Most of the modern browser do contain accessibility tools, but honestly speaking those aren’t enough for visually impaired person. Some of the operating systems like Microsoft windows’98 and later do also have narrator, which can be used/configured to read web content. But the problem is none of these are simple enough, bottom-line not user friendly enough for a blind person. So our web technology has developed, but remain still for visually impaired people. IBM got an answer for that, A-browser or Accessibility Browser .

IBM’s blind researcher Dr Chieko Asakawa and her four team members developed this wonderful peace of technology, which will enable blind and visually impaired users to access multimedia content online, using a keyboard to control media player software.

As a developer I am well aware that today’s multi-media websites content, usually embed video player’s are not controllable through keyboard, .I.e. those are not device independent. So naturally standard user agent’s for blind people can’t access multi-media contents, even if the site’s text/image is accessible This A-browser will make multimedia content’s accessible to blind people even if the website isn’t accessible friendly.

This A-browser mostly written in Java, as well as some c++ and works as a stand-alone application. Works same as IE, I.e. you can browse any websites. The difference between a standard browser and A-browser is Once a user opens a Web page, the browser automatically analyzes multimedia objects inside the page, then the browser establishes a connection to each multimedia object. Problem is currently, it has adapters for Adobe Flash and Windows Media Player, not QuickTime, RealPlayer or other web players.

The A-browser will allow videos to be slowed down, speeded up and will accommodate an additional audio description or narration track, which we have often seen used in making of films for blind people.

Good news is IBM will make it “open source” and will be available sometimes end of this year. IBM’s Home Page Reader 3.04 was company’s another accessibility tool developed for low-vision/blind peoples.

Did you know that you could be breaking the law? or loosing a lot of clients/customer, just because your corporate/organization’s site isn’t accessible? Segala’s Web accessibility services can answer you that.