Net\News: A collection of news items from around the web.
(PR NEWSWIRE) State's Job Service for Citizens with Disabilities Reports G State's Job Service for Citizens with Disabilities Reports Gains, Reports Michigan Department of Career Development LANSING, Mich.
April 29 /PRNewswire/ --Michigan citizens with disabilities assisted into jobs by the Michigan Department of Career Development are finding more than just employment. According to Acting Director Douglas E. Stites, jobs seekers served by the department's Rehabilitation Services division are seeing higher earnings, improved access to insurance, and greater longevity on the job. "Just four years ago, the weekly earnings of people with disabilities we assisted into jobs averaged $231," Stites said. "During this past fiscal year, those we placed were earning an average of $285 a week -- a gain that exceeds the cost-of-living increase over that time." Stites also said that insurance coverage on the job was available to 75 percent of Michigan citizens with disabilities newly employed this past year, compared to just 69 percent of those newly employed four years ago. He further noted that a recent departmental mail survey shows that 80 percent of those individuals successfully placed into jobs two and three years ago are still working. "A similar study conducted two years ago showed a 78 percent retention rate," he said, "so people with disabilities are making gains in this area also." The Rehabilitation Services division of the Department of Career Development provided job-related services to more than 40,000 Michigan citizens with disabilities during this past fiscal year. For information on services and office locations, call 800-605-6722 (voice) or 888-605-6722 (TTY). SOURCE Michigan Department of Career Development -0- 04/29/99 /CONTACT: Jim Karshner of Michigan Department of Career Development, 517-241-0592/ CO: Michigan Department of Career Development ST: Michigan
(COMTEX) PRNewswire -- May 4 --NEW EASY GRIP PEN STUDIED AS A POSSIBLE HELP For Repetitive Stress Injuries and Hand Cramps This is the first clinical testing to be performed on writing instruments in the U.S. and released to the public. Dexterity Technologies Corporation has released the results of a pilot study completed by the Cleveland Clinic Foundation, Lerner Research Center for Biomedical Engineering. The pilot study shows that a pen with a finger ledge design can reduce the amount of pressure needed to write by 7% or more, is 40% more consistent in use, and does not require squeezing as with conventional and other ergonomic pen designs. The results suggest the ledge pen would be easier to use by people with arthritis, carpal tunnel syndrome or writer's cramp and would help reduce repetitive strain injuries. For further information, CONTACT: Carl Bistrack of Dexterity Technologies, 215-676-8175, or [email protected]. Web Site: http://www.dextek.com - background information & photos. SOURCE Dexterity Technologies Corporation -0- 05/04/99 /
Web site: http://www.dextek.com/
(BSNS WIRE) BUSINESS WIRE--May 6, 1999
ADVISORY -- Web Sites to Become More Disabled-Friendly
The World Wide Web Consortium released a new set of guidelines Wednesday that would make the Internet easier to navigate for the disabled. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines urge Web designers and developers to provide text-based alternatives for audio and video information. EXPERTS: ExpertSource can offer several highly qualified experts to comment on this story: Timothy W. Bergeron is president of LiveWire Marketing and is an expert in the design and development of Web sites. Toni Miller is director of national public relations for Zabit & Associates, Inc. and is an expert in Web design. Dave Elliott is director of The Web Academy and is an expert in Web design, development and programming. David Baker is director of electronic marketing for David K. Burnap Electronic Marketing and is an expert in Web design and technology. Scott Clark is technical director of WebDeveloper.com and is an expert in Web development. -0- ExpertSource cannot guarantee the immediate availability of these experts or their familiarity with this specific issue. Journalists seeking to interview any of these experts can obtain contact information by visiting the ExpertSource website: http://www.businesswire.com/expertsource. ExpertSource, a collaboration of Business Wire and The Round Table Group, provides academic and industry experts to the media at no charge. Journalists are encouraged to submit queries to ExpertSource when seeking experts on specific subjects. An online registration form is available at the above web address. Business Wire's Media Resource Center provides working journalists many free media services. Please visit the BW Media Resource Center at (www.businesswire.com/media) for more information. --30--ccv/cgo* CONTACT: Business Wire, New York Jessica Wohl, 212/752-9600, ext. 293 [email protected] OR Neil Hershberg at 212/752-9600, ext. 235 [email protected] KEYWORD: NEW YORK INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMED INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET ADVISORY Today's News On The Net - Business Wire's full file on the Internet with Hyperlinks to your home page. URL: http://www.businesswire.com
(PR NEWSWIRE) Dragon Systems Brings Speech Recognition Software to the Mac Dragon Systems Brings Speech Recognition Software to the Macintosh NEWTON, Mass. and WWDC, SAN JOSE, Calif., May 10
Dragon Systems, Inc. and Apple Computer, Inc. (Nasdaq: AAPL) today announced that Dragon Systems will create and market Macintosh(R)-compatible products based on Dragon NaturallySpeaking, the top-selling retail speech product in the U.S.* Dragon Systems chairman, CEO, and co-founder Janet Baker, Ph.D. announced the Company's plans at Apple's annual World Wide Developer's Conference (WWDC) in San Jose. "It's great news for our customers that Dragon is bringing their world-class speech recognition software to the Macintosh," said Steve Jobs, Apple's interim CEO. "The underlying architecture of the Mac platform, with fast PowerPC processors and outstanding audio support, will make Macintosh the premier platform for Dragon NaturallySpeaking. Dragon's return to the Mac market is more evidence of the great business opportunities available on Macintosh for innovative developers." "We have received many requests for a Macintosh version of Dragon NaturallySpeaking and, working with Apple, we're going to deliver a high-quality speech solution for Mac users," said Dragon Systems Chairman and CEO Janet Baker. "Over the last year we have seen Apple bring out innovative products and we think Dragon Systems will offer the ideal speech recognition solution for anyone who wants to extend the capabilities of their iMac, Power Macintosh G3 or PowerBook."
Dragon Systems' products for the Macintosh are planned initially for both American and British English with the first U.S. product expected to be released later this year. French, German and Japanese are also scheduled. Pricing, system requirements and product specifications will be announced at product introduction.
Apple Computer, Inc. ignited the personal computer revolution in the 1970s with the Apple II, and reinvented the personal computer in the 1980s with the Macintosh. Apple is now recommitted to its original mission -- to bring the best personal computing products and support to students, educators, designers, scientists, engineers, businesspersons and consumers in over 140 countries around the world.
Dragon Systems, Inc., is a worldwide leader in PC speech recognition. Dragon Systems develops and markets high-performance, cost-effective speech and language technology that, in multiple world languages (including American English, British English, French, German, Italian, Spanish and Swedish), enable users to create text, issue commands, enter and access data simply by speaking. The company also licenses technology worldwide through developers, distributors, resellers, OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) and ISVs (Integrated Software Vendors). Dragon Systems ports its technology across multiple operating systems and hardware platforms -- from hand-held devices and PCs to workstations, and is pursuing leading-edge research and development projects for computer and telecommunications applications. Since introducing Dragon NaturallySpeaking, the first large vocabulary continuous speech recognition system able to create general purpose text, in 1997, the Company has received over 80 major industry awards worldwide. Founded in 1982, Dragon Systems has its headquarters in Newton, Massachusetts. It has European subsidiaries in Munich, Paris and in Marlow near London, and additional research laboratories in Cheltenham, England (Dragon Systems GmbH, Dragon Systems SA, Dragon Systems UK Ltd., and Dragon Systems UK Research & Development Ltd., respectively).
*Based on report by PC Data, March 1998. NOTE: Apple, the Apple logo, and Macintosh are registered trademarks of Apple Computer, Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged.
SOURCE Apple Computer, Inc. -0- 05/10/99 /NOTE TO EDITORS: For additional information, visit Apple's PR web site (www.apple.com/pr/), call Apple's Media Help line at 408-974-2042, or Dushka Zapata at the company's PR agency, Edelman Worldwide, at 650-968-4033, extension 2726./ /CONTACT: Russell Brady of Apple Computer, Inc., 408-974-6877, or [email protected]; or Renee L. Blodgett of Dragon Systems, 617-796-0348, or [email protected]; or Tim Hurley of Copithorne & Bellows, 617-450-4237, or [email protected], for Dragon Systems/ /Web site: http://www.apple.com/ (AAPL)
(COMTEX) FIRST SEARCH ENGINE FOR U.S. GOVERNMENT Web Sites and Information Debuts Monday, May 17 National Technical Information Service (NTIS) and Northern Light(R) Introduce Comprehensive, One-Stop Shopping Resource, www.usgovsearch.com WASHINGTON, May 17 /PRNewswire/
The U.S. Commerce Department's National Technical Information Service (NTIS) and Cambridge, MA-based Northern Light Technology LLC today unveiled the first custom search engine that allows anyone to efficiently search the voluminous amount of information created by and for the U.S. Government. Using powerful search and classification technology, the new "one-stop shopping" service, gov.search(TM) (www.usgovsearch.com), will initially index more than 20,000 government and military Web sites representing over 3.8 million Web pages, NTIS title and abstract data since 1964, and full text sources from Northern Light's Special Collection(TM) such as Defense Daily magazine, FedNet Government News, and 5,400 other journals, magazines, and newswires. Much of the information has been unavailable or not readily accessible until now. Speaking at a Washington news conference, Acting Under Secretary of Commerce for Technology Gary Bachula said, "I'm pleased to unveil a new customer-friendly technology that will make the vast resources of the Federal Government manageable by the public. gov.search is a breakthrough in the re- invention of government that Vice President Gore is continually striving to achieve." The new search and "information commerce" service is a joint venture between NTIS, the Federal Government's central source for the sale of scientific, technical, engineering and related business information, and Northern Light, developer of the world's first and most powerful research engine. "We selected Northern Light after an extensive review of search engine technologies," said Mr. Sandy Waters, Director of Strategic Planning for NTIS. "The company offers us the ability to create customized, co-branded search sites that take advantage of superior classification technology, as well as a flexible and turn-key information commerce solution with customer support." The new service links for the first time the disparate Web sites and ancillary information created by the Federal Government and independent government agencies. It offers users the ability to perform a full-text search of this massive database and to screen results by government subject area, federal government branch, or agency. For example, government Web search results could be limited to "missile technology," "judicial branch," or to the "Federal Emergency Management Agency." Full text searches of government publications in the database can be screened by publication name and article title. And all of Northern Light's advanced search functionality can be used including date select, date sort and full Boolean syntax. Pricing for the service is flexible and inexpensive. For example, an individual user can sign up for a day-pass for as little as $15. Monthly access is $30. (Note: These charges have been put on hold until June 1.) A service fee structure is used for company access based on the number of users. There is an incremental charge for purchasing documents. "The National Technical Information Service is the absolute best authority on the location, structure, and value of government information," said David Seuss, chief executive officer, Northern Light. "Northern Light could not have a better partner for building what we believe will become the leading information service of the Federal Government." Northern Light Technology, headquartered in Cambridge, MA, was founded in 1996 by a seasoned management team of librarians, software engineers, and Internet professionals who recognize the need to fill a void left by other search engines and private research services. The company first introduced its research engine, www.nlsearch.com, in August 1997. Today, Northern Light's search engine is the world's most powerful, indexing nearly 140 million Web pages and 5,400 premium full-text sources previously only available to subscribers of expensive online services. The National Technical Information Service (NTIS), www.ntis.gov, serves as the Federal Government's central source for the sale of scientific, technical, engineering and related business information produced by and for the U.S. Government and complementary material from international sources. Nearly 3 million products are available from NTIS in a variety of formats, including microfiche, paper, diskette, audiovisual, CD-ROM, and online. A complete set of press materials is posted on: http://www.pressevent.com SOURCE Northern Light Technology LLC -0- 05/17/99 /CONTACT: Susan M. Stearns of Northern Light, 617-577-2194, [email protected] or Renee Edwards of NTIS, 703-605-6400, [email protected] or Peter Himler of Burson-Marsteller, 212-614-4082, [email protected]/ /Web site: http://www.ntis.gov/ /Web site: http://www.nlsearch.com/ /Web site: http://www.pressevent.com/ /Web site: http://www.usgovsearch.com/ CO: Northern Light Technology LLC; National Technical Information Service ST: District of Columbia, Massachusetts IN: CPR MLM SU: PDT
(COMTEX) Updates.com Announces Hardware Advisor; http://www.updates.com is a Free Web Based Software Updating Service for PC Users HUNTINGTON STATION, N.Y. (May 17) BUSINESS WIRE -May 17, 1999
Updates.com, Inc. (http://www.updates.com) the complete online source for software and hardware updating announces the addition of Hardware Advisor(TM), a complete hardware analysis service for its users. Hardware Advisor provides a one-button analysis of a user's current PC hardware configuration along with useful recommendations on updating the hardware. Hardware Advisor can analyze a PC while considering the type of user selected and each recommendation is based completely on the needs of the individual user. Included in the Hardware Advisor analysis are suggestions and helpful "how-to" information for updating your PC hardware. Independent IT consultant Mark D' Agosta said, "Keeping your PC up to date is a must for any type of user. Software and hardware products are changing on a daily basis and Updates.com simplifies the process by giving me a single source for all my software and hardware updating needs." Updates.com is a complete source for software updates, news and information for all types of users. The site offers 4 user zones directed at General, Developers, Gamers, and Hardware. Using My Updates, the automatic update profiler, the web site can detect any out of date software on the users' machines and offer links to download the new patches and updates, all from within your browser. Updates.com users can also register to receive automatic e-mail notification of new software updates as soon as they are available. Other popular software download sites like CNET's (Nasdaq:CNET) Download.com, ZDNET's (Nasdaq:ZDZ) Software Library or IDG's (Nasdaq:IDGB) FileWorld require the user to search the site for software downloads and updates. Updates.com has an extensive product database, which includes over 17000 software and driver updates from companies such as Microsoft (Nasdaq:MSFT), (NYSE:CA), (NYSE:AOL) and many more. Updates.com is a free service, focused on providing users an automatic software update service, also offering content specific to software updates. The service supports applications running under Windows 95, Windows 98 and Windows NT operating systems, and also provides updates for video drivers, printers, networks, SCSI, sound cards, USB ports, joysticks, as well as ActiveX Controls, Internet Plug-ins, and game software products. Updates.com currently has over 100,000 registered users. Updates.com also publishes a weekly email newsletter called UPDATES! It is available free to all visiting users. Updates.com is located at http://www.updates.com. About Updates.com, Inc. Headquartered in Huntington Station, privately-held Updates.com Inc. is a leading Internet technology company. Note to Editors: Brands and products referenced herein are the trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders. -0- ah/ny* ao/dl/sf CONTACT: Updates.com, Inc., Huntington Station Tom Lynch, 516/630-2768 [email protected]
(PR NEWSWIRE) Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Hosts Assistive Technol Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan Hosts Assistive Technology Expo and Job Fair for Persons with Disabilities Wheelchair Ballet Troupe to Perform DETROIT, May 18 /PRNewswire/
Imagine being able to turn on lights, open doors and operate your radio and television set by merely moving your eyebrows up and down. This is not a scene out of a science fiction movie; persons with disabilities are actually using this technology to gain greater independence and freedom. Rehabilitation Institute of Michigan along with the City of Detroit's Employment and Training Department and Michigan Works!, will host the Fifth Annual Assistive Technology Expo and Job Fair for Persons with Disabilities on Friday, May 21, 1999 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday, May 22, from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Cobo Hall in Detroit. Admission is free and all events are open to the public. More than 100 manufacturers and vendors of assistive technology will be displaying and demonstrating products such as voice-activated computer systems, adaptive sports equipment, driving controls, Braille screen computers and standing wheelchairs. The expo will also include one of the largest displays of conversion vehicles. In addition, there will be wheelchair basketball and quad rugby demonstrations and a special performance by Dancing Wheels, a wheelchair ballet company sponsored by Invacare, Corp. The wheelchair ballet troupe will perform from 11 a.m. to Noon on Friday, May 21st only. Along with the Assistive Technology Expo is the Job Fair for Persons with Disabilities, which will be held at Cobo Hall on Friday, May 21st only. Qualified applicants will have an opportunity to meet with employers who have current job openings. Employers representing a variety of industries including health care, clerical, technical and customer service will be in attendance. The Detroit Medical Center, the largest health care provider in southeast Michigan, operates eight hospitals, two nursing centers and more than 130 primary care practices throughout southeast Michigan. The system has 3,000 licensed beds, 2,900 affiliated physicians and serves as the teaching and clinical research site for Wayne State University. SOURCE Detroit Medical Center -0- 05/18/99 /CONTACT: Cheryl Angelelli of DMC, 313-578-3800, or pager, 313-660-0251/ /Web site: http://www.dmc.org/
Monday May 24 11:29 AM ET Disabled Workers' Suits Made Easier By LAURIE ASSEO Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) - The Supreme Court made it easier today for disabled workers to sue their employers over alleged discrimination after they apply for or receive Social Security disability benefits. The justices, voting unanimously in a Texas case, said courts cannot presume that people who apply for such benefits are, in essence, admitting to be unqualified to hold a job and therefore cannot invoke the protection of a key anti-bias law, the Americans with Disabilities Act. The ruling is a victory for Carolyn Cleveland, a stroke victim who was fired after attempting to return to work. Today's decision reinstates her lawsuit. Writing for the court, Justice Stephen G. Breyer said a lower court that threw out Cleveland's lawsuit ``thought, in essence, that claims under both acts would incorporate two directly conflicting propositions, namely `I am too disabled to work' and `I am not too disabled to work.''' Breyer said claims filed under both laws do not necessarily conflict. ``There are too many situations in which ... (a Social Security disability) claim and an ADA claim can comfortably exist side by side,'' he said. Some people who sue under the ADA contend they could work if provided reasonable accommodations, he noted. However, Breyer said people who sue under the ADA after seeking Social Security disability benefits must provide a ``sufficient explanation'' why the two do not conflict. Cleveland had worked for Policy Management Systems Corp. (NYSE:PMS - news) in Dallas for six months, conducting telephone background checks of prospective employees, when in January of 1994 she suffered a stroke. She took a leave of absence and applied for Social Security disability benefits. On her application, she stated that she was unable to work. In April of that year, Cleveland's doctor cleared her to return to work. She resumed her job with Policy Management Systems and notified Social Security officials about her improved health. She and her former employer disagree over whether Cleveland told Social Security officials that she no longer needed benefits. Cleveland had trouble performing her job and asked for several accommodations to help her. He employer turned down each request and fired her in July of 1994. She subsequently renewed her application for disability benefits and, after receiving them, sued Policy Management Systems. She alleged that her firing amounted to illegal discrimination based on her disability. The Americans with Disabilities Act bans employers from discriminating against ``a qualified individual with a disability'' because of that disability. The 1990 law defines a qualified individual as one who can perform the essential functions of his or her job when given reasonable accommodation. A federal trial judge threw out Cleveland's lawsuit, and the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the dismissal. Disagreeing with most other federal appeals courts, the New Orleans-based 5th Circuit court ruled that people who apply for or receive Social Security disability benefits have to overcome a ``rebuttable presumption'' that they are not a qualified individual as defined by the anti-bias law. Cleveland's ensuing appeal to the nation's highest court was supported by the Clinton administration and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, whose lawyers voiced concern for those workers who confront discrimination when seeking to return to their jobs after temporary disabilities. Writing for the court today, Justice Stephen G. Breyer said the 5th Circuit court was wrong in presuming Cleveland was not qualified under the ADA. Nonetheless, he said, in such cases ``the court should require an explanation of any apparent inconsistency with the necessary elements of an ADA claim.'' The case is Cleveland vs. Policy Management Systems Corp., 97-1008.
Conference: Internet World UK Spring '99 URL: http://www.internetworld.co.uk/spring99/ Location: London, England Date: May 25-27
Conference: Internet World Expo France '99 URL: http://events.internet.com/intl/france.html Location: Paris, France Date: May 26-27
Conference: VISual '99 - 3rd Int. Conf. on Visual Information Systems, URL: http://www.wins.uva.nl/events/VISual99/ Location: Amsterdam, The Netherlands Date: June 2-4, 1999
Conference: ENABLE99 - Enabling Network-Based Learning URL: http://www.enable.evitech.fi/enable99/ Location: Espoo, Finland Date: June 2-5
Conference: Human Factors and the Web URL: http://zing.ncsl.nist.gov/hfweb/ Location: Gaithersburg, Maryland (about 25 miles north of Washington, DC.) Date: June 3, 1999
Conference: Multimedia Applications, Services, & Technologies '99 (MAST-99) URL: http://www.comsoc.org/confs/icc/99/mast.html Location: Vancouver, Canada Date: June 7, 1999
Conference: The Society for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education URL: http://www.acs.ucalgary.ca/~stlhe99/ Location: Calgary, Alberta Canada Date: June 16-19,1999
Conference: ED-Media 1999 URL: http://www.aace.org/conf/edmedia/ Location: Seattle, WA Date: June 19-24, 1999
Conference: The 19th ICDE World Conference on Open Learning and Distance Education URL: http://www.fernuni-hagen.de/ICDE/ Location: Vienna, Austria Date: June 20-24, 1999
Conference: NECC 99 Spotlight on the Future: Technology for the New Millennium URL: http://www.neccsite.org/html/necc__99.html Location: Atlantic City, New Jersey Date: June 22-24, 1999
Conference: Internet Society, 99 URL: http://www.isoc.org/inet99/ Location: San Jose, CA Date: June 22-25, 1999
Conference: RESNA URL: http://www.resna.org/resna99/index.html Location: Long Beach, California Date: June 25-29, 1999
Conference: The Digital Millennium: Collaboration, Integration, Education URL: http://www.odu.edu/~nutn/conference99.html Location: Bellevue, Washington Date: June 27-29, 1999
Conference: Web 99 URL: http://www.mfweb.com/ Location: San Francisco, CA Date: June 27 - July 1, 1999 Submission Dates Still Open:
Conference: Assistive Technology Industry Assocation World Conference URL: http://www.atia.org/conf_info.html Location: Orlando, Florida Date: October 6-9, 1999 Submission Deadline: open, contact ATIA
Conference: Telecom 99 + Interactive 99 URL: http://www.itu.int/telecom-wt99/ Location: Geneva, Switzerland Date: October 10-17, 1999 Submission Deadline: unknown
Conference: Children's Interactive Expo URL: http://www.place2b.com/ Location: San Francisco, CA Date: October 14-17, 1999 Submission Deadline: unknown
Conference: Closing The Gap URL: http://www.closingthegap.com/conf/index.html Location:Minneapolis-St. Paul, MN USA Date: October 19-23, 1999 Submission Deadline: May 13, 1999
Conference: NetExpo Washington URL: http://www.newexpo.com/ Location: Washington, DC Date: November 4-5, 1999 Submission Deadline: unknown
Conference: UIST99: Twelfth Annual Symposium on User Interface Software and Technology URL: http://www.acm.org/uist/ Location: Grove Park Inn Asheville North Carolina United States Date: November 7-10, 1999 Submission Deadline: May 7, 1999
Conference: 5th ERCIM WORKSHOP ON "USER INTERFACES FOR ALL URL: http://fit.gmd.de/5-UI4ALL-Workshop/call.html Location: Dagstuhl , Germany Date: Nov. 28th - Dec. 1st 1999 Submission Deadline: June 30, 1999
Conference: Internet World Japan '99 URL: http://events.internet.com/intl/tokyo.html Location: Tokyo, Japan Date: December 8-10, 1999 Submission Deadline: unknown, for info see: Internet World PROPOSAL Form
Conference: AMERICAS TELECOM 2000 URL: http://www.itu.int/telecom-wt99/exhibitions/americas_telecom2000/overview.html Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Date: April 10-15, 1999 Submission Deadline: Exhibits - September, 1999, speakers - unknown
Conference: DESIGNING FOR THE 21st CENTURY II URL: http://www.adaptenv.org/21century/ Location: Providence, Rhode Island, USA Date: June 14-18, 2000 Submission Deadline: September 1, 1999
Conference: IEA 2000/HFES 2000 URL: http://iea2000.hfes.org/ Location:San Diego, CA Date: July 30 - August 4, 2000 Submission Deadline: April 16th, June 18, 1999