Georgia Tech's CATEA releases the new Assistive Technology Website
From: Press Release - 08/05/2005
By: Randall G. Moscoso

"This new version of assistivetech.net, with the continued mission to
increase the public access to information about assistive technology (AT),
incorporates the information gained through two usability and accessibility
studies of the website," said Beth Bryant, the website's principal
investigator. "From the changes in the site navigation to the standardization
of process across the four searches, this new site is much more accessible
and usable then any previous release. The design uses a tableless layout,"
which is considered to streamline the design code, improve the site
manageability, achieve faster downloads, and enhance the site accessibility.  

Since it's initial launch in 2000, assistivetech.net has provided people with
disabilities, their family member, service providers, employers and educators
with a resource for AT and a link to a wide array of disability-related
information and services. Over the past five years, this resource has grown
from 3,500 AT products to nearly 20,000 products, over 1,400 resource
information links, and nearly 1,000 links to various AT vendors.  

"The best thing about assistivetech.net is that it's for everyone," said
Robert Todd, co-principal investigator. We've taken great care to provide the
highest level of accessibility with the site. Given the site content, we
naturally focused on people with disabilities - people with low vision,
blindness, poor motor control, cognitive disabilities, and many others.  But
in doing so, we’ve also designed helpful features that make the site easier
to use for everyone. Think of ramps created alongside of stairs in today’s
built environment - they make access to buildings possible for people using
wheelchairs, but they also are very handy for anyone rolling luggage or
pushing a baby stroller. The usability features of assistivetech.net create
simple, easy access to information in much the same way."  

Sponsored by the U.S. Department of Education's Office of Special Education
and Rehabilitative Services (OSERS), CATEA has drawn on its 25 years of
experience in AT research and information referral to assure that the public
will have improved access to AT information from the content and services
provided through assistivetech.net.  

Beyond the AT products and resources, assistivetech.net site features:
    Usable search functions to assist with AT definition and selection 

    Vendor Data Entry Interface to enable vendor involvement in maintaining
    AT information 

    Monthly AT Reports to assist consumers with learning about specific
    categories of AT and with making AT purchase decisions 

    Personalized Site View that allows users to enlarge the size of text or
    change the contrast without using any specialized computer software or
    hardware 

    Improved, easier-to-use access to all AT products 

To be added in the near future, CATEA is in the process of designing a forum
for user-submitted content on devices, accommodations, strategies, and
suggestions. People with disabilities, vendors, therapists, researchers, etc.
will be able to post information to the site. Following the "wiki" approach,
CATEA will implement an area of the site where users can create content using
most any Web browser. 

For additional information about the assistivetech.net project:
Center for Assistive Technology and Environment Access (CATEA)
Georgia Tech - College of Architecture
490 Tenth St.
Atlanta, GA  30318
800/726-9119
404/894-4960

Interview Contacts:
Elizabeth Bryant 404/894-0254
Robert Todd 404/894-9865

Links:

Visit the website at:
http://www.assistivetech.net

CATEA
http://www.catea.org/

OSERS
http://www.ed.gov/about/offices/list/osers/index.html

Randall G. Moscoso
glenn.moscoso@coa.gatech.edu