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TAdER - Understanding text customization needs for readability

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From: Shawn Henry (uiAccess projects)
Date: May 10, 2012 2:59PM

Hi WebAIM folks,

Yesterday Global Accessibility Awareness Day efforts sought to raise awareness of accessibility broadly. Today I'd like to introduce you to efforts to raise awareness of a specific issue: users' need to adapt text (change size, line spacing, colors, etc.).

The TAdER project encourages developers to include specific text customization functionality in their products -- including Adobe Reader for PDF, e-book readers, web browsers, and other 'user agents'. TAdER is working to raise awareness and understanding of users' needs to format text for readability -- specifically, people with low vision, dyslexia, and related conditions that impact reading.

To people who need to customize text for reading:
Would you like to share your experience reading text online? Or participate in a study? See http://www.tader.info/#urinvited

To accessibility specialists:
Do you understand the accessibility barriers of PDF for people with low vision, dyslexia, and related conditions that impact reading? http://www.tader.info/ has some information now and we'll be adding more.

To developers:
Let us know how we can support your including text customization functionality in your products.

For updates:
If you would like to get updates about the TAdER project work, please send e-mail to <EMAIL REMOVED> with subject: TAdER Updates

Let's work together to make text more readable for everyone -- including Angelita whose low vision and text formatting needs differ depending on the level of inflammation in her cornea; and Ben who has no significant disability, yet regularly has problems reading text and sets user style sheets to increase text size, line height, and contrast. (Read Angelita's "Confessions of a Miserable Low Vision Computer User" & about "just-a-geek-in-glasses" Ben at http://www.tader.info/users.html )

Sincerely,
~Shawn

NOTE: This is not a W3C WAI project. See http://www.tader.info/#affiliation





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Shawn Henry
+1-617-395-7664
<EMAIL REMOVED>
www.uiAccess.com/profile.html
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