Oracle's Accessibility Program
October 2003
Rapid technical changes in software development
have created sophisticated applications and tools designed to meet the
challenges of changing marketplace requirements for governments and businesses.
The explosion of the Internet and E-commerce has required many businesses
to re-invent themselves in order to remain competitive. This has resulted
in the emergence of a plethora of products, web sites and E-commerce services.
But with rapid technological changes can also come additional challenges
for disabled users who may be confronted with obstacles that inadvertently
block access to products and services.
Historically, the disabled user has been provided with
a customized solution. But given the E-commerce solutions with built-in
color keys, drop down menus, GUI interfaces that require a mouse, and
plug-ins that are not readable by screen readers, custom solutions for
individual disabled users in an enterprise will not work. Accessibility
needs to be part of the basic design so that enterprise-wide solutions
can accommodate the changing needs of users.
Accessibility is an issue of significance for a growing
user population as it includes not only those born disabled, but those
who have experienced incapacitation through accident, illness or aging.
Approximately 54 million Americans and 500 million worldwide
have some type of disability.
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Low vision and color blind users account
for a large portion of the vision impaired. |
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Hearing impairments, motor or cognitive
disorders affect millions. |
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As the overall incidence of disability
increases with age, access to technology is a matter that concerns
everyone. |
Oracle's goal is to ensure that products and services
are accessible to the disabled community with good usability. Industry
standards will continue to evolve over time and Oracle is actively engaged
with other market leading technology vendors in addressing apparent technical
hurdles. Accessibility to the increasingly complex technology pervasive
in our lives is a factor for everyone. Accessibility solutions for the
disabled community have often become mainstreamed productivity enhancements
that benefit everyone.
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