Announcing the Release of Dolphin's Guide 8
The new Guide 8 Web browser offers help to make surfing the Web a simpler experience, while maintaining a familiar feel for people who have used the Internet with previous versions of Guide.
New features in Guide Version 8 include: voice instructions from the voice-prompting help feature, a "getting started" home page, hot-key reference guide, and updated search capabilities.
Learn What's New in Guide 8, or visit the dedicated Dolphin Guide website.
Christine Benninger appointed CEO of Guide Dogs for the Blind
Guide Dogs for the Blind (GDB), the largest guide dog school in the US, recently announced Christine (Chris) Benninger's appointment as CEO.
"Chris is a strategic, compassionate, and compelling leader, who is well suited to help GDB fulfill our mission of empowering lives by creating exceptional partnerships between people, dogs, and communities," shared Jay Harris, head of the GDB CEO search committee.
Chris spent 17 years leading the Humane Society Silicon Valley. During her tenure there, she and her team's progressive approach helped save the lives of tens of thousands of animals and greatly reduced pet overpopulation problems in Santa Clara County. Under her leadership, the organization was also able to raise $25.5 million to build The Animal Community Center, the first facility of its kind in the country.
Chris honed her business skills as an auditor with Arthur Andersen & Co. as well as in her 15 years with Hewlett Packard Corporation, where she held managerial positions in the US as well as in Europe. She holds an MBA from Stanford University.
Chris's first day will be April 7, 2014. Interim President and CEO, Bob Burke, will help lead the on-boarding and transition process and will then return to his role as Chair of the GDB Board.
Tax Assistance for People with Disabilities
Another tax season is at our door! The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) website has information about the online tax products and services available for taxpayers with disabilities. Last year more than one million accessible forms and publications were downloaded from the site, in large part because organizations representing people with disabilities actively promoted their availability.
You can go to the IRS Accessibility page to download forms, publications, and other products, and you can check out tax-related videos in English and American Sign Language on the IRS YouTube page. The IRS highly recommends checking the website often as it is continually increasing the number of products accessible to people with disabilities. Please contact Maureen Goulder, 804-916-8850, if you have any questions or need any additional information.
The 3rd Annual M-Enabling Summit to be Held June 9–10, 2014, in Washington, DC
The only global conference and showcase exclusively dedicated to accessible and assistive mobile solutions for seniors and users of all abilities, the fastest growing user group in the mobile market place.
The Summit provides an opportunity to network with over 600 high-level government and industry leaders in an environment dedicated to cutting edge technology, solutions, and the sharing of innovative ideas.
Held in cooperation with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), the 2014 Summit is a must-attend event for anyone participating in this quickly expanding market.
In the spotlight at the 2014 Summit:
- Mobile and social media leap forward in accessibility
- Mobile at the center of smartphone development
- The next generation of wearable gear
- Opportunities for users of all abilities with BYOD (bring your own device)
- Adaptive user interfaces
- Market opportunities for new services for seniors and people with disabilities
- How leading corporations promote consumer apps for users of all abilities
The 29th Annual CSUN Conference
The 29th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference (CSUN) will be held from March 17 to March 22, 2014, at the Manchester Grand Hyatt Hotel in San Diego, CA. You can visit the Registration Information page for more information about registration policies and pricing. The General Sessions Schedule for the 29th Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference is now available.
The conference staff can be reached through one of the methods below:
CSUN Center on Disabilities
18111 Nordhoff St.
BH-110, Center on Disabilities
Northridge, CA
91330-8340
Email: conference@csun.edu
Phone: 818-677-2578
Fax: 818-677-4929
Yahoo!'s Accessible Fantasy Sports App
At the recent AFB Leadership Conference in New York City, attendees heard a great presentation from Mike Shebanek of Yahoo! describing Yahoo!'s new team that is working to ensure the accessibility of its Web tools and mobile apps. During Mike's presentation, he demonstrated the Yahoo! Fantasy Sports app, showing audience members that it was fully accessible and usable with the iPhone's VoiceOver screen reader. He showed a live draft using VoiceOver to do everything involved with researching player stats and selecting players for his team. The app works with fantasy leagues from Major League Baseball, the National Football League, the National Basketball Association, and the National Hockey League. The app will be a fun tool for those of us that love sports but have been barred from competing with sighted friends in the wildly popular fantasy sports leagues because of inaccessible fantasy programs. It is also a good sign from Yahoo! that it is serious about accessibility.
