Multi-media Group Project 10/12/09

Yeay, I've discovered how to embed an audio file into a website/blog using houndbite. Feeling really happy because I would like to do some of my evaluative log in audio. It adds to a multimedia feel and gives it more personality, but more importantly means we are able to comply with legislation such as DDA The Disability Discrimination Act and with W3C the World-Wide-Web Consortium WAI Guidelines. The Disability Discrimination Act is a piece of legislation that promotes civil rights for disabled people and protects disabled people from discrimination. However, it does not mention specifically websites. 

Most lifestyle/news websites such as ...... have podcasts and the audio files ensure the site is accessible to people: 

• with visual impairment 
• with low literacy and reading skills
• who's first language is not English
• Users who are dyslexic

I've also included a written version of the training session which allows people with a hearing disability to access the information. 

We've put the text directly into the website rather than downloadable PDF's because a lot of PDF's do not have a semantic structure. This means a screen reader cannot differentiate between text, headings, lists and therefore the user cannot get a feel for the structure of the document. It also does not pick up on tables or pictures within the document. If the document is inputted into the website screen readers and assisted technologies, such as Browsealoud, will pick up on the information. Browsealoud is a free plug-in download - see the following website for further information www.opsi.gov.uk/about/accessibility.htm . 

Here is the test houndbite audio I did initially to see if the process would work on the mac computer. I recorded this file with H4 Zoom digital recorder, downloaded the file to my mac. Then went to the houndbite site, uploaded the file and used the embedding code to input it to my blog. Which is what I will do with the training session audio's. 

http://www.houndbite.com/?houndbite=21685