Background on:
Christine D. Anderson
Director of Resource Services
American Printing House for the Blind
1839 Frankfort Avenue, Louisville, KY 40206
canderson@aph.orgBackground:
After a short stint as a reference librarian at a small college, Christine D. Anderson began her career at the American Printing House for the Blind (APH) as a cataloger in September 1992. Responding to the needs of the visually impaired users, she led projects to upgrade the Louis Database of Books and Materials in Accessible Media from a fixed field database, with inconsistent bibliographic entries, to a fully speech accessible, MARC formatted, Internet accessible database. Under her direction, Resource Services has grown to include the APH Web Site, APH Research Library, Fred's Head Expert Database, and enhanced Louis Database services. The APH File Repository and Archive is currently under construction. Ms. Anderson has an M.L.S and an M.A. in Music History. She lives in Louisville with her husband Scott, Shelby and Louis the wonder dogs, and Dodger the pooh-bear shaped cat.Title of Presentation:
Making Websites and Online Databases Accessible and User-friendly for Blind and Visually Impaired Patrons.Brief Abstract:
This presentation will focus on Internet and online database design considerations for serving the unique needs of blind and visually impaired patrons. The principles of speech access software will be briefly discussed. Accessible web pages examples will include an art show, an online MARC database, and an online non-MARC database. A "behind the scenes" look will be taken at the Louis Database and of Books and Materials in Accessible Media and the File Repository, with an emphasis on the MARC format and output fields used to create a user-friendly display.