Editorial

As in the first issue, we have endeavored again to show our support of IACA by including an article by Scott Primeau, IACA STS Assistant Vice‐Chair. I realize that your travel budget may have been cut to the point where attending the IACA Conference in May, 2009 may be in jeopardy. It bears repeating, however, that this is an extremely valuable conference for the kind of work we all do particularly in light of upcoming legislation. I am sure you agree so please find some way to go. If you need more ammunition for attending IACA, I would suggest that you contact IACA President Keith Whitelaw or Scott Primeau.

On a different note, I came across the following announcement released last year:

National Federation of the Blind¹ of Arkansas Agrees to Settlement of Lawsuit Over Accessibility of Software to Blind State Employees.

Little Rock, Arkansas (August 11, 2008): The National Federation of the Blind of Arkansas and two blind state employees have agreed to a settlement among themselves, the state of Arkansas, and software provider SAP Public Services, Inc. The agreement resolves a lawsuit brought by blind state employees in 2001 because the blind could not access the Arkansas Administrative Statewide Information System (AASIS). The state, in turn, brought suit against SAP, which had substantially designed AASIS. Under the agreement, SAP will upgrade AASIS to include accessibility features that will allow blind state employees using text‐to‐speech screen access technology to perform employment functions using AASIS. The upgrade is to be in place by August 1, 2009.

Chris McKenzie, president of the National Federation of the Blind of Arkansas, said: “We are pleased that the state of Arkansas and SAP are taking steps to ensure that blind state employees will be able to perform their jobs efficiently and effectively using the same tools as all other state employees. We will continue to monitor the situation until we are certain that all of the necessary functions of AASIS are fully accessible to blind employees of this state.”

Dustin McDaniel, attorney general of the state of Arkansas, said: “We are pleased with the settlement that was reached in this matter and are glad to put this lengthy litigation behind us. It was a good resolution for the State as well as blind state employees who will now have equal access to the State's computer system."

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_{1 About the National Federation of the Blind}

_{With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind is the largest and most influential membership organization of blind people in the United States. The NFB improves blind people’s lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence and self‐confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first research and training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.}

There is a definite necessity for SOS offices to ensure that individuals with disabilities can effectively use SOS Filing Systems. The above announcement serves only to underscore the importance of knowing what web accessibility requirements are. Further in this Newsletter we have attempted to provide a briefing on this important topic but I would urge you talk to your local experts regarding your Filing System’s compliance.

Lastly, I would like to stress the intent of The VirtuoSOS. To paraphrase Chip, please make this newsletter your own. Let us know what content you would enjoy and appreciate. What you like and do not like. We are attempting to make this Newsletter fun and germane to your work. So we need to hear from you ‐ our readers. I will commit to you that I will take your observations to heart but I will not publish any word you write without direct written approval from you. Let me know what you think of the Ask David feature, what you think of the article on Web Accessibility and what you think of the Recipe and Puzzle. Do me a favor and communicate with me because I want this to reflect your wishes.

Please note that CCIS is continually bringing you a diverse spectrum of authors and content. We naturally recommend that you consult with your local experts on these matters as well, as we really cannot be responsible for the content provided to us by contributing writers. Should you have any issue with specific content, please contact the author directly.

Ted Paczek
Editor
tpaczek@ccis‐inc.com

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