Today I feel like a hero just making it to work.
I’ll post pics of the igloo I built in front of my home tomorrow… meanwhile if you read this and you are anywhere without snow, have a thought for the brave Ubuntu support analysts and other employees in Montreal 🙂
Of course real men use their bikes.
I got an email from the FACIL « forum » mailing list telling me about Dawson College in Montreal putting together a Free and Inexpensive Adaptive Technology Database through the Adaptech Research Network.
The Adaptech Research Network consists of a team of academics, students and consumers. We conduct research on the use of computer, information, and adaptive technologies by Canadian college and university students with disabilities. We are based at Dawson College and are funded by both federal and provincial grants.
Our work is guided by an active and enthusiastic cross-Canada bilingual Advisory Board. Our goal is to provide empirically based information to assist in decision making that ensures that new policies, software and hardware reflect the needs and concerns of a variety of individuals: college and university students with disabilities, professors who teach them, and service providers who make technological, adaptive, and other supports available to the higher education community.
I am not the usability and accessibility expert for software in Gnome or KDE that is included in Ubuntu, but I am going to contact them and make them aware of it. I’d also like to ask anyone more knowledegable about this to also contact them. Here’s the quick explanation of what this resource is:
One concern that has been repeated throughout all of our studies has been the issue of the high cost of adaptive software and hardware. In response to this, we have undertaken the compilation of a list of free and/or inexpensive hardware and software alternatives that might be useful. Some of these are long-running demos, while others are fully functional.
We in no way are suggesting that these replace the higher end hardware and software currently on the market. However, as a short-term solution, or for the purposes of trying out different adaptive technologies, we think they are a good place to start.
How can you help? If you use or know of software that is either free or inexpensive ($200 or less) that you feel would be beneficial to students with disabilities, we want to hear about it. Please send the name of the software and, if you have it, the name of the company which makes it and a web site to catherine.fichten@mcgill.ca. Read more about Adaptech’s search for free and inexpensive software. View our Free and Inexpensive Computer technologies video (WMV support required).
Most of the listed software has no clear indication on its licensing or is clearly non-free/open-source, which I believe would be another way to help them.
And I know the videos are not in any open format. I’ve already contacted them offering help in transcoding them. 🙂
Depuis ce weekend le métro de Montréal a mise en service trois nouvelles stations sur le territoire de la ville de Laval. J’y suis allé avec ma petite famille et le temps de quelques heures nous sommes devenus passionés de transports en commun. Nous avons même pu essayer le service de train de banlieue, en allant dîner à St-Jérôme!
Au menu: accessibilité, grands espaces, café, installations modernes, accueil exemplaire.
J’ai moins aimé: les gens qui ont trouvé moyen de jetter des détritus, les caméras de surveillance un peu partout, Les gens qui se bousculaient pour prendre l’ascenseur et passer devant les gens handicappés ou parents avec poussettes.
Je manque un peu de temps alors j’ai mis la plupart de mes photos dans un album flickr.
Tiens, en flânant sur le carnet de Michael j’apprends que Catherine Roy nous entretient aussi de ses découvertes et opinions. J’ai rencontré Catherine à plusieurs reprises, je crois que la première fois c’était à W3QC. Sur son carnet, un peu de tout, mais j’apprends toujours quelque chose 🙂 Ça vaut le détour!