Professional Training Courses and Consulting

Introduction to Assistive Technology

Assistive technology has revolutionized the way people with disabilities live, work and contribute to society. Over the past few years significant progress has been made in using technology to provide opportunities to those with disabilities. The Torres Foundation presents an introduction to assistive technology course designed to give an overview of several common types of adaptive technology. Join us in an exploration of different types of technology that are opening doors for millions of people around the world.

Topics that will be covered include:

Screen magnification software for low vision computer users
Desktop and handheld video magnification systems
Screen reading software for the blind
Scanning and reading software for accessing printed material
Refreshable computer Braille displays
Handheld computers with speech and Braille output
Portable electronic books
Speech recognition and dictation software

Web Accessibility Basics

The development of the Internet has single-handedly revolutionized the way many people work, live and receive education. For people with disabilities, using the Internet opens many doors that until now did not exist. Developing web sites that are usable by all people is crucial as the web continues to evolve. Join the Torres Foundation as we introduce web accessibility and break down common misconceptions and myths about creating accessible web sites.

Topics that will be covered include:

What are the international standards for web accessibility
What are the United States government standards for web accessibility
How to make sense of the different standards and how they apply to you
Best practices for testing web sites for accessibility
Five easy ways to begin making a site accessible
Balancing accessibility with creative design and visual appeal
Reasons that web accessibility benefits all web users

Advanced Web Accessibility

Web designers and developers are on the front lines of creating accessible web sites. Internet technologies are rapidly changing and it is essential for developers to understand the details of making the technology accessible. The topics in the Advanced Web Accessibility course are designed to give developers technical and hands-on experience in web accessibility. Participants will use real world examples to illustrate accessible design techniques and methods.

Topics that will be covered include:

Understanding and using the international web accessibility guidelines as a primary resource
Creating accessible navigation structures
Creating accessible tables and forms
How can multimedia be accessible
Using accessible techniques in dynamic web pages
Looking ahead to the future of accessible web design

Web site accessibility consulting service

The Torres Foundation can provide professional web site accessibility consulting services to government institutions, schools, businesses, and individuals. Accessibility consulting provides a hands-on approach to insuring a web site meets or exceeds accessibility guidelines. Allow us to work with you to provide a web site that is usable by all people. The following is a description of some of the accessibility consulting services we can provide.

Comprehensive site evaluation and accessibility report: We will evaluate a web site and provide a detailed report describing any barriers that may prevent access by people with disabilities.
Solutions to overcoming specific accessibility barriers: We will work directly with web site developers to provide methods and techniques to remove accessibility barriers.

Please contact the Torres Foundation to begin discussing how we can help make your site accessible.