By Cheryl Currid

A tip of the hat goes to the people who’ve worked so hard making technology products accessible. This month is National Disability Employment Awareness Month and a good time to think about how everyone benefits when information is available and accessible to everyone, all the time.

According to the U. S. Census Bureau, about 53 million Americans, that’s one-in-five people, have a disability. About two-thirds of these individuals have a severe disability that takes away the use of a limb, sight, hearing, or mental processes. Yet, despite the challenges, more disabled people, about 57% of those between ages 16 and 65, work productively.

A few weeks ago, I caught up with Michael Takemura of Hewlett-Packard's Accessibility Program Office. An ten year veteran of Compaq, Michael has been instrumental in getting the company to design products to suit people with disabilities. These efforts have given the company a stellar line of products with accessible designs.

While you might not realize it, all kinds of technology features – from latches on portable computers to the placement of expansion jacks – are designed to help the disabled. And, when the features are designed into the product, it doesn’t cost a cent more to produce.

Consider the way some portable notebook computers are made. There’s one latch to open the top and a battery can be replaced with one hand. It wasn’t always that way. Many previous generations had two latches for everything – making them impossible to open for many who are physically challenged – and often too hard or inconvenient for the rest of us.

And, for those who have failing eye sight, there are homing keys on nearly every keyboard and keypad. The little bumps on the F, J, and around the number 5 on keypads are there to help people place their hands in the correct location. And, programmable function keys are designed to make it easier to get to programs like email or a favorite news page.

Other improvements, like adding speech to text to a PDA or creating front access panels on desktop PCs, make it much easier to plug in new peripherals like printers, cameras, or special equipment. The same goes for printers, where new designs make it easier to load and pick up printed documents from front tray and backlighting is incorporated into LCD displays enhancing accessibility for people with low vision.

And, computers with new operating systems let people enlarge the fonts and produce especially clear type. This is great for everybody over the age of 40 – especially those who don’t want to use reading glasses.

Software helps a lot, too. Microsoft’s Windows XP comes with built-in features, such as a magnifier, narrator, and on-screen keyboard. Using the accessibility wizard (located in the accessories folder) anyone can customize a profile.

If you are interested in leaning more the research my firm has done into accessible technology, check out our Web site at www.currid.com/accessibility.

Oh, the next time you are rolling your luggage or a stroller down a concrete ramp, or working out at the gym while reading the closed captioning on the TV, remember who these features were designed for.

But the real message of this story is learning the accessibility techniques and then making sure they are a part of every design. That way, the enhancements are free – and the benefits are good for everyone.