Newsletter Archive
Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility (FITA)
Improving the quality of life of disabled persons through ICT29th June 2004
Contents
Software of the Month : Spyware Removal
Website of the Month : Winamp for the Blind' Website
Question Box (Hints & Tips) : Tests to uproot Windows passwordsArticles :
- Web Accessibility Commendation
- Accessible Web Design Projects
- Background sounds for mobile communication
- Europe launches major access programme
- Banks named and shamed over card problems
Software of the Month
Spyware Removal
http://www.kephyr.com/spywarescanner/
Bazooka Adware and Spyware Scanner detects a multitude of spyware, adware, trojan, keylogger, foistware and trackware components; sources of irritation that antivirus software does not deal with. The scanning process will only take about two seconds and tell you how to uninstall the invasive threat using simple step-by-step instructions or put you in contact with the vendor for the most up-to-date and safe uninstall instructions.
This software does not modify your system, but reports on which changes need to be made
Website of the Month
"Winamp for the Blind Website"
http://winamp4theblind.cjb.net/
Winamp is the favourite windows media player amongst persons with a visual impairment. In the above website you'll find all that you want to know about Winamp and its use by blind persons. There are also several plugins or other utilities available for download.
Submitted by Mr. Michael Micallef
Question Box (Hints & Tips)
Tests to uproot Windows passwords
Microsoft and RSA Security on Wednesday started beta testing a product designed to phase out the use of traditional passwords and replace them with automatically generated passwords from a SecurID token. SecurID is one of the most popular two-factor authentication systems and is already used by many large enterprises. The token is about the size of a matchbox and generates a new six-digit code every minute.Users are given an easy-to-remember PIN number to type in alongside the code displayed on the token. With an integrated SecurID system within Windows, enterprises should find easier and cheaper to ensure users do not use weak passwords or forget them. George Anderson, IT security business development manager at services firm Computacenter, which is one of the participants in the beta trial, said the SecurID and Windows combination is a welcome relief. "We recognize that password-only security has for some time been inadequate for truly protecting Windows workstations," Anderson said. The beta test program is being rolled out to a small number of companies and is expected to last around a month. RSA Security expects the full commercial version to be available in shortly after the trial ends. Jason Lewis, vice president of product management at RSA Security, said the technology complements RSA's core business, which is to authenticate remote users. "We've been traditionally focused on security issues outside the firewall and although securing remote access is critical, the RSA SecurID for Microsoft Windows solution addresses a real threat to exposing an organization's sensitive data within the enterprise," said Lewis.
The integration of SecurID and Windows was first announced at the RSA Security conference in San Francisco earlier this year. At the time, Microsoft's chairman Bill Gates said the development signaled the death of the traditional password.
Source: http://zdnet.com.com
Articles
Web Accessibility Commendation
Many disabled persons experience different access barriers when accessing web pages. Generally, removal of such access barriers on a website is simply a matter of good design and does not require any expensive technology or software development tools.Through this initiative, Datastream Limited and the Foundation for Information Technology Accessibility (FITA) have raised accessibility awareness amongst web developers so that such features become mainstream design aspects rather than an afterthought.The framework used for this commendation is based on the recommendations published by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C).The judges selected the finalists for the 3rd Edition of the DataStream Malta Web Awards. The winners will be announced during the awards ceremony on 25th June 2004.Should you wish to support this and similar initiatives, please email FITA, and forward us your views and suggestions.
Source: http://www.maltawebawards.com
Accessible Web Design Projects
FITA collaborated with the University of Malta, Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Department on the implementation of accessible web desing projects. 3rd Year BSc students split into seperate teams, competed to create the best project. The resulting 5 implementations, involved proposed web based services, meant to compliment the Foundation's existing website.An important aspect of this exercise, was the prominence given to accessibility guidelines set out by the W3C, WAI initiaitive, aiming to ensure compliance with the Equal Opportunities Act (Persons with Disability) 2000 Act.
Background sounds for mobile communication
Did you ever wish you could hide your location when talking on the phone? Ever wanted to give the impression you were somewhere else? SounderCover gives you the ability to add a background sound to any incoming or outgoing call, giving the impression that you really are in the environment where the background sound is normally heard.
Did you wake up late for work and you want your boss to think you're caught in traffic? Select the Traffic Jam background and give him a call from your bedroom :). He will hear your voice on top of this. Is one of your mates a chronic talker that just doesn't know when to stop? Use the Phone Ring 15s background and your friend will hear a phone ring 6 times, 15 seconds into the call. Tell him that your other phone is ringing and that you have to go.Pretend you're at the dentist, in the park, on the street, caught in a thunderstorm, near heavymachinery or at a circus parade.
The possibilities are endless! You can even use your own prerecorded sounds or sounds downloaded from theInternet.You can assign background sounds to anyone in your list of Contacts or simply pick a sound when they call or when you call them. If the contact has an associated sound, it will show up as the default (but you can always change your mind and pick some other background). SounderCover is triggered by pressing the "Down" key (down arrow) on your phone whenever you call someone or receive a call. You will see a notification on top of your screen if SounderCover is active.
Europe launches major access programme
The European Commission has launched a major new programme of research into accessibility policies across EU member states, paving the way for a set of accessibility guidelines to improve access to digital services and technologies for disabled users across the continent.
The eInclusion@eu project (http://www.einclusion-eu.org) will examine national and regional policies on access to employment, public sector technology procurement, and access to online public services such as e-government, e-health and e-learning. As part of its work the 30-month project aims to build an EU-wide picture of accessibility requirements for government web sites, including which accessibility standards are used, if compliance is voluntary or mandatory, and whether feedback from users is collected and acted on.
Banks named and shamed over card problems
UK banks who fared poorly in a 'mystery shopping' exercise to test the accessibility of new-style credit and debit cards are to be "named and shamed" by the RNIB.The cards tested use a new so-called 'Chip and PIN' system designed to combat fraud by requiring users to key in a security PIN number whenever a purchase is made.
Banks are supposed to offer and explain an alternative to Chip and PIN called 'Chip and signature', which is easier for some people with impaired vision since they may find keypads hard to use. However, the survey found that many were not doing so.Results of the mystery shopping experiment will be published towards the end of August and will include full details of which card issuers were contacted along with a breakdown of the results.
Disclaimer
The reader is responsible for the use of information contained herein and its safe and lawful use. This includes work policies and restrictions applicable to the computer environment specific to the user. Descriptions of products or services are for information purposes only. FITA makes no claim, representation or warranty, express or implied, as to the information presented here, the performance of products and services, or any results that may be obtainable by their use. FITA also does not necessarily endorse the specific content or positions contained in the articles shown or referred to.
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Copyright © 2002 Foundation for IT Accessibility
Last modified: Monday, July 31, 2006
