drfrannie’s eNotes

Greetings all. I’m in the process of moving to a new blog address. Please point your attention to http://drfrannie.wordpress.com

Thanks to one of my colleagues for sharing a link to this informative screencast, at http://blip.tv/file/1186946 Unfortunately, this is not captioned so the content may not be useful to some.

While digging into the digital universe for some resources, I bumped upon this great site. Several articles caught my attention and I thought worthy of sharing. One discusses the growing concern over the digital divide, http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2007/01/your-guide-to-the-digital-divide017.html. These authors offer a great synopsis of the problem especially in light of how many people are still disenfranchised by their digital access to the web or their inability to use the Web 2.0. A dig deeper using my favorite search engine, Clusty.com, revealed this great discussion that does a great job of informing the discussion around the accessibility (or lack of) social networking sites. Definitely some thoughts worth pondering.

I’ve often wondered how some individuals navigate the telephone when seeking help. I recall how my Dad used to remark about seeking assistance with his home computer. For this 80+ year old, the process of pressing multiple buttons, listening to multiple recordings, and finally reaching a live human on the other end was an exasperating experience.

I’m reminded of how exhausting this can be when I also try to seek help with a utility company, an airline, or an organization. Our automation has grown into one that seems so complicated when, in fact, it should be the other way around. As I seek help with the phone utility, I’m thrown into an evolving line of automated choices — often with no answer at the other end.

I wonder how complicated this must be for anyone who is challenged by an intellectual disability, a cognitive delay, or the compounding effects of aging. What are the solutions? Most likely something that utilizes assistive technology at the core of the design such as, http://www.iltsource.com/FotoDialer_p/ob-fotodialer.htm. In this type of model, users can spend the time up front customizing numbers that take them directly to the source and dial only that number. This can save lots of time, confusion, and effort on the user end. This particular model also offers a key “engagement” feature for the user by adding a personal or content based photograph. For we cell users, possibly considering ways to simplify the process by something such as http://www.rediff.com/getahead/2007/feb/21cell.htm

Today’s paper shared a review of a new technology from LG that will provide video in a cellular wrist watch phone. The authors equate this to the Dick Tracy technologies many used to marvel at in the comic books. Being a follower of emerging technologies, I’m drawn to this article for the appeal of such a multi-functional tool. Having access to video connectivity within my watch would offer a range of “connectivity” options while I work and travel. Keeping in touch with others would be high on that list. But I wonder, with such a small screen on the display, can one really see the image? What happens when videos that contain closed captioning start to roll….can an individual who is deaf or hard-of-hearing really read it? Thoughts to ponder..

I just returned from a wonderful visit to the West Coast. A chance to catch up with an old friend and recall some wonderful memories. There’s nothing like the view of the San Francisco bay area to enlighten one’s thinking and focus. From the hilltop vistas that overlook the bay, the gorgeous architecture that aligns the city neighborhoods, or the famous Golden Gate bridge.

Beauty is truly in the eyes of the beholder.

On this trip I had the opportunity to visit the famous University of California – Berkeley campus – reminiscent of many famous protests and cultural revolutions from the 60’s and 70’s. A walk on Telegraph road reminded one of how much that essence still resides. I was impressed as we stopped at one of the many local Starbucks coffee shops to find a waiter asking us to switch tables for a patron using a wheelchair — which we kindly obliged. As we walked through the streets, audible cueing was evident for street crossings so any blind user could understand their surroundings. Talk about designing from a universally designed perspective!

On another day we ventured into the city to see the sights. Many tourists and locals out to enjoy one of the last days of the holiday vacation and to delight in the clear and sunny views. Along Fisherman’s Wharf, one can find many Piers that adorn the bayside – some functioning with their clear purpose and others offering places to dine and shop. We were amused to find both computerized “touring cars” that allowed riders to have a narrated and escorted tour of the city sights, as well as a group of touring Segway riders.

Ahh…the wonderful benefits of expansions through technology.

Finally, as I began my trip yesterday back to the East Coast, I made another interesting observation while waiting to board the plane. As with many airlines, all first-class and premiere flyers were invited to board first. Then those boarding with children or special situations. Then FINALLY, “those with disabilities”. I thought that was odd as these would seem to be the folks that might need to board first.

One of my New Year’s resolutions is to consolidate more. This is no easy feat in today’s fast paced technology world and one who works between mutiple home and work computers. So, I’ve started by trying to bring all related files together into one folder, such as all photos, all word documents, etc. This program, http://textflow.com/, seems to follow a similar theme by allowing the user to work on multiple revisions to a Word documents at once. Consolidating!

Over these holidays I’ve had more opportunity to sit and chat with folks, hear their stories, and listen to the lessons in these. One shared reminded me of the importance of keeping options open. This gentleman, now in his 70’s, recounted some of his early college experiences with me over a cup of coffee. Aspring to become a mechanical engineer, he had pursued several routes for his degree. His first was the obvious, seeking training where his GI Bill monies could be used. He also desired to attend the state’s land-grant institution — known for it’s reputation in engineering. However, once he arrived at this school, his ability to flourish through the teaching/learning process did not happen and in his words, “the instructors were not focused on what we were learning but on their institution’s reputation”. He then transferred to a more medium sized institution and found the reverse, instructors were focused on his learning and objective. He even found some professors to allow him the flexibility to take exams at their homes — when his work schedule prevented him from attending the exam during formal class hours. This gentleman achieved his goal and obtained his degree in mechanical engineering and has an accomplished career. His path to learning offered options and eventually the flexibiity he needed to succeed.

In November, Mr. Jim Stovall of the Narrative Technology Network shared a compelling story at the National Center for Technology Innovation Conference. He was discussing the work of his film, The Ultimate Gift. As a film, this piece offers much more than a great piece of imagery but also a wonderful film that includes the accompanying narration. For without this piece, those who are blind have no appreciation of the wonderful details within the film. True access for all!

As I prepared for our technology component of the staff retreat next week, I sent out a request through my twitter account asking for help. The question posed, “does anyone know of a comparison chart on web 2.0 technologies?”. For many of my colleagues, as I suspect others, this is an overwhelming topic and full of terminology they’ve never seen. My twitter request however yielded some good information and a great resource. Several of these are noted below and worth perusing, considering, and making your top web sites for next year!

Top 25 Tools Every Professional Should Have in Their Toolbox
http://c4lpt.co.uk/Top100Tools/toolset.html

Top Web Tools for 2008
http://c4lpt.co.uk/recommended/top100.html

Top Web Tools for 2009
http://c4lpt.co.uk/Top100Tools/toolset.html