alongside Hugh Huddy of the Royal National Institute for the Blind
(RNIB), Jon Gooday of the disability charity AbilityNet and Fergus Brady of
RiverDocs, manufacturer of an accessibility converter for online documents.
The four panellists detailed issues that make PDFs inaccessible to the
partially sighted or otherwise disabled.
Brady suggested that "last-minute changes" to documents were a major
problem, in that "it is very easy to put that document up online and that is
the reason why the majority of PDFs online are inaccessible".
Adobe, whose Acrobat software is most commonly used to create PDFs, had
carried out "a lot of work" to make PDFs accessible, said Gooday.
Nonetheless, he called the process of making such documents work with an
audible screen reader "long and complicated", citing image labelling and
document structure as two major pitfalls. Huddy said that the RNIB had tried
to produce an accessible PDF of its annual report, but hit "glitches" with
tables and slipping column headers - factors he said could render such an
important document legally invalid.
"Most PDFs would not stand up to a basic accessibility check," said Huddy,
who suggested that PDFs made from a "well-structured Word document" using
Acrobat Pro might pass muster. He added that, in most cases, it would be
"prudent to publish an alternative format, whether that is in HTML, [rich
text format] or plain text, alongside [the PDF version of a document]".
Adobe had not responded to a request for comment at the time of writing.
The ballpark is always moving
November 2007
By Jeff N Marquis and Kerry J Harrison
What really are the challenges as to why there is not more employment of disabled persons in the workplace? Is this a problem just limited to us here in America? Or to North America as a whole? Or is it a global problem?
Are employers afraid to hire the disabled or are there not enough disabled persons applying for jobs? We found an interesting article coming out of Britain and we thought that we would publish it for your reading. Please give us your feedback.
'The Ballpark Is Always Moving'
Sky News (UK), April 28, 2007
Most firms believe they should make every effort to employ disabled people
but many are put off by politically correct "language of disability", a
report suggests.
A survey of 400 employers showed that most believed they should work towards
creating a diverse workforce, independent of any Government initiatives.
Firms say they want to employ disabled peopleBut some employers complained
that misunderstanding over the language used to describe disability was a
barrier to employing disabled people.
One told researchers: "The ballpark is always moving as are the words that I
can say. You don't say that someone is blind, you say visually impaired."
Remploy, the UK's leading provider of employment services for disabled
people, said its study found evidence that firms believed disabled people
were not applying for enough jobs.
Beth Carruthers, Remploy's director of employment services, said: "The
survey shows very clearly that employers recognise the talents and skills
disabled people can bring to the workplace.
"There is a strong desire in business to hire disabled people, but we need
to overcome the concerns voiced by some employers.
"The important thing is not the language used to describe disability but
that disabled people receive the same respect and opportunities as
non-disabled people.
"The research also shows how disabled people can benefit from job coaching
and assistance with writing CVs and interviews."
Student Fights for Books
November 2007
By Scott Savoy
It’s November already and where has this year gone? Soon it will be Christmas again and another year will begin once more.
Okay, this month I’d like to zoom in on the topic of students fighting for books and it appears according to the following article, that it’s happening right here in our very own country. Am I joking? No! Time for us to do something and I hope that this article would help to galvanize our readers into taking some sort of positive action.
Student Fights for Books
By WCB
Wisconsin Council of the Blind & Visually Impaired blog, April 30, 2007
Steve Fowler, a University of Maryland College Park student, is trying to
enact legislation to create a centralized system for transcribing textbooks
to Braille and audio forms.
Fowler is an intern in the White House, and has set out to not only help his
cause, but many students who face challenges in reading. Fowler says that
electronic and audio texts would help students with dyslexia, learning
disabilities and many other diseases that impair vision.
Fowler suffers from Axenfeld-Rieger syndrome, which weakens the bone
structure in the oral cavity and causes glaucoma. The nature of Fowler's
disease means that he can see better some days more than others.
The March 6, 2007 edition of the Baltimore Sun indicated that Fowler was
trying to enact legislation so that students do not have to wait months for
audio, electronic and Braille readings. Such waits caused Fowler to drop
four courses before midterm week, an injustice that has the 21-year-old to
stand before the House of Delegates committee to earn support for students
who are aiming to earn an education in a normal timeframe.
In the past, Fowler had to order books early, and use the help of workers at
the campus disability center to dictate books for him. Yet, as Fowler
indicated, having a worker read a 1000 page book when only a particular
paragraph was needed was just a waste of time.
Fowler believes that a centralized system that allows visually impaired
students easy access to textbooks and audio suited for their needs will help
save the state school time and money.
More information on the original article can be found on Baltimoresun.com
via the following link:
Blind but, sight set on knowledge
November 2007
Sponsored by Donna J Jodhan
Hey there! I’m always up for an inspiring story and I chose this one because it talks about a young lady’s pursuit of breaking down barriers to success. I hope that this article inspires others to go after their dreams despite the many barriers that may stand in their way.
Blind but, sight set on knowledge
By Subhendu Ray
Express India, April 29, 2007
Kanchan Gaba has never seen the light of the sun, but she loves a full
life,our correspondent finds out
At a time when all of us are rejoicing astrophysicist Stephen Hawking's
participation in the weightless experience, our own city's Kanchan Gaba sets
yet another example of breaking free from all physical challenges in pursuit
of one's dream. Being visually challenged herself, this 32-year-old gutsy
lady believes that blindness can never be a barrier in achieving success.
But there should not be dearth of motivation. "The potential of visually
challenged persons should never be underestimated. They too have the same
capacity as normal persons. The only difference is we can't see," said
Kanchan. A student of law, she earned a first class in LLB and LLM. Punjabi
by birth, this soft-spoken lady is an ardent lover of Kolkata and Bengali
culture.
Achiever of Hindustan Lever's Saraswati Academic award, Kanchan at present
is pursuing her research on World Trade Organisation-Legal Implication in
Indian Perspective which is funded by the company itself. In 1993 she had
been honoured by the then President Shankar Dayal Sharma for her
extraordinary performance in scouting. She also received the Queen's
certificate in UK in 1997. A few years ago she had attended SAARC conference
in Bangladesh where she had delivered her speech on child rights.
Besides academics this pacifist of immense potential has exhibited
excellence in mountaineering and scouting.Hard to believe but she has been a
regular trekker. "Not being able to see has never been a problem for me to
go on a trekking expedition. I have already been on expeditions to Tiger
Hill, Sandakhphu, different hills in Uttaranchal and Herison Rock area in
London", she said.
Kanchan, apart from pursuing her goals in academics, is equally concerned
about her married life. She had tied the sacred knot just last year with an
eminent physician based in Kolkata. Her happiness shows in her face.
Kanchan is endeavouring to uplift the lifestyle of the visually challenged
youths of the city. "Blindness can never be an obstacle if one desires to
achieve good results in academics or any other field. I want them to get
established and be self-sufficient in life. They must take advantage of the
IT boom by getting jobs in several IT sectors," she said.
The West Bengal chapter of the National Association for the Blind, has
decided to open up a computer training centre in Eastern India to enable
visually challenged students learn computers, said Kanchan, who happens to
be the secretary of the body's state unit. "This would be the first step to
introduce them to the world IT ," she said.
To raise fund for this, they had organised a colourful cultural
extravaganza, Surobhito Timir (essence of darkness), at Kalamandir which
drew a full audience.
Once the centre for the training gets formed, help will pour in from Central
government. They would develop the infrastructure and provide computers,
servers, and software like Jaws, which are specially developed for the blind
people.
Kanchan has plans of writing a book on the plights of those women who have
been in the prison of Bengal. She has researched on them under the aegis of
international NGO UISCOMP, which is headed by the Dalai Lama.
Despite all these activities, she manages sometime for herself when she
listens to instrumental fusion music and recitation of Bengali poetry mostly
of Rabindranath Tagore.
Time to break the mold of paper money for the blind
November 2007
By Christian Robicheau
Hello there! This month I’ve chosen an article that interests me because till I read it, I never really thought much about the problems and challenges that blind and visually impaired persons face daily when dealing with and handling money. I don’t think that many others have really had to think about it, but this articles certainly brings home the challenges.
Time to break the mold of paper money for the blind
By Eddie Jimenez
Fresno Bee, California, April 30, 2007
Ed and Toni Eames, both blind, each have their own systems to distinguish
denominations of paper money once they've separated the bills.
Ed keeps dollar bills flat, folds $5 bills in half width-wise and $10 bills
length-wise. Toni also leaves her dollar bills flat, but folds $5 bills in
half twice width-wise and $10 bills in half, but keeps them in a different
part of her purse.
They try not to carry around anything larger than $10. That makes it easier
to keep track of their money.
"If somebody does cheat you, intentionally or unintentionally, you don't
lose a lot of money," Toni said.
The Fresno couple and other blind and visually impaired people will no
longer have to go through this exercise if Pete Stark, a Democratic
congressman from Fremont, has his way.
Stark wants all U.S. paper money to be redesigned to meet a federal court
ruling last November that said our nation's currency -- being all the same
size and indistinguishable -- violates the civil rights of the blind.
A judge told the Treasury Department to fix the problem, but the agency is
appealing the ruling. Treasury officials say changing U.S. paper money would
be costly.
Undeterred, Stark has suggested a less expensive remedy -- cutting off the
edges of bills, for example, trimming the four corners of the $1 bill, three
corners of the $2 and so on.
That doesn't seem too practical, but one way or another, a change should be
made so the blind can tell the difference between denominations of paper
currency. As one news report said, about 180 other countries have different
sizes for paper money.
The Eameses understand that the switch would be costly and realize there are
other pressing issues for the blind, such as education, transportation,
learning Braille and getting easier access to Web sites.
Still, being able to distinguish paper money would eliminate one dependency
on others.
The couple offered examples of how the blind are overlooked in everyday
dealings that sighted people take for granted.
Listening to a Channel 18 fundraiser, the Eameses kept hearing "Call the
number on your screen," but the number was never read aloud.
So they had to phone a friend for the number before they could contribute.
They're also not able to use all the functions on their cell phone because
it's about "50% blind friendly." And their search for a new stove was
hampered because most oven functions are digital. They need a stove with
knobs to distinguish temperatures.
"Change doesn't always include the blind population," said Ed, who is the
chairman of the Fresno Americans with Disabilities Act Advisory Council.
This can add to life's challenges.
"You get by," Toni said, and Ed finished, "with occasional high levels of
frustration."
They said making the switch to a new U.S. paper currency system would be
another step toward independence for the blind.
"There's no way to get around it. [Now] you do need sighted help with
bills," Toni said. "I think it's time for the government to do it."
The columnist can be reached at ejimenez @fresnobee.com or (559) 441-6386.
November 2007
By the Sterling Creations research team
Hey there! It’s November and here now are our tips. Enjoy!
Helpful tips for November:
What happens if you try getting out of bed as soon as you wake up?
If you wake up and immediately try putting your feet on the ground, you run the high risk of either fainting or falling over.
Why? It's because the pressure rushes to your head and causes you to lose temporary balance and orientation.
What happens if you continue to walk on cold floors in your bear feet?
Possible damage to your kidneys.
You should wear socks during those cold fall and winter days and even in the early spring.
How many times per year should you take a detoxifier?
According to the health experts, two to three times yearly is recommended.
The body needs to be cleansed and detoxified on a regular basis.
How do you know that you may need to be detoxified?
Four main symptoms.
Continual tiredness, sluggishness, unable to lose weight easily, and bloated stomachs.
What's this again about the benefits of drinking glasses of hot water with lemon?
According to the health experts, a glass of hot water with a squeeze of lemon juice in it each morning is good for the complexion.
You can also put in a slice of lemon instead of the squeeze of lemon juice.
Some titbits on arthritis?
Arthritis is not something that can be cured.
Once contracted it stays with you for the rest of your life.
You can minimize the effects of arthritis by not being overweight.
Also, refrain from ingesting foods with too much acid.
What are two parts of the body that can not be regenerated?
Answer: The spine and the eyes.
What's an alternative to the use of smelling salts when someone faints?
Believe it or not, a few drops of ammonia on a wet towel held under the nose of the intended person.
What should you reduce if you have high blood pressure?
Your intake of salt.
What should you reduce if you have high cholesterol?
Your intake of fried foods.
What are some contributing factors to heart disease?
High blood pressure, high cholesterol, and obesity.
What are five main causes of eccema?
Itchy fabrics, change in temperature, allergies, stress, and detergents.
Accessibility news
She's journeying to new heights
November 2007
By the Sterling Creations research team
Hey again! This month for our second contribution we’ve chosen an article about a young lady who by now would probably have achieved her inttended feat. We sincerely hope that she accomplished her mission and this is an article that could inspire others to similar heights. Enjoy! She's journeying to new heights
Trip led by only blind man to scale Everest
By MELANIE ASMAR
Concord Monitor, NH, April 29, 2007
Jameyanne Fuller turned 16 yesterday. But instead of celebrating her freedom
with a brand-new driver's license, Fuller, who is blind, met with a reporter
to talk about an upcoming trek that will be as much a salute to her
independence as a test of her strength: This summer, she plans to hike 25
miles through the mountains of Peru.
"I'm looking to push my limits and find out what I can and can't do," said
Fuller, of Concord. "And I'm doing something good for my self-esteem, as my
mom would say."
Fuller has an eye disease called aniridia glaucoma, which means she was born
without irises. After 14 operations, she can see colors, shapes and shadows
through thick eyeglasses.
Fuller reads and types Braille and uses a cane to help her navigate. An
outgoing freshman at Concord High School, she's a member of the band and the
chorus, as well as the presidential candidates club, a group of politically
minded students who invite candidates to speak at the school during the
primary. (So far, they've had five accept.)
And since signing up this winter for the Peruvian journey, Fuller has picked
up some additional hobbies - namely the stairmaster, the treadmill, a weekly
pilates class and weekend hikes in the White Mountains.
Called Leading the Way, the trip through Peru is led by Erik Weihenmayer,
the only blind man to climb Mount Everest. Twenty-four high school students
- half of them blind, half of them not - will embark on a two-week trek in
July that starts in the town of Queropalca and leads to the 16,400-foot
summit of Mount Berlin.
Along the way, the students will stop in a village to plant trees and play
soccer with the native children, who speak Quechua and Spanish. Fuller
speaks neither but she's trying to learn - quickly.
"So far I can ask where the bathroom is and if someone speaks Spanish," she
said.
Not an avid hiker, Fuller decided to go on the trip partly because she was
excited to be with both blind and sighted teenagers. As the only blind
student at Concord High, Fuller is most always surrounded by peers who can
see. At summer camps for the blind, it's the opposite. Mixing the two groups
might be a good learning experience, she said.
It will also be awesome to go to Peru, Fuller said.
"It's, like, Peru," she said. "I've been to Canada before, but Peru is way
different."
A trip to Colorado two weeks ago gave her a taste of what the high altitudes
will be like. Fuller and the other students met Weihenmayer for three days
of hiking and skits on how to pack, how to train and how to avoid illnesses.
"It was funny when they were trying to act out the symptoms of traveler's
diarrhea," Fuller said, giggling.
The Colorado trip also gave her a taste of the teamwork that will no doubt
become commonplace on the trails in Peru. Each blind student was paired with
a sighted student who guided them with verbal instructions and a bell. The
blind students followed their lead, using trekking poles, which are like ski
poles but sturdier, to scan the trails.
"They were describing all the scenery and it was really cool," Fuller said.
One thing the Colorado trip didn't prepare her for, however, was Peruvian
food. The students will be hiking with a crew of porters and cooks, who will
carry their tents and make them native dishes at mealtime. Fuller, a picky
eater who won't touch hot dogs, hamburgers or even macaroni-and-cheese, said
she's not sure how she'll handle roast guinea pig, a dish the trip leaders
warned her might be on the menu. But she's being optimistic.
"I heard it tastes okay," Fuller said. "They want us to have the full
cultural experience."
From Shaughn O'Brien of Dublin Ireland:
Right is right and wrong is wrong! When a website is not accessible it should be fixed. How would a seeing person like it if he were asked to read something that was in braille? He'd probably be rather angry and hit the roof! It's how we feel when we can't access those bloody websites that have crazy images on them and foolish icons.
Hope you print my comments.
From Anna Christiansen of Stockholm Sweeden:
Dear Donna,
Keep up the good work. You started your editorial feature in July and I hope to see you continue. Sorry about your brother but keep your chin up and continue on. Life's not fair at times but you're strong and have the will to go on.
From Robbie Bergman of Wisconsin:
Listen up folks! Most of them agencies for the blind are only there in name and they fill their pockets with money that they collect from the public. They don't help anyone but themselves. They are man's worst nightmare!
From Chris Tanner of Kent England:
I wonder if Her Majesty really cares about blind persons. I've never heard of her giving anything to anyone but herself, her husband and her family. It's time that Charles does something useful instead of jetting around the world with that wife of his.
If you'd like to send your emails, then do not hesitate to do so at info@sterlingcreations.ca. We welcome your opinions, but please, no profanity.
Editorial
More caution needs to be taken
November 2007
By Donna J Jodhan
More caution needs to be taken
With scammers and identity thieves becoming more and more aggressive at wanting to take ownership of our lives and our banking details, we need to become more and more aggressive at protecting ourselves from them.
I don't believe that this scinario will ever change so it's time for us to get used to it. Gone are the days when it was easier to trust others. When we practically closed our eyes while doing business with family and friends. There was a time when we could place blind trust in our business partners, in salesmen, and in independent insurance and financial agents. Not anymore.
Scammers and identity thieves are on the rise and some of their favorite targets these days include seniors, special needs persons, women, and those who are vulnerable. Their methods and strategies are becoming more and more sophisticated but that does not mean that we can't mount a solid and common sense defence against them. We should consider things like:
Keep our social security cards, driver's licenses, banking and credit cards, and anything else with our photos safely tucked away from prying eyes.
Never give out our credit card numbers to anyone on the phone that we don't know.
Never give out the last three digits of our credit card number to anyone unless the person is an authorized person.
These last three digits can be found at the back of your credit card and are separate from the other 16 digits.
Do not give out personal info to anyone calling you on the phone.
Do not answer any emails that ask you to change your password on your online account.
Do not answer any emails from persons askking you to assist them in the transfer of money from their country to yours. These emails typically are from persons asking you to accept money on their behalf so that they can transfer money from their country to your bank account. They ask you to provide your bank account and they promise a hefty percentage of the transferred funds if you are naive enough to believe them. If you go through with this transaction, they then clean out your account instead of transferring the profferred funds.
Never answer any survey by phone or by email that ask for personal info.
This list is by no means complete but you can use it to get a good start. If you're determined to keep yourself and your assets safe and sound then you'll take action now.
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
Check out our online magazine page at www.sterlingcreations.ca/magazine.html for our rates.
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 we will print it upon receipt of payment.
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We can do anything from articles and blogs to newsletters, emails and faxes to speeches, brochures and books to websites, plus more.
Please send all inquiries to info@sterlingcreations.ca.
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If you’re looking for ways to keep abreast of the latest news wires, trends and strategies, or ideas for creating your own small business, then you can take advantage of lots of free information by visiting www.untappedwealth.com.
There you’ll find skilled researchers and writers willing to help you with your challenges.
For all inquiries send your emails to info@untappedwealth.com.
