Web Site Accessibility Blog

This must be IBM’s week. Starting on October 3, 2005, IBM is giving away accessibility software on its website. While some are 90-day trials, and the license cost is certainly affordable. The offerings include:

Keyboard Optimizer: An application that monitors a user’s typing patterns and optimizes for mistakes. This is geared for those situations where users may not be able to lift fingers quickly from the keys.
Mouse Smoothing Software: for users with hand tremors or difficulty moving a mouse.

In addition to these user technologies, IBM is also offering applications ands software for programmers, These are designed to allow development companies increase their accessibility reach by using some very unique products.

I’ve downloaded the aDesigner software program, and I’m sure that I’ll be posting a review of it soon. This software allows programmers to view their site in different vision and blind user modes. The advantage is for designers to actually see what the user sees in the design aspect, rather than reading text-based reporting or line corrections from standard accessibility code testing.