[Athen] Accessible Office Export Plug-In That's NOT UIUC

Ron Stewart ron.stewart at dolphinusa.com
Fri Feb 9 12:50:16 PST 2007


Interesting and timely conversation, I just had a meeting with a group that
is looking at developing a DAISY like tool for PPT like content.

Ron

-----Original Message-----
From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On
Behalf Of Sean Keegan
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 2:03 PM
To: 'Access Technologists in Higher Education Network'
Subject: Re: [Athen] Accessible Office Export Plug-In That's NOT UIUC


> A larger problem is getting widespread acceptance

> among all the PowerPoint users on your campus.


This has actually been the biggest challenge with many I communicate with in
our system with respect to changing the direction of publishing Web
presentations on-line. A few are interested in the open-source/free tools
(Meyer's S5 in particular), but the learning curve is not shallow (be
careful not to delete one of those <divs> in the S5 code!) and PowerPoint
does provide a user interface that makes it easy to work with content. I am
not saying it is the *right* interface, just that it makes it easy for
users.

Unfortunately, I do not think the free tools are mature enough for the
majority of users. You have basic control over the "look" of the
presentation as well as reorganizing content, but certainly not to the
degree that is available in PPT. Until someone at MS integrates an a true
standards-compliant (and accessible) Web export option to PPT, I think we
will be looking at purchasing different tools. Believe me, I am in support
of the development of an open-source/free tool and I agree with Terry that
it is a solvable problem, but it will have to compete with current PPT
application functionality to really gain acceptance and utilization.

Take care,
Sean



-----Original Message-----
From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On
Behalf Of Terry Thompson
Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 8:51 AM
To: 'Access Technologists in Higher Education Network'
Subject: Re: [Athen] Accessible Office Export Plug-In That's NOT UIUC

I've tried a variety of PowerPoint conversion tools, as well as alternatives
to PowerPoint. Some of my experiments are documented here:

http://staff.washington.edu/tft/talks/powerpoint/index.html

I agree that LecShare is a good option. However, if it's free/open source
you're after, I think the best strategy is for you to help promote and
advance the standards-based alternatives to PowerPoint. Tools like W3C Slidy
(and other W3C slide tools) and Eric Meyer's S5 allow you to produce slides
as a single standards-based, cross-platform, well-structured, scalable,
portable XHTML file; then apply CSS and Javascript to it in order to get the
slideshow effect.

As promising as this sounds, none of the standards-compliant slide
presentations work well at this point with screen readers because of the way
their Javascript hijacks user keystrokes for slide control. I think this is
a solvable problem though, especially for someone with creativity,
programming skills, and a strong interest (you still reading this, Kevin?) A
larger problem is getting widespread acceptance among all the PowerPoint
users on your campus. My son's in third grade and he's already being tought
to use Microsoft PowerPoint.

Some links:

W3C Slide Tools:
http://www.w3.org/Talks/Tools/

Eric Meyer's S5:
http://meyerweb.com/eric/tools/s5/

I presented on this topic at Accessing Higher Ground, and will be doing so
again at CSUN:

PowerPoint & Friends: Accessible Slides on the Web Wed 3/21/07, 2:50-3:50pm
Hilton-Carmel

Terry

Terry Thompson
Technology Specialist, DO-IT
University of Washington
tft at u.washington.edu
206/221-4168
http://www.washington.edu/doit







> -----Original Message-----

> From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org

> [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On Behalf Of E.A. Draffan

> Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 7:47 AM

> To: 'Access Technologists in Higher Education Network'

> Subject: Re: [Athen] Accessible Office Export Plug-In That's NOT UIUC

>

> PowerTalk (http://tinyurl.com/2xrkj4) is the only add on that

> may help some folk listen to their PowerPoints that I know is

> open source. I have given it to a student who was concerned

> about their stammer but it does not solve your problem and I

> was trying to look for my old Illinois download but I am

> not sure it would work with the latest versions of Office.

> I have always

> exported my outlines to text format but am now including more

> and more Flash screen animations and will have to explain these.

>

> Best Wishes E.A.

>

> Mrs E.A. Draffan

> Assistive Technologist

> Mobile: 07976 289103

> http://www.emptech.info/

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org

> [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On Behalf Of Sesock, Kevin A

> Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 2:48 PM

> To: Access Technologists in Higher Education Network

> Subject: Re: [Athen] Accessible Office Export Plug-In That's NOT UIUC

>

> Thanks all, I'll give LecShare a try, but I'm still slightly

> peeved that I'm going to have to find even more money

> elsewhere just to be able to do this.

>

> I suppose it's the principle of the thing.

>

> Anyone know of any Open Source projects to accomplish this same thing?

> I've asked before elsewhere, but as that was quite some time

> ago, I had hopedthat someone else would have gotten to work

> on a solution.

>

> Anyway, thanks all.

>

> Kevin A. Sesock, A+, Net+, CNA, MCSA

> Assistive Technology Specialist

> Student Disability Services

> Division of Student Affairs

> Oklahoma State University

>

> http://access.it.okstate.edu

>

> "Hail to the speaker, hail to the knower; joy to he who has

> understood, delight to they who have listened." - Odin

>

> -----Original Message-----

> From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org

> [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On Behalf Of Stacy L. Smith

> Sent: Friday, February 09, 2007 8:35 AM

> To: Access Technologists in Higher Education Network;

> Berkowitz, Daniel J

> Subject: Re: [Athen] Accessible Office Export Plug-In That's NOT UIUC

>

> I've been using LecShare and love it. (www.lecshare.com)

>

> Doesn't Flash put the captions over the slide itself? (In

> other words, your captioning may be covering part of the text

> of the slide.) There was a presentation on PPT at the Higher

> Ground Conference....should be on your CD if you purchased one.

>

> Stacy

>

> Quoting "Berkowitz, Daniel J" <djbrky at bu.edu>:

>

> > I'll echo Sean. I saw a demo of LecShare at Accessing Higher Ground

> > and picked up a copy on the spot. Given the price it was

> worth getting

>

> > a copy to try out. I have used it to create accessible version of

> > PPT's for many presentations - including this one:

> > http://www.colorado.edu/atconference/etext_production.htm

> > <http://www.colorado.edu/atconference/etext_production.htm>

> >

> > It's a good basic program that does what it promises.

> >

> >

> >

> >

> > =========================

> > Daniel Berkowitz - Assistant Director

> > Boston University Office of Disability Services

> > 19 Deerfield Street, 2nd floor

> > Boston, MA 02215

> >

> > (617) 353-3658 (office)

> > (617) 353-9646 (fax)

> > djbrky at bu.edu <mailto:djbrky at bu.edu> (eMail) www.bu.edu/disability

> >

> > ________________________________

> >

> > From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org on behalf of Sean Keegan

> > Sent: Thu 2/8/2007 12:46 PM

> > To: 'Access Technologists in Higher Education Network'

> > Subject: Re: [Athen] Accessible Office Export Plug-In

> That's NOT UIUC

> >

> >

> > Hi Kevin,

> >

> > You may want to check out LecShare. Similar in concept

> (different in

> > technical functionality), LecShare can take a PPT file and

> convert it

> > to several different accessible formats. Their higher end product

> > LecShare Pro can also support the addition of voice media to slides

> > (and do some basic automated captioning). Site is:

> > http://www.lecshare.com

> >

> > Take a look at the trial version - it is fully functioning and just

> > embeds a LecShare watermark on each exported format so that

> you do not

>

> > use the trial version for prime time. Works for Macs and

> PCs, so that

>

> > is a nice feature. Currently it only works with PowerPoint

> files, so

> > if you are looking for Word or Excel support, then it is the Office

> > Export Wizard (aka Accessible Web Publishing Wizard).

> >

> > I have also had a number of faculty approach me regarding

> the use of

> > Camtasia to deliver PPT content (obviously a more expensive

> solution).

>

> > The result is just a Flash video of the presentation with a

> voice-over

>

> > narration (this is somewhat similar to one of the exports

> of LecShare

> > Pro also does). The current version of Camtasia also

> provides a tool

> > for captioning the presentation. It does appear to have many

> > customization options, but I am looking into this a bit more.

> > Probably not exactly what you are looking for, but it is something

> > that more faculty appear to be doing.

> >

> > Take care,

> > Sean

> >

> >

> > ________________________________

> >

> > From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org]

> > On Behalf Of Sesock, Kevin A

> > Sent: Thursday, February 08, 2007 9:10 AM

> > To: Access Technologists in Higher Education Network

> > Subject: [Athen] Accessible Office Export Plug-In That's NOT UIUC

> >

> >

> > There are a few who have been witness to my complaints about the

> > University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's Office Export Wizard

> > plug-in. I'm not going to get into that now (if anyone is

> interested,

> > mail me for a sample tirade off-list), but I do need a good

> > alternative to convert Powerpoint and other Office documents to an

> > accessible HTML alternative.

> >

> > Up until 1.06, the Illinois tool was free and didn't nag or

> annoy, and

>

> > if anyone has that version, that would be helpful (I have lost my

> > copy), otherwise, anyone have other recommendations?

> >

> > Kevin A. Sesock, A+, Net+, CNA, MCSA

> > Assistive Technology Specialist

> > Student Disability Services

> > Division of Student Affairs

> > Oklahoma State University

> >

> > http://access.it.okstate.edu <http://access.it.okstate.edu/>

> >

> > "Hail to the speaker, hail to the knower; joy to he who has

> > understood, delight to they who have listened." - Odin

> >

> >

> > _______________________________________________

> > Athen mailing list

> > Athen at athenpro.org

> > http://athenpro.org/mailman/listinfo/athen_athenpro.org

> >

> >

>

>

> Stacy Smith

> Adaptive Technology Specialist

> Disability Support Services

> 202 Holton Hall

> Kansas State University

> Manhattan, KS 66506

> Phone: 785-532-6441

> FAX: 785-532-6457

> Email: stacylee at ksu.edu

>

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