SAP/Stevie Wonder Vision Awards
Stevie Wonder and the giant German software firm SAP have put their clout behind a program to foster technology advancements to help those who can't see function better in the workplace....
"We have a situation that we have committed ourselves to not just talking about the problem of those who are blind and visually impaired, but doing something to make a difference."
Hundreds of applications were received for the SAP/Stevie Wonder Vision Awards...with awards of up to 250 thousand dollars. Two of the winners were Kurzweil, which has pioneered text to speech reading machines, and the Canadian National Institute for the Blind. But the most remarkable story, is that of 26 year old Pioneer of the Year, Sarah Morley of Hatfield, England who has created imaginative books and training materials for the blind...
"It describes Windows itself and its common applications, so that blind users all around the world, whether they're at work, home or at school can learn to use the operating system and its applications."
Moreley and others like finalist Dr. Jim Thatcher of IBM say there is still a lot of work to be done, especially when it comes to ensuring web sites are accessible to all.
"And that's a real problem on the web today"