Access Press Online is Growing
by Alice Oden
You’ve had a long day, maybe even a long week or month. But
now you’re finally kickin’ back with your favorite cup
of brew in hand. And it’s your time to read the latest edition
of Access Press. It is time to find out the who, what, where, when
and why is happening in the disability community. Do you have a favorite
writer? Maybe it is Jeni Mundl’s column about new, and sometimes,
time-tested devices in disability technology. Do you have a favorite
topic? Maybe it is the latest in State or Federal legislation. Or—do
you just like to skim the headlines for titles that catch your attention?
Like Self-advocacy E-scan or The Spoon Theory. Whatever you like
about Access Press, we exist to be there for you.
For the past 15 years,
Access Press has kept readers in-the-loop with news and information
about the vast array of disability issues. Month after month, there
are stories to spark your interest, to touch your heart, and to
educate readers near and far. In the past year, Access Press has
added extra pages—those new pages mean more
space for stories, articles, photos and cartoons that add to your
reading pleasure.
But did you know that Access Press online is growing, too? Yes,
indeed! Over the past 17 months, the online edition of the paper
has quietly blossomed into the web counterpart of the monthly print
edition. And the good news is that every article that is printed
in the newspaper is also published online. By checking out In This
Issue, you can view the Accessible Performances or Upcoming
Events,
and you can also check out the Classified
Ads or search for community
resources under Organizations. It is all there with the click of
your mouse.
Access Press has been
published online since January of 2002. You can check out some
of the back issues by clicking on the Search link in the upper
right-hand corner of the web page. Search through the back issues
and you’ll see that in July 2004, Access Press
online was given an “extreme makeover.” The look and
feel of the online edition was re-designed to reflect the so-well-known
print edition.
Since the makeover, Web users have enjoyed a very readable, online
format and easy-to-use site-navigation features. In February 2005,
the site was made more accessible for visually impaired and blind
users. The graphics, such as the Access Press banner at the top of
the page and the monthly DOT in the upper right-hand corner under
the Search link, have alternate text for screen reading.
In October 2005, an
Access Press search feature, powered by Google, was added to the
Back Issues page. This feature allows users to easily search the
Access Press archives for topics of interest. Just type in a few
words—let’s say Medicare legislation—for
example. If you search for information on Medicare legislation, Google
will bring up 23 Access Press articles that mention the topic.
So that is it, for now.
Whether you like to kick back with your favorite cup of brew in
one hand and newspaper in the other hand or you are a Web surfer
through and through, Access Press has a format that works just
right for you! Visit Access Press online at www.accesspress.org.
