[gui-talk] PDF accessibility

[James Pepper]

The problem here is that this is a Pandora's Box. Once it is out there it is
out there.  So I am sending this out to be tested by the Accessibility
groups and I am asking who I should contact on this method to get it put
into software.

I am not a software company, I am just one man.  I am the driving force in
getting this work done.  And why should I just give away my life's work when
the accessibility people in the government receive a salary to do their
jobs.  I should be able to protect what I have done.

I would love to show it to the federal folks without giving away the
process.

I am financing this whole thing myself.  I do not have any grants.

I submitted a form to the EAC, the Elections Assistance Commission last year
that uses conventional techniques to make content accessible to the blind
and the entire document is accessible to free text to speech engines and Jim
Dickson, the Vice President of the American Association of People with
Disabilities personally presented that document to the the EAC.  But that
form, which was accessible to the best standards that we presently have, did
not use my new technique.  And it took a while to make, whereas with my new
format is better and it is easier to lay out.

I sent that form to every state and the state reactions varied but mainly it
was the IT personnel who wanted to see it to "get some tips" on
accessibility, not to use my work.  One state actually claimed in writing
that they were not required to make their voter registration forms
accessible to the blind and they said that was in the HAVA law.  So I sent
that letter to the Voting Rights Division of the ACLU and they were
appalled!

But that format is not my new format.

Another accessibility group contacted me today and they are going to take a
look at it and test it.  I think that's the best method to proceed because
these people set the standards for accessibility and they know the
technology better than anyone else and have tested this stuff for years.
And Section 508 recognizes them as experts in the field.

So I came in here for advice on who to contact on handling this graphic user
interface for the blind.

This is an ongoing process to prove the technology without giving it away.

Sincerely,

James Pepper