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Assistive Technology Services
Bender Consulting Services of Canada, Inc. is affiliated with Bender Consulting Services, Inc., headquartered in Pittsburgh, PA. Bender Consulting Services continues its efforts to make software compliant for people with vision impairments, and provides the guidance companies need to make web sites and software easily accessible to people with vision impairments.
Bender Consulting Services can:
- Evaluate software and web sites for compliance with universal design standards.
- Achieve compliance with universal design standards by suggesting changes to software that will result in minimal disruption of normal operations.
- Work with developers to test for accessibility issues that cannot be diagnosed by software accessibility checkers.
- Where software cannot be made compliant with universal design principles, configure JAWS for Windows screen reading software so blind users can more easily use non-compliant software.
- Evaluate documentation and training materials for accessibility.
- JAWS for Windows training from beginner through advanced scripting.
- Provide basic Windows training.
- Help companies cut costs by consulting with them from start to finish in developing an overall corporate accessibility strategy. This service encapsulates all accessibility concerns, from selecting off-the-shelf computer products, to developing custom software
applications.
Representative Assistive Technology Projects
Bender Consulting Services’ Assistive Technology Group completed a project for SAP Accessibility Labs in Palo Alto, California to determine if, and to what extent, the JAWS screen reader version 4.0.103 was capable of functioning in three representative SAP WebGUI transactions and to then make JAWS function as well as possible. The goal of the project was to determine if SAP’s web design techniques, combined with a set of JAWS scripts, could make its WebGUI product Section 508 compliant. BCS provided a packaged set of JAWS scripts and a detailed report that explained the approach, findings, and extensive background that identified the technical details related to HTML elements, style sheets, and JAWS.
Compaq Network Services developed a case tracking application for
the Ohio State Rehabilitation Services Commission. The application's
technical architecture includes a PowerBuilder front-end, coupled with
an Oracle back-end. It is being used by rehabilitation personnel to
administer rehabilitative services to residents throughout the state
of Ohio.
BCS evaluated the application for compliance with accessibility
standards such as those found in "The Microsoft® Windows®
Guidelines for Accessible Software Design." We worked with the
developers who made the changes we suggested, so that the application
was as close as possible to the accessibility standards. When the
application could not meet some of the standards, we used the
scripting and configuring capabilities of a screen reading application
called JAWS for Windows to allow the computer to speak those
non-compliant sections of information. As a result, our customer,
Compaq Corporation, developed a world-class accessible product for the
State of Ohio.
Bender Consulting Services of Canada, Inc. worked with Hackensack University
Medical Center in New Jersey to solve a compatibility conflict
existing between the Center's medical record transcription software,
and the equipment used by an operator with a visual disability. BCS
quickly analyzed and diagnosed the problem and proposed two possible
solutions. Because the Medical Center will begin using new medical
record transcription software in two to three months, BCS did not take
any remedial action at this time. However, when use of the new
software commences, BCS will return to analyze its compatibility with
the operator's adaptive equipment, and resolve any conflicts which
might exist.
Should you have any questions, please contact Jim Homme, Manager,
Assistive Technology at jhomme@benderconsult.com.
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