The Internet has become a vital resource for people around the world, but how would you use the Internet if you couldn't see your computer? A local nonprofit has the answer.
"Knowbility" is making sure the Internet is accessible for everyone.
Guido Corona loves reading. He's been blind since the age of 32, so he relies on the computer for his hobby.
"I have probably scanned myself something like 450 books," he said.
Corona also spends a lot of time surfing the net. Using special software, his computer speaks what he can't see.
But Corona is limited on the internet. Many Web sites where users have to click on images to navigate don't have text for software to read.
"When a site is inaccessible that is an incredibly irritating experience. You know there is information there that you need or wish to have. And what you're getting out instead is either gibberish, or nothing at all, or incomplete information," Corona said.
That's why "Knowbility" started a competition for building accessible Web sites.
"If you think about cyberspace in the same way we think about physical space, you create wheelchair ramps and curb cuts to allow access. What we're talking about is designing those same electronic curb cuts," Sharron Rush, with "Knowbility," said.
Teams of Web designers build sites for local arts groups, musicians or nonprofits. The competition is called AIR -- Accessibility Internet Rally.
 |  |
 | |  |
| | | | | | | |
Web site design contest
"Knowbility" is sponsoring a contest for a Web site design that people who are blind can navigate easily.
 
| | |
| | | | | |
|
"Blind people need the Web to be oral in order to hear it. People who have mobility impairment need to be able to navigate the Web with something other than a mouse," Rush said.
People at "Knowbility" hope their cause catches on, so people like Corona can log on to any site on the Internet.
Teams start building Web sites next month. The winners are announced at South by Southwest in March.
"Knowbility" is recruiting Web designers for the competition.
