[il-talk] FW: Fwd: [NFB of Nebraska Announce] Desire2Learn Attains National Federation of the Blind Nonvisual Accessibility Gold Level Web Certification
Robert A.Hansen
roberthansen33 at yahoo.com
Wed Oct 13 06:04:01 UTC 2010
-----Original Message-----
From: "Robert A. Hansen" <roberthansen1970 at gmail.com>
Sent: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:40:34 Pacific Daylight Time
To: "Robert A.Hansen" <roberthansen33 at yahoo.com>
Subject: Fwd: [NFB of Nebraska Announce] Desire2Learn Attains National Federation of the Blind Nonvisual Accessibility Gold Level Web Certification
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: [NFB of Nebraska Announce] Desire2Learn Attains National
Federation of the Blind Nonvisual Accessibility Gold Level Web
Certification
Date: Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:13:55 -0500 (CDT)
From: NFB of Nebraska <info at ne.nfb.org>
Reply-To: NFB of Nebraska <info at ne.nfb.org>
To: roberthansen1970 at gmail.com
Desire2Learn Attains National Federation of the Blind Nonvisual
Accessibility Gold Level Web Certification
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
Chris Danielsen
Director of Public Relations
National Federation of the Blind
(410) 659-9314, extension 2330
(410) 262-1281 (Cell)
cdanielsen at nfb.org <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>
John McLeod
Director of Marketing
Desire2Learn
(519) 772-0325, ext. 378
PR at Desire2Learn.com <mailto:PR at Desire2Learn.com>
Desire2Learn Attains National Federation of the Blind Nonvisual
Accessibility Gold Level Web Certification
Baltimore, Maryland/ Kitchener-Waterloo, Ontario/Anaheim, California
(October 12, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB), one of
the world?s leading advocates for Internet access by blind Americans,
and Desire2Learn Incorporated (Desire2Learn), a leading provider of
mission-critical enterprise eLearning solutions, announced today that
Desire2Learn has been awarded the Gold Level NFB-NVA Certification for
Desire2Learn® Learning Suite 9.1.
Working with members of the technology community, the NFB has developed
a rigorous evaluation and testing procedure by which Web sites and
applications that have made special efforts to be accessible to the
blind can be identified and recognized. Nonvisual accessibility (NVA)
certification, as defined in this process, means that screen access
software can obtain sufficient information from the Web application to
enable the blind user to:
Access information in narratives, databases, forms, charts, maps, and
essential information conveyed via graphical presentations without
visual assistance.
Complete transactions that have been identified as primary to the
application such as, but not limited to: buying merchandise, completing
forms, registering for activities, downloading information,
communicating with others, and participating in online educational programs.
Once the site or application has addressed all accessibility issues, it
is granted the right to display an NFB-NVA certification seal on its
site. Sites are continuously monitored to ensure that they remain
compliant with certification criteria. If a site remains accessible, its
certification is renewed on an annual or a version basis. Further
information on the NFB-NVA certification process can be found at
www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org>.
Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
said: ?The National Federation of the Blind commends Desire2Learn for
ensuring equal access to its platform and demonstrating a tangible
commitment to equal education for everyone. If blind students are to
succeed in the modern education system, they must have access to the
same technology that is used by their sighted peers. Desire2Learn
incorporates that assurance in its platform.?
With this certification, institutions have external verification of the
Desire2Learn commitment to accessibility. Institutions with concern
ensuring legal obligations regarding accessibility are addressed within
the learning management system (LMS), can also reference this certification.
?We commend Desire2Learn for the extraordinary progress made in ensuring
the accessibility of its eLearning management application,? said Anne
Taylor, director of access technology for the NFB. ?We look forward to
continuing our collaboration with this forward-thinking company to
advance equal access to all aspects of online learning for the more than
100,000 blind students across North America.?
Desire2Learn regularly tests its products with individuals with
disabilities. These sessions aid in understanding and experiencing the
problems encountered. The resulting design solutions are often those
that would not have been found through accessibility checkers alone.
?We are thrilled to have been honored with this significant award from
the NFB and thank the access technology team for their assistance in
helping us obtain this important certification,? said John Baker,
President and CEO of Desire2Learn. ?At Desire2Learn we share our
clients? goal of providing equal and inclusive learning opportunities to
all individuals. We work closely with our clients to develop
comprehensive solutions that are flexible to the individual needs of
institutions, instructors and students. Accessibility is not a checklist
at Desire2Learn; it is a deep, long-standing and ongoing commitment to
empower and engage all individuals in their learning goals.?
Compliance and exceptions with state laws and international standards,
such as early adoption of ARIA markup, are reported openly so decision
makers and content creators have the information they need to work
effectively with their instructors and students.
Baker continued: ?Desire2Learn is appreciative of all opportunities to
learn from and work with such groups as the NFB. We look forward to
continuing to build a strong partnership with the NFB as we collaborate
to ensure we persist in our proactive approach to going well beyond
minimum standards. Desire2Learn?s attention to accessibility breaks down
barriers to education and improves human potential. It is an
organization-wide mandate to support accessible, inclusive education and
is a critical element in all our research and development efforts. We
are committed to ensuring we are the industry leader in this very
important field.?
Desire2Learn and NFB are providing a hands-on accessibility presentation
at EDUCAUSE on Wednesday, October 13 at 11:30 a.m. PT. Details of the
workshop can be found at www.desire2learn.com/educause
<http://www.desire2learn.com/educause>. Representatives from NFB, along
with Desire2Learn accessibility experts, will be available at the
Desire2Learn booth (#1525) at EDUCAUSE this week.
Visit www.Desire2Learn/Access <http://www.Desire2Learn/Access>, call
1.888.772.0325 or email Info at Desire2Learn.com
<mailto:Info at Desire2Learn.com> for further information about the ongoing
Desire2Learn commitment to address accessibility in all aspects of its
products and services. To learn more about the National Federation of
the Blind, please visit www.nfb.org <http://www.nfb.org>.
###
About the National Federation of the Blind
With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is
the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people
in the United States. The NFB improves blind people?s lives through
advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging
independence and self-confidence. It is the leading force in the
blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January
2004, the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan
Institute, the first research and training center in the United States
for the blind led by the blind.
About Desire2Learn Incorporated
Desire2Learn Incorporated is a world-leading provider of enterprise
eLearning solutions that enable institutions and other organizations to
create teaching and learning environments that reflect their vision,
values, goals, pedagogical approaches and branding. Desire2Learn and its
subsidiaries support more than five million learners worldwide and
clients include higher education, K-12, as well as associations,
government and other leading organizations. Founded in 1999,
Desire2Learn is headquartered in Kitchener, ON, Canada with personnel
located in North America, the U.K. and Australia. For more information,
visit: www.Desire2Learn.com <http://www.Desire2Learn.com>, call
1.519.772.0325 or toll-free 1.888.772.0325 (within North America), +44
808.234.4235 (U.K. and Europe), 0.800.452.069 (New Zealand) and
1.800.656.210 (Australia).
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