Social Media and Accessibility

TecAccess, Making the world of technology accessible

Debra Ruh, CEO of Ruh Global Communications, Founder of TecAccess

Social Media and Accessibility

By Debra Ruh, CEO of Ruh Global Communications

I am a big communicator and to be honest it got in trouble a lot in school for chattering. In High School, teachers said that I couldn’t stop talking and my Mom often got notes about this issue. I remember in 5^th grade my teacher saying if one more person talks or laughs you will be staying after school. You guessed it that made me giggle and yes – I stayed after school and then stay in my room that weekend on restriction. I love to talk, sing, write and just chatter. My family and friends understand and usually appreciate this about me. Sometimes I think my husband wouldn’t mind gagging me but after 29 years of marriage he would never openly say that because then we would have to “talk” about it. He says that I even talk in my sleep.

A photo of Debra Ruh, iPhone near by — A photo of Debra Ruh, always an iPhone near by!

So I bet you have guessed it – I LOVE social media. Social Media allows me to chatter with people all over the world. Plus I can get instantaneous chatter back, I remember when Virginia had our earthquake (okay California- no wise cracks) it was traumatic for us. I couldn’t believe how many aftershocks we felt. One night we had a 5.3 aftershock and it woke everyone up in the house. My husband and daughter went back to sleep but I was shaken and started thinking scary thoughts like what if a really big one comes and what if a tree falls on the house. I have a great imagination and sometimes I don’t appreciate it late at night. So I got up and got on my social media to chatter about it and calm my nerves. I chattered with people all over Richmond and it really helped calmed me down and made me feel safe knowing others were feeling the same way.

I also use social media to chatter about the community of people with disabilities (PwD) and accessible Internet, Communications and Technology (ICT). I believe that the community of PwD is starting to find our voices via social media. However, there are some significant accessibility problems with social media. We find that many social media tools and applications are not blending accessibility into their products. So PwD are often left out of the social media conversation and movement because they are inaccessible

Really – come on – can’t everyone be allowed to participate? If we don’t make social media accessible than we continue to widen the “Digital Divide” and according to the World Health Organization (WHO) one in seven people are impacted with disabilities worldwide. Plus 1 out of 3 households in the U.S. are impacted by disabilities. Worldwide, this group numbers 500-750 million people and is a key influencer of the public’s perceptions.

The Internet has opened many opportunities and has greatly improved the quality of life for these users, but they still face barriers. You might think of disabilities in extreme terms such as blindness and deafness, but it also includes many others with visual or hearing impairments that are increasingly common in our aging population, and other challenges such motor and cognitive impairment.

Can an organization really afford to lose this audience? I don’t think so and this community is really chattering on the more accessible platforms so if social media tools are not accessible those platforms stand to lose out on major benefits.

Sometimes we hear that it is too hard to make an application or platform accessible. How ridiculous – accessibility should be built into the system just like you would build in privacy, security or usability.

Accessibility Features on an iPhone. Image Thanks to AMAC Accessibility Solutions www.amacusg.org

There is NO excuse to not make your Social Media applications fully accessible so that everyone can use them. In years past, developers were afraid that making the application accessible would make a system less usable or “dummy” the system down. Once again, ridiculous – we have seen amazing strides with accessible social media and now it is BAD design if you do not blend accessibility into the process level.

Want to know more? Join our free webinar on Accessible Social Media or download a free trial version of our Accessibility Management Platform (AMP) it is a knowledge platform that has tons of tips, online training and suggestions for making applications fully accessible.

For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group

Follow Ruh Global Communications — To follow up on Debra Ruh’s current endeavors, follow her on social media: @DebraRuh or visit Ruh Global Communications

February 4, 2016

Mobile Phone and Accessibility

TecAccess, Making the world of technology accessible

What type of mobile phone user are you? Are you a Blackberry, Android, iPhone or another device? I am still a Blackberry user and fairly happy but peeking over the fence at iPhone and Androids. At first I stayed with the Blackberry because I travel internationally and they seemed to get better coverage. Plus I work all the time (bad habit of mine) and Blackberry really met my needs. However after I started using an iPad in May 2011, yes I was a slow adopter but thanks to Tim Springer I went to the other side and I really love my iPad. I like it so much that now I am considering moving to the iPhone to replace my Blackberry. Now I am not willing to give up my windows based Laptop but using all these devices together is sublime.

I have a lot of choices however many people have very few choices because there are still a lot of accessibility problems with mobile phones not to mention the Digital Divide where many consumers cannot buy the latest device available. It is discouraging to see my friends and family not having the same choices that I do because of accessibility issues.

In February CBS News did an article stating that the number of mobile phone subscriptions had reached 4.6 billion and was expected to hit 5 billion in 2011. It is critical that everyone have access to communications and technology and that includes people with disabilities.

“Mobile phone providers in rich countries offer advanced services and handsets, while people in developing countries increasingly use the mobile phone for health services and banking, said the International Telecommunication Union (ITU). “Even during an economic crisis, we have seen no drop in the demand for communications services,” said the agency’s Secretary-General Hamadoun Toure.” (1)

Accessibility Features on an iPhone. Image Thanks to AMAC Accessibility Solutions

Mobile devices are being used to access all kind of data including financial data. “Between 500 million and 1 billion people will access financial services by mobile by 2015, depending on estimates. The MFS market will be dominated Asia, driven by mobile operator-led initiatives in developing nations to bank the unbanked. Remittance/transfers by mobile is growing three times faster than m-banking.” (2)

So what needs to be done to assure everyone can participate. A good first step is to design the device following Universal Design and Accessibility Standards. Blind, Vision Loss, Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Mobility Impairments, Intellectual Disabilities and the Elderly are impacted by inaccessible devices.

W3C logo. image from: wr.org

According to the W3C:

“More concretely, many of the mobile devices’ limitations match a number of well-known disabilities:

the small screen can easily induce pages with very small characters,
the limited viewport makes layout and browsing context changes as disturbing as for someone with limited vision,
the sometimes difficult lighting conditions (e.g. from using a phone screen under the sunlight) can make colors and contrasts as difficult to identify as for a person with colors perception problems,
the lack of mouse matches the inability of some persons to use a mouse due to motricity difficulties,
likewise, the very limited and often hard-to-use keyboards available on mobile devices is evocative of the difficulties some persons with disabilities can have to interact with a keyboard
the social and mobility context of some mobile users make the use of some modalities (sound, video) for multimedia content inappropriate, matching the inability for some people to hear sounds or see images
in a mobile context, a user might have a very limited or patchy attention span, as someone with a cognitive disability might have
on mobile networks where time and cost are often limiting factors, being able to determine what an image is before it gets downloaded matters — at having such a description would help a blind user
the use of some technologies (plug-ins, scripts) might not be possible on a number of mobile devices, like they wouldn’t be usable with a number of assistive technologies” (3)

Everyone needs access to the internet, communications and technology. I applaud companies that have made accessibility part of the development life cycle. In the future, I will be blogging about some of these amazing best practices.

References and Footnotes

(1) www.cbsnews.com/stories/2010/02/15/business/main6209772.shtml

(2) http://mobithinking.com/mobile-marketing-tools/latest-mobile-stats

(3) http://www.w3.org/WAI/mobile/

February 4, 2016

Tribute to Steve Jobs

Steve Jobs. Image from: www.businessinsider.com

What obligation do we have to society? Are we born to improve lives for other people or to just take care of ourselves and our families? I believe that we are born into this amazing and complicated world to contribute. We should use the many gifts we have to make the world a better place. I also believe we can bloom where we are planted regardless if we have access to resources and money.

In 1987 a doctor told my husband and me that our 4 month old daughter had Down syndrome. We were stunned, confused and devastated. What would that mean for this baby and for our lives? I also started to wonder what I could do to help the community of people with disabilities. Over the years we figured that out step by step because there are so many ways we can contribute to our society and communities. Our daughter continues to inspire us every single day and we work hard to add value to the community of people with disabilities.

Steve Jobs is a shining example of what can be done to make the world a better place. How can technology make the world a better place? The ways are abundant. Technology can be used to help a young child communicate with their parents for the first time using the iPad and some cool applications. Allow a brilliant writer with Cerebral Palsy to finally write that book that has been locked in her head. Help a programmer with vision loss become more productive because now they have access to better communications and tools. Help a veteran with TBI remember the sequence of steps to handle an application that he rarely use to support his job as a technician.

Technology can help level the playing field. Can it solve all the problems? Of course not but it can allow people with disabilities to actively participate in all aspects of society including the workforce.

I have never met Steve Jobs and was surprised at the impact his passing had on me. I am very sad and feel the loss in a way that is deep and surprising. To help me work through these feelings – I reached out to others feeling the same way via social media and started reading and contributing to the chatter.

Tim Carmody, Author for Wired Image from: www.niemanlab.org

One post that touched me was created by Tim Carmody a contributor to Wired Magazine. I have never met Tim but after reading his tweet knew he was “part of my community”.

Tim’s tweet:
“@tcarmody I’m on my way to PHL to see my son, who uses a device Steve Jobs invented to help him talk. He will never know. He will never know.”

That tweet gave me chills as I read it and brought tears to my eyes.

I then read his blog:
“My son is on the autism spectrum and has a severe receptive and expressive language delay. He’s 4 years old, and can read and spell words, and sing entire songs, but is more like an 18-month- or 2-year-old in normal conversation. He cannot use a telephone and has a hard time sitting still for video telephony. He has a thoroughly well-loved iPod Touch, filled with videos and apps that have helped him learn to speak and augment his ability to communicate.

My tweet about my son was retweeted almost 500 times, more than anything else I’ve ever written in 140 characters, and put me in touch with other parents of children with special needs — strangers — some seeking information, some wanting to share their stories.

It may be a stretch to say Steve Jobs invented the iPod Touch or most of the technologies contained in it. But Steve Jobs certainly put it in my son’s hands, both by making it a sub-$200 device (and in our case, giving it away free with a laptop) and by helping to create an ecosystem of software applications for people with disabilities — perhaps especially communication disabilities.” http://www.wired.com/epicenter/2011/10/steve-jobs-disability/

I think that summed up what I was feeling – Steve Jobs changed the world with his technology, leadership and ideas. I watch our 24 year old daughter with Down syndrome use her iPad to play Angry Birds, listen to podcasts, improve her reading, communicate with her friends and surf the net. She has used other laptops and operating systems but always with a lot of help. With her iPad she can do all of this independently and it has improved the quality of her life. Many times adults like Sara Ruh get isolated after they leave the school system. She works part-time for Nordstrom’s but her hours were cut back during the worst of the economy. She has worked for Nordstrom’s for over five years and is proud to be one of their team members. The iPad allows her to stay connected with friends and an active part of society. Those accomplishments may seem small to some people but believe me these are life changing accomplishments for our family.

1 out of 3 households in the U.S. is impacted by disabilities. Worldwide, this group numbers 500-750 million people and is a key influencer of the public’s perceptions. Recently the World Health Organization published a report that noted 1 in 7 people worldwide are impacted by disabilities. The Internet has opened many opportunities and has greatly improved the quality of life for these users, but they still face barriers. You might think of disabilities in extreme terms such as blindness and deafness, but it also includes many others with visual or hearing impairments that are increasingly common in our aging population, and other challenges such motor and cognitive impairment.

Plus this is not just about people with disabilities, 96% of American has said they will spend more money to support an organization that includes everyone and is involved in social good.

Want to understand the strength of the chatter by our community – look no further than Apple under the amazing leadership of Steve Jobs. They made the iPhone and iPad accessible for the community of people with disabilities. We are now singing their praises and buying their products like never before. I have read and written article after article, blog after blog about their efforts.

Design is not just what it looks and feels like. Design is how it works. Image from: tophdimg.com

Steve Jobs has left an amazing legacy and the world is a better place because he was part of it. He will be missed and many of us will wonder what else he could have done if he had more time. Steve Jobs will be remembered forever and I believe that his legacy will continue to grow and expand. What legacy will you leave?

February 4, 2016

Workplace Accessibility

TecAccess, Making the world of technology accessible

It is critical to assure that the workplace is accessible for your current employees and future employees. Sometimes people think workplace accessibility is only critical to new hires but it is also critical to retain your talented employees. Replacing employees is very expensive.

A study by the Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, University of California, Berkeley evaluating the effects of the US Family Medical Leave Act found that “turnover costs for a manager average 150% of salary, including tangible costs of hiring new workers and relocation, and intangible costs such as the new worker’s inefficiency and lost productivity while the job is vacant.” The same study, incidentally, found that the cost of a temporary replacement is only 39%).

How can workplace accessibility help you retain the talented employees currently working for your firm? As employees move through the lifecycle they sometimes are impacted by temporary and permanent disabilities. It might be because of age, or a stroke, disease like cancer or diabetes or maybe an accident like a sports or car accident. However, many employees can still be productive if the workplace is accessible and accommodations are provided. Companies want their employees to be productive and do not want to lose the value assets of the employee or their intellectual capital.

What can you do to make your workplace accessible?

Assure that all HR systems are fully accessible including benefit programs, PTO, and any other internal systems.

When you hold training programs online and in-person be sure the training is fully accessible. Assure all intranets and internal service programs are fully accessible.

Train your managers, recruiters, managers, supervisors and team members about accessibility and inclusion. Be sure your employees understand that diversity is critical and part of your organizations culture.

Offer accommodations to all employees. Sometimes employees need an accommodation because they broke their arm or hurt their leg. An accommodation can be as simple as a closer parking place or a one handed key board or allowing an employee that is hard of hearing utilize and instant messenger program.

Also be sure that all videos are captioned so all employees can have access to the data.

Look at all the touch points you have with employees, clients, vendors, partners and other stake holders and assure all touch points are accessible

Websites
Online HR Systems
Intranets
Service Centers
Products and Services
Promotions – Marketing & Communications
Procurement
Training

Make workplace accessibility part of your culture and blend it into your processes. Workplace accessibility will allow your employees to be more productive and creative and assure a solid ROI for all stakeholders.

For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group

February 4, 2016

Taking the broader view of disability

TecAccess, Making the world of technology accessible

Debra Ruh argues that making digital publishing available to a broader range of people with disabilities is good for a company’s image, and good for the bottom line.

The advent of print-on-demand (POD) and ebooks has gone some way to making books accessible to more people with disabilities (PwD), but there is a long way to go. Part of the problem is that people think of disability in extreme or narrow terms, such as blindness and deafness, when it also includes many other types of disability, such motor and cognitive impairment, and, in an ageing population, increasing cases of visual and hearing impairment. And part of the problem is that some publishers seem to consider accessibility something that has to be done to avoid litigation risk rather than understanding the real opportunities to expand business.

But it is a potentially huge market. Statistics show that more than half the global population has a connection to disability.

The American Association of People with Disabilities estimates that the number of people with disabilities impacts an estimated 1 in 3 households in the US.
Worldwide, this group numbers 500-750 million people.
People with disabilities have almost two times the spending power of teens and more than 17 times the spending power of tweens (ages 8-12) – two demographics often sought after by businesses.

The New York Times reported that spending by travelers with disabilities exceeds $13.6 billion annually.

Marketing studies of the Atlanta Paralympics (Solutions Marketing Group, 2003) reveal that even households with no disability connection felt goodwill towards companies that included people with disabilities in advertising and were more likely to buy their products.

WE Magazine, a lifestyle publication for people with disabilities, reports that people with disabilities spend $700 billion a year on technology.

And as we age, more people acquire disabilities. And as we age, more people acquire disabilities. And as we age, more people acquire disabilities. And as we age, more people acquire disabilities. And as we age, more people acquire disabilities.

According to AARP (formerly the American Association of Retired Persons), 4 million Americans
In the same Census, the percentage of PwD is larger than any single ethnic, racial or cultural group. At 19.3%, the number of people with disabilities exceeds the next largest group – Hispanic people (14.9%) – by a fairly wide margin.
And these numbers do not include the family and friends that support inclusion for people with disabilities.
There may also be unexpected benefits for publishers’ other customers. Many things that were designed for people with disabilities have, over time, benefi ted the
Debra Ruh with her daughter Sara turn 50 each year. Many adults will experience age-related physical changes that may aff ect hearing, vision, cognition and mobility after age 50. And while they may not think of themselves as having disabilities, they often seek out businesses that accommodate those changes by off ering more accessible services.
There are 76 million baby boomers in the US. AARP studies show that more than 46% of people over the age of 65 have a disability.

Likewise, the 2000 US Census reported that almost 42% of older adults (65+ years) have one or more disabilities. mainstream public too. Curb cuts were created for people using wheelchairs, but everyone uses them now – for strollers, shopping carts, vendors delivering to a store, etc.

Text-to-speech was created for people that could not communicate in the traditional manner, but now many kiosks and automobiles have this feature. My Toyota communicates with me via simple commands and the keyless entry is convenient for people with disabilities.

Captioning was created for people that are deaf or hard-of hearing, but is now used more widely – on TV’s in gyms, fast food restaurants and airports.

But sometimes the reverse can happen and something designed for the mainstream benefits people with disabilities. Outside the publishing world, one example is the front-loaded washing machine. A friend of mine, who is 3’ 11”, describes washing and drying clothes before the front-loaded washer and dryer were available. It is a funny story, but the interesting part for my purpose here is that she bought the front-loaded machines as soon as she saw them – even though she had not been in the market for these expensive purchases before. Of course ebooks and POD are also examples; created for mainstream.

It is a potentially huge market. Statistics show that more than half the global population has a connection to disability convenience, they have become invaluable for people with disabilities.

One company that has seen the business opportunities of embracing our community is Apple. It is said to be taking steps to make its iPhone and iPad more user-friendly for people with disabilities. Since the products all use touch screens, someone with visual or mobility impairments can have trouble with the devices. However, in a recent filing with the US Patent and Trademark Office, Apple has said it is seeking to patent a method for connecting its products to accessories that could act in place of a touch screen. Their products have always been thoughtfully designed, with assistive technology included in all of their devices as a standard feature. Now it looks like they are planning to take it a step further – raising the bar for accessible mobile technology.

Apple and Accessibility Image from: www.rde.nsw.edu.au

Why would a company as smart as Apple care so much about this market segment? I would say that it is because Apple is getting a solid return on investment. My family will certainly continue to buy their products – not only because they are convenient and easy to use, but because we choose to support companies that make their products and services accessible to all people.

And there are examples from the publishing world too. Th e Hachette Book Group announced in June that it was making its website accessible to Americans with Disabilities, through a new alliance with eSSENTIAL Accessibility. A new tool will extend Hachette’s online services to individuals with physical disabilities.

“Readers are naturally curious about their favorite books and authors,” says David Young, Chairman and CEO of Hachette, “and our websites are rich with information. Providing the disability community with easy access to our sites helps foster the connection between reader and author. We are proud to be the first publisher to work with eSSENTIAL Accessibility in this initiative and to provide a more comprehensive service to our physically disabled customers.”

Apple and Hachette are leading the way and proving that this can be good for the bottom line. I hope others in the publishing community consider reaching out to and embracing this virtually untapped market; it could be a real game changer across the board.

Debra Ruh is the founder of TecAccess and founder and CEO of Ruh Global Communications Follow her blog at

debra.ruh.tumblr. com;

email Debra.ruh@ssbbartgroup.com;

or visit www.ssbbartgroup.com.

See also ‘Accessible publishing – business case’ at www.rnib.org.uk. Page 30

For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group

February 4, 2016

No Good Deed Goes Unpunished

With special comments from Sam Joehl, SSB Senior Accessibility Specialist.

I was perplexed when I read about a class action lawsuit against Walt Disney Parks & Resorts.

“On June 29, 2011, the United States District Court Central District of California certified a nationwide class of blind persons in a class action pending in Los Angeles against Walt Disney Parks & Resorts. The Plaintiffs expect to establish that thousands of patrons with visual impairments visit Disney’s parks, restaurants and hotels each year, and that the three named Plaintiffs’ claims are common to those of the much larger class. The Complaint does not seek money damages, but only compliance with ADA and other laws which require Disney to accommodate the needs of, and not discriminate against, its patrons with visual impairments.”

American Foundation for the Blind

Why the surprise? The American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) just awarded Disney with a 2011 Access Award. “Walt Disney Parks & Resorts in 2010 introduced a new device at its U.S. theme parks that provides audio description for its many spectacular—and hugely popular—rides and attractions. Guests with visual impairments who visit Walt Disney World® Resort in Florida and Disneyland® Resort in California can explore the parks with unprecedented freedom with the help of a 7.2-ounce wireless device. Disney’s Handheld Device provides audio descriptions of park surroundings and rides for guests with visual disabilities, closed captioning for guests who are deaf, as well as other access features at over 51 attractions domestically. Disney’s Handheld Device also lets guests choose the type of information they would like to receive about outdoor areas, from architectural elements to the location of the nearest restroom via an interactive audio menu.”

The new Audio Description Technology describes out door locations for Disney land park guests with visual disabilities Image from: http://disneyparks.disney.go.com/blog/

Sam Joehl had these comments on the subject:

“In the late 1990’s I visited Disney World’s Epcot Center with my family. They provided us with a Braille guidebook listing the countries and the cuisine served by the restaurants which allowed me to independently select where I wanted to dine for lunch. Disney was accommodating people with disabilities even back in the 1990s by providing guidebooks in accessible formats.

Netflix Captioning Lawsuit. Image from: www.3playmedia.com

I think lawsuits like these have the potential to hurt the disability advocacy community more than help it just as the ADA lawsuit against Southwest Airlines did. The Disney suit falls into the same category of frivolous lawsuits as the NAD complaint against Netflix (who plan to caption 80 percent of their streaming content by year’s end and has offered subtitles on iOS devices since May of this year) and the NFB complaint against SSA which has one of the best Section 508 programs in the U.S. Federal Government.

All of these organizations obviously employ individuals who are deeply committed to ensure that their products and services are accessible, but they may have gaps in their accessibility policies, lack overarching corporate accessibility policies or lack enforcement of these policies across the entire organization.

Last month I went to a talk at Accessibility DC in which Dr. Chris Law presented his doctoral thesis about the business case for accessibility. Dr. Law studied organizations in Australia to determine why some were more successful at implementing end-to-end accessibility solutions than others. He came away with seven success factors which were present in every organization that implemented accessibility across their culture and their entire enterprise, and were not present in organizations that fell short of this objective in some area. More research needs to be done in this area to identify the criteria that results in effective end-to-end accessibility programs.

"Win win" We need to work with organizations rather than be quick to litigate. Image from: http://lflegal.com/negotiations/ — “Win win” We need to work with organizations rather than be quick to litigate. Image from: http://lflegal.com/negotiations/

We need to work with organizations to get these seven success factors implemented across their entire enterprise. Instead of attacking or threatening organizations which are making a concerted effort to implement accessibility, positive relationships should be formed with the individuals spearheading these efforts to increase their influence and fill in the gaps in their accessibility policies and their implementations.

The numerous accessibility successes which were borne out of structured negotiation agreements demonstrates that companies can be convinced to provide accessible solutions by fostering positive relationships instead of taking the route of litigation. Filing lawsuits against companies for not doing what they are already doing brands us accessibility advocates as the unreasonable hysterics we are often seen to be. Litigation should be saved for the companies who are unwilling to cooperate or who fight their legal requirements. The companies who are trying to do the right thing should be encouraged to do what they’re doing even better.”

So what can be done? How can we avoid sending mixed messages from our community of people with disabilities (PwD)? What can a company do to better understand and include PwD?

There are some logical steps: make inclusion a part of your company’s culture, include accessibility in your policies and procedures, add compliance language to all IT procurements, and make accessibility part of your service and product life cycles and development.

Disability Parking Sign at Disney. Image from: http://themagicalworldof.com/

Focus on all human touch points, HR systems, Intranet, Internet, Service Centers, Kiosks, eLearning, Online Services, Software applications, shareholder reports, marketing communications, PDF and other reports. Anywhere that you intersect with a person should have accessibility built into the process. Train your developers, testers, QA, programmers and anyone else adding content. Make inclusion and accessibility part of your organization’s culture.

Walt Disney Parks & Resorts has spent millions of dollars to include people with disabilities in their parks. They offer wheel chair rentals, services for guests with mobility, hearing and visual disabilities, lighting sensitivity, and special parking for guests with disabilities. To learn more about Disney efforts to provide accessibility visit http://www.Disneyland.Disney.go.com/help/access.

I am not here to argue the merits of the lawsuit but do think many will be confused by an award for excellence from AFB and then a lawsuit by members of the blind community.

For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group

February 4, 2016

Amazon, Kindle Fire – We JUST want to buy your products!

Ruh Global Communications Logo

By Debra Ruh, CEO and Founder of Ruh Global Communications

Amazon logo from: amazon.com

My family has been an Amazon customer for many years and I use the Kindle application. I was discouraged to learn that Amazon’s latest Kindle the Kindle Fire is once again NOT accessible to people with vision loss. I was shocked to read the NFB and AFB press release and blogs noting that Amazon Kindle Fire was not accessible to people with vision loss? How can that happen again? Accessibility has built accessible products and this process should have been built into the process life cycle?

National Federation of the Blind Condemns Lack of Access to New Kindle Fire, Baltimore, Maryland (September 29, 2011): Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “Blind Americans have repeatedly asked Amazon to include accessibility for the blind in its Kindle product line. The feasibility of including accessibility in similar products has been demonstrated. The Department of Education and the Department of Justice have made it clear that Kindle devices cannot be purchased by educational institutions, libraries, and other entities covered by this country’s disability laws unless the devices are fully accessible. Despite all this, Amazon has released a brand new Kindle device, the Kindle Fire, which cannot be used by people who are blind. Enough! We condemn this latest action by Amazon and reiterate that we will not tolerate technological discrimination. The National Federation of the Blind seeks nothing less than equal access to all technology for blind people. It is one of the most critical civil rights issues facing blind Americans in the twenty-first century, and we will do everything in our power to see that this right is secured.”

National Federation of the Blind - Image from: nfb.org/kindle-books — National Federation of the Blind – Image from: nfb.org/kindle-books

Darren Burton writes a blog for AFB: “I have written several articles in AFB’s AccessWorld Magazine chronicling the lack of accessibility of Amazon’s Kindle electronic book reading devices as they have evolved over the last few years. The original Kindle was completely inaccessible to blind people, and our community protested loudly and clearly. Amazon responded by adding some text-to-speech functionality to the second and third versions. Although that still did not lead to what I would call an accessible Kindle, the incremental improvements did give us some hope for the future.

Bookshare - image from www.bookshare.org — Bookshare – image from www.bookshare.org

Unfortunately, that appears to have been wasted hope as Amazon recently announced the impending release of the new Kindle Fire. The Fire is a touch-screen version of their popular device, and I understand that this version will again be completely inaccessible to blind people. To be blunt, I am absolutely disgusted with Amazon, as they apparently have no shame. They have no excuse in this day and age, as it has already been proven by Apple that a touch screen tablet can be made accessible. Amazon knows very well that we expect equal access to their devices, and they turned their backs on us once again. It is simply outrageous that Amazon and others who create many of today’s electronic books also create barriers for millions of potential customers who are blind. For people with vision loss eager to read, I recommend ebooks from Apple’s iBooks app on the iPhone/Pod/Pad. Bookshare is also a great resource.” 1

As noted by NFB and AFB, the community has been through this situation with Amazon several times before. The first version of the Kindle was accessible and was applauded by the community of people with disabilities. The community also bought many of these devices. We were dismayed when they next version was inaccessible and the community voice their concerns.

“Arizona State University’s decision to use the Kindle 2 in a pilot program has drawn criticism from advocates for the blind, who say the electronic book reader is inaccessible to blind students. The National Federation of the Blind and the American Council of the Blind are seeking a preliminary injunction in federal court to stop ASU’s plan to use the device in place of traditional textbooks in three class sections. They say ASU’s decision to pilot the Kindle discriminates against blind students because they cannot access all of the device’s features. At issue is the Kindle’s navigation menu, which contains no audio option. A blind person cannot select a book or activate features such as the function to have the book read aloud. Advocacy groups want ASU to hold off until the device is fully accessible. They worry that if the pilot succeeds, more professors will start incorporating Kindles into their classrooms.”2

The debate raged and got international attention and Amazon finally decided to make the Kindle 2 accessible.

Kindle Text to Speech- Image from www.wikihow.com

“The Authors Guild has objected to the Kindle 2’s text-to-speech feature and Amazon — which also sells audiobooks — is giving publishers the ability to stop it working. Following objections from the Authors Guild in the US, Amazon has caved on the text-to-speech features of the new Kindle 2 ebook reader. It will now enable publishers and authors to disable the text-to-speech (TTS) function if they want. There shouldn’t be anything controversial about TTS: it’s been available on personal computers since the 1970s. It’s important to people who have impaired or no vision, but little used by anyone else. However, the Authors Guild argues that the audio rights for a book are different from the reading rights, even if the audio is provided by a software robot.”3

The community also took the time to praise Amazon after the made the Kindle accessible and we rewarded them by purchasing their products and services. See the following note by the NFB after Amazon released an accessible version.

“National Federation of the Blind Commends Amazon on Unveiling of New

A Kindle in a Bike Basket - Image from www.beyond-black-friday.com — A Kindle in a Bike Basket – Image from www.beyond-black-friday.com

Accessible Kindle, Baltimore, Maryland (July 29, 2010): The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) today commended Amazon on the unveiling of a new, accessible Kindle. Amazon announced Wednesday that the new Kindle will come equipped with a voice guide that reads all menu options aloud so blind and other print-disabled people can navigate the device menus. Dr. Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind, said: “We commend Amazon on the unveiling of a new Kindle that blind and print-disabled people can use. In order to compete in today’s digital society, blind and print-disabled people must be able to access the same reading technologies as the sighted. The National Federation of the Blind has long been urging Amazon to make its reading device accessible, and we are pleased that our efforts have come to fruition.”4

It is a shame when the next version of an accessible product was released in an inaccessible version. 1 out of 3 households in the U.S. is impacted by disabilities. Worldwide, this group numbers 500-750 million people and is a key influencer of the public’s perceptions. The Internet has opened many opportunities and has greatly improved the quality of life for these users, but they still face barriers. You might think of disabilities in extreme terms such as blindness and deafness, but it also includes many others with visual or hearing impairments that are increasingly common in our aging population, and other challenges such motor and cognitive impairment. Can any organization afford to lose this audience?

Amazon is a wonderful company and I am sure they will make the new Amazon Kindle Fire accessible but it would be nice if it could become part of the process so that all future released will be accessible. It sends mixed messages to the community for the products to be released inaccessible and then after we make a fuss the product is made accessible. Why not just make is accessible from the beginning? We all want to buy and enjoy your products, please consider making all products and services accessible during the development life cycle.

References:

1. The Latest Amazon Kindle: Lighting a Fire of Outrage by Darren Burton on 10/5/2011 2:32:50 PM
http://www.afb.org/blog/blog.asp?BlogID=7&BlogEntryID=196

2. Advocates for blind students sue ASU over Kindle use. Anne Ryman – Jul. 27, 2009 12:00 AM
The Arizona Republic http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/2009/07/27/20090727nobooks0724lawsuit.html

3. Amazon caves to Authors Guild over Kindle’s text-to-speech reading

4. National Federation of the Blind Commends Amazon on Unveiling of New Accessible Kindle7/29/2010
http://www.nfb.org/nfb/NewsBot.asp?MODE=VIEW&ID=625

5. The Latest Amazon Kindle: Lighting a Fire of Outrage by Darren Burton on 10/5/2011 2:32:50 PM
http://www.afb.org/blog/blog.asp?BlogID=7&BlogEntryID=196

February 4, 2016

A Positive Voice in 2012

Ruh Global Communications Logo

A Positive Voice in 2012

By Debra Ruh, CEO and Founder of Ruh Global Communications

I have spent a long time pondering 2011 and all the lessons and opportunities that I encountered during the past year. I ask myself how I can take those lessons and use them to improve the lives of people with disabilities. As a diehard technologist, I believe that social media can expand our voices. I also believe that social media can be used to help people with disabilities around the globe find their place in the world.

The time has come for people with disabilities to find our voices. Let’s use social media to be heard and to help others be heard. We can change the lives of billions of people by including people with disabilities in all aspects of society. We need to help change the mindset that having a disability is a bad thing or something to be ashamed of.

My dear friend and Co-Worker, Rosemary Musachio is a brilliant woman who happens to have Cerebral Palsy

Instead of it being a bad thing let’s celebrate our differences and allow people with disabilities to be seen as whole and not broken. During a recent speaking engagement a young man asked me if he should disclose his disability to an employer. I have been asked this question a thousand times and it breaks my heart each time. What I hear is a young man saying that he is afraid to be honest about who he is because an employer might judge him negatively. In many cases that may be true and it is a failure of our society on so many levels. We need to allow people to be proud of every aspect that makes them different, and encourage them to celebrate their differences and special abilities.

Debra and Sara Ruh at Maymont Park in Richmond, Virginia. Wearing Pinup Girl Clothing

A few years ago, my daughter was sitting at the table with my husband and I was nearby. She said, “Dad, Mom is doing it again.” My husband said, “What is Mom doing?” Sara quickly responded, “She is telling people that I have Down syndrome.” It brought tears to my eyes, and I jumped up and said, “Sara, you have brown hair, hazel eyes, a great smile and Down syndrome. Never be embarrassed about the way God made you.” We talked about it for a long time and she told me she was not embarrassed but sometimes did not understand why I talked about it all the time. I told her that this was our path – to help people understand why people like her add value to the world. Sara has spoken for global audiences many times since that conversation and she firmly believes the world is a better place because she is a part of it.

We are all different but at the same time we have so many similarities. As I travel all over the world that point becomes more and more clear to me. I believe that families across the globe want the best for their family members with disabilities. I have had the fortune to meet parents of children with disabilities in Qatar, Oman, Pakistan, Africa, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Costa Rica, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Ecuador, Ireland, India, England, Russia, China, Singapore, Thailand and all over the United States. Without exception these families wanted their family members with disabilities to have opportunities and have the resources to meet their goals, follow their passions and have their dreams come true.

I have also had the pleasure to meet talented people with disabilities all over the world. I believe that something amazing is happening. People with disabilities and the people that love them are finding their voices. Social media tools like Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Four Square, Tumblr and BlogSpot are wonderful ways for people with disabilities to find their voices. Other countries are using tools like Renren, Youku.com and Sina Weibo in China, and Bebo in the UK – opening new opportunities for people with disabilities to have a voice.

I believe there is a trend to move away from the charity based model of, “let’s help those poor people with disabilities,” and instead we are witnessing a movement toward a model of empowerment. A more robust and promising model where everyone is included because society benefits when everyone participates to the best of our abilities. Plus, we all benefit when people that think differently work together to improve the world and solve societal problems.

Let’s look at the problems that exist globally with inclusion and put our minds and hearts together and solve these issues. Work to include people with disabilities in technology, internet, communications, education, employment, transportation, travel, housing and every other aspect of society. As you hear about success stories, share them across your networks.

Find your voice and help others in the community find their voices as well. Let’s celebrate and embrace our differences and let our voices be heard – blog, write articles, tweet your thoughts and share interesting articles. Follow other thought leaders and become a thought leader in your own right. Look for opportunities to mentor people with disabilities around the world.

Please join me in giving people with disabilities a solid and positive voice in 2012.

February 4, 2016

A Mother’s Story – How a Child born with Down syndrome Changed her life!

By Debra Ruh, Founder of TecAccess and CEO & Founder of Ruh Global Communications

Do you believe you were born for a purpose? I believe we all have many things to accomplish in our lives. Since I was a little girl I dreamed of being a Mom. I used to think all little girls dreamed of being a Mom but then I learned that some of my amazing friends had other dreams and realized that was okay because we each get to have dreams and then take steps to fulfill those dreams. I played with Barbie dolls at an early age and my Barbie would get married and have babies.

When I got older and met my husband to be I told him that I wanted to have a baby. He was 6 years older than me and was also ready. I was 24 when we started “trying” to have a baby. We did not do anything special we just did not use birth control. It took us several years but finally we learned that I was pregnant. I was so thrilled and terrified—oh wait, maybe I am not ready—but ready or not we were pregnant.

I am an optimistic person and it never occurred to me that something could go wrong with my pregnancy. I had a wonderful pregnancy, feeling the baby grow inside me was a beautiful experience and I could not stop smiling and feeling like the luckiest person in the world. I remember we were going to wait to learn the sex of the baby and when we went to get the sonogram we told the technician we did not want to know. To be honest, I already knew in my bones that our baby was a boy. I knew because I consider myself very intuitive and a little bit psychic. So for months I had known it was a boy. After the sonogram we went into the lobby to leave and my husband Ed looked at me and said, “I know the sex of the baby.” I said, “What? How?” He said that when the technician looked at the baby she had referred to it once as a gender instead of a neutral term. I demanded that my husband tell me what he knew but he laughed at me and said, “No. You wanted to wait, so wait.” Well, being the mature adult that I was…I ran back into the room and demanded that the technician or doctor tell me the sex because I could not wait for 5 months to know if my husband Ed knew. They laughed at me and told me that we were having a girl. So much for my psychic powers. A girl? Really, a Girl? But I had known for months that this baby was a boy! It was funny how many plans and dreams I had already made based on the fact that she was a boy. I readjusted my dreams to have a girl play the main part. I was thrilled to be having a girl, just not as cocky about my psychic abilities.

Sara was born on Easter in the late 90’s. She was born about 3 weeks before we had all projected her arrival, but she was not premature. The poor little thing looked pretty rough. She was bloated from being in the birth channel for many hours and had forcep marks on her cheek; she looked like a little Sumo wrestler. When they did the Apgar test they gave her 6 out of 10 because they thought she had poor muscle tone. I remember looking at my precious baby after I had given birth and they had given me morphine. The weirdest thought quietly floated through my mind, “The baby looks like she has Down syndrome.” I immediately rejected that quiet whisper! I had never known anyone with Down syndrome and had no idea what those babies looked like; plus, wouldn’t the doctors know? I did not mention that whisper to anyone.

We named our precious gift Sara Renee. I wanted to be fancy and make it Renée, but the nurse asked my husband and he decided the fancy way was not necessary. So we brought our Sara Renee home and fell madly in love with her. She was the best thing that had ever happened to our family.

For months, we enjoyed this miracle of being parents. We dressed her in amazing outfits, took her to the park and the zoo, and threw ourselves into parenthood. We showed her off to anyone that would glance our way. What an amazing time. A male friend asked me one day, “Can you believe how much you fall in love with these babies?” The depth of my love for her was surprising. I knew that I would love her but the depth surprised and delighted me. We would do anything for this baby.

I took her in for her regular checkups. During her 4 month checkup one of the doctors became concerned because she was not gaining weight. He called it “Failure to Thrive,” and blamed it on breast feeding. I loved breast feeding her and refused to give it up completely so we agreed that I would supplement with a bottle. He told me that we had two weeks to show she could gain weight or he was admitting her to the hospital and I had to stop nursing her. So for two weeks we pushed food on Sara.

A photo of Young Debra Ruh and Sara Ruh as a baby

Ed took her back to the doctor and she had gained weight. However, the doctor wanted to do some tests because he was still concerned. Ed took Sara for additional testing and a few weeks later the nurse called me and said the doctor wanted to see us in his office that day at 2pm. I asked he why and she would not tell me. I figured it couldn’t be good news when a doctor demands you and your husband in his office. I started praying and I asked that small voice inside my head if everything was okay. That whisper came back saying, “Yes, everything is fine.”

Still, my head told me that when a doctor calls you into his office to talk about test results it’s going to be a scary meeting. The doctor quickly announced that Sara had a chromosomal syndrome called Down syndrome or Mongolism. He said, “Don’t worry, she’ll be easier to raise than a child with ADHD.” We thought, “What? Seriously? We are comparing disabilities and deciding which child is the easiest to raise?” He also said we could check into institutions but most people raised their Down syndrome babies at home. On our way home, my husband started to cry and that scared me more than the doctor’s office. I had witnessed my wonderful husband cry twice at that time; once when Sara was born and after the office visit. Marrying this man was the BEST move that I had ever made. He was and still is the love of my life and the gentlest soul I have ever met.

Our doctor sent Sara to be tested for other issues like heart problems. We were told she had the strongest heart that they had seen in a long time. Next we headed to the geneticist. The geneticist had a team of student doctors with her hovering all over Sara and it was unnerving to say the least. During the examination she told us that she would probably never walk or talk and that she might get pregnant at 16 because girls with Down syndrome tended to be promiscuous. I looked down at our precious baby sleeping in my arms and stood up and said, “Okay, we are done!” and left the room.

We told our parents but did not tell others for many months because we wanted to have time to come to terms with the news. I had to once again reset my dreams for this baby. Maybe she wasn’t going to grow up get a PhD, marry and have 5 children and find a cure for cancer. Darn my daydreams. I remember driving through a fast food restaurant a few weeks after the diagnosis. The teenager leaned out of the drive through window and said, “Does your baby have Down syndrome? She is so cute. My brother has Down syndrome.” I smiled at her and said yes and then drove away like a crazy woman. I did not want her to have Down syndrome and certainly did not want people to be able to look at her and see she had Down syndrome. What a dumb name anyway—Down syndrome.

My husband and I had to walk the stages of grief and learn to accept the diagnosis. Plus we still had the cutest most amazing baby in the world. Nothing had changed, she was still Sara Renee. We enrolled her in a wonderful early intervention program run by Easter Seals.

Life proceeded on, and 15 months after Sara was born we had a new blessing, her brother Kevin.

When Sara entered middle school (6th grade) she was not reading or writing. We met with a transition team to plan out the last years of school and consider future employment options. Since she was not reading Sara had few options. Someone suggested a job bringing in shopping carts at a grocery store. I was shocked. Seriously? That is the goal for her to reach for? Those words haunted me and propelled me to create an IT firm that understood the value of employing people with disabilities.

The company was named TecAccess and the majority of the team members were technologists with disabilities. Sometimes over 80% of our team were represented by people with disabilities. We focused on ensuring Internet, Communications and Technology (ICT) Accessibility. When ICT is not accessible to everyone including people with disabilities the digital divide widens. According to a World Health Organization (WHO) 2011 Study, 1 in 7 people in the world have a disability. According to the National Organization on Disabilities (NOD), 1 in 3 American Households are impacted, and this community is the largest minority community after women.

Sara Ruh, Chief Inspiration

TecAccess worked with multi-national organizations, federal, state, local and foreign governments, universities and non-profits. Sara speaks at conferences all over the world with me about why people with intellectual disabilities add value to the workforce. She also chatters on social media using Facebook, Linkedin and Twitter. She is now in her twenties, can walk and talk and has not made me a grandmother. She has taught me many life messages and touched the lives of many people. TecAccess merged with SSB BART Group, a former competitor that offers the same type of services and is also committed to employing people with disabilities. Sara has become a spokesperson for them and continues to add value in the lives of the people that she meets. She is a global leader and advocate for people with disabilities. She has spoken in Qatar, Germany and all over the United States. She has also won awards for her work including the Top 40 under 40 in Richmond, Virginia, the Award of Excellence in Advocacy from NorthStar Academy, and the Raby Award for most improved special education student in Hanover County, Virginia.

I have been blessed to be Sara and Kevin’s Mom and with them in my lives all my dreams have come true. I have also been able to find great love in my life with their father and my husband of over 30 years. Plus, I have had the pleasure to follow my passion to help include people with disabilities in the global workforce and to be a Thought Leader in the ICT Accessibility field. I took my passion, joy, heartbreaks and opportunities and helped start a new industry. Sara is my North Star and she blesses me every single day.

February 4, 2016

Debra Ruh Makes High-tech available to those who are Disabled

TecAccess, Making the world of technology accessible

Debra Ruh makes high-tech available to those who are Disabled

TechAccess, works with businesses large and small to ensure the disabled can use their products.

By David Karas, Contributor / August 2, 2011
Christian Science Monitor

Debra Ruh, CEO of TecAccess and her daughter, Sara Ruh

Debra Ruh’s life changed dramatically when her four-month-old daughter, Sara, was diagnosed with Down syndrome.

While the news was devastating, Ms. Ruh decided to turn her family’s challenge into a blessing and a redirection.

Harnessing her technological expertise, Ruh started TecAccess, a company with the core mission of making Information and Communication Technologies more accessible, notably to those with disabilities.

“We make sure technology is accessible to everybody,” Ruh says. “Everything that we choose to put out on the internet [as well as the newest gadgets on the market] … all of that should be accessible to people with disabilities.”

Working with corporations and businesses large and small, Ruh’s Rockville, Va.-based company aims to ensure that those with any disabilities, whether physical, developmental, or mental, have the same access to web pages, videos, programs, and tech products as do those without disabilities.

Walgreens logo. Image from walgreens.com

Her firm has worked with prominent companies such as Canon, Dell, HP, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and Bank of America, among others, to help them meet accessibility mandates, serve as models for best practices, and reach an audience that is often left out of the market.

HP logo. Image from www.hp.com

Her firm has also studied the accessibility of websites for Best Buy, Walgreens, and CVS, among others.

“These large, multinational companies – they truly do want their products and services to be fully accessible,” says Ruh, adding that there is a business opportunity in broadening the market for a given company’s products. One in three American households is touched by a disability, Ruh says, making these families a sizable market.

It’s also important that those with disabilities have access to social media sites. “By not including people with disabilities, we are increasing the digital divide,” she says.

“Practice what you preach” has not been lost on Ruh: A majority of her own employees are disabled.

“We just welcome technologists with disabilities into our workforce,” Ruh says. Her staff includes members who are blind, hard of hearing, quadriplegic, and bipolar, as well as those diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, cerebral palsy, and severe depression.

“Companies still don’t see the value in employing people with disabilities,” she says, adding that her company sees it as making sense, especially given its mission.

Many people are not born with disabilities, but rather acquire them at some point in their lives, she says. But that does not mean they cannot be good employees whose expertise and skills can be harnessed.

SSB Bart Group Logo. Image from: www.ssbbartgroup.com/

The recession has hit her company hard, and Ruh has worked out a merger with another company with the same mission – SSB Bart Group. Today, the two function together, harnessing shared resources and client bases.

Ruh says she feels a purpose behind what she is doing and a calling that she strives to serve.

“I have a story that is unfolding, and I’ve been fascinated watching it unfold – and at times stressed out watching it unfold,” she says during a phone interview.

At the center of that story is her daughter, Sara.

She recalls the shock that came after her daughter’s diagnosis, which neither she nor her husband had even considered during her pregnancy. While there have been struggles, Ruh says, she calls her daughter to be a blessing.

Sara Ruh, Chief Inspiration

“We’ve always lived our lives like that,” she says. “Sara was always a gift. It’s not a tragedy.”

Sara is now 24, and she remains the focal point of her mother’s efforts.

Ruh says there’s still a need for a better understanding of disabilities in America.

“We still tend to look at people with disabilities with sadness or the charity model,” she says. “People are still very uneducated on the topic … [but] there are too many people impacted to ignore it.”

For further information about TecAccess and their current endeavors, visit their website at SSB Bart Group