STC Usability SIG Newsletter
Usability Interface

Pulse of the Special Needs SIG:
These Are Exciting Times

by Dan Voss, Special Needs SIG Manager

The completion of the STC membership renewal drive on February 27 showed us at 222 members-a hefty 1,110% increase from the committee of 20 individuals that we were less than a year ago. Like all the SIGs, we lost a few members when the STC rolls were purged of non-renewals in March (dipping to 209), but people continue to join us. With a likely influx at the conference, we will probably finish the year around 230.

Although this number is slightly below our goal of 300 to achieve a self-sustaining per capita budget, we have been able to adjust the 2002-2003 budget to make sure we can complete all our initiatives, through a mid-year budget adjustment based on the membership increase, strategic budget reductions, deferral of some activities until next year, and a number of generous contributions.

I am devoting the "Starfish Chamber" column in this edition to acknowledging the stalwart band of individuals who helped us achieve such a dramatic growth in membership with an intensive outreach campaign to the STC chapters worldwide-code name "Operation Starfish-as well as the individuals and corporations whose generosity has ensured our fiscal foundation going into next year.

But although budget was a reality we had to face, the much greater benefit of the membership drive is the number of energetic and dedicated new colleagues who have joined us in our mission. Welcome!

Another very gratifying aspect of the long campaign was the universally warm reception we received from our STC colleagues the world over-chapter presidents, newsletter editors, web site administrators, you name it and they rallied around us. Search for "STC Special Needs SIG" on Google, and you will rapidly appreciate just how supportive our STC colleagues have been. We will probably continue to gain members from this outreach campaign for several months. Our message is unquestionably out there.

Another exciting development is this newsletter you are reading, marking the first joint publication of the Special Needs SIG and the Usability SIG. Much effort from many authors as well as the editors of the two organizations' newsletters, Mike Murray and David Dick, respectively, went into this issue, which we consider the springboard of an ongoing joint research and publishing initiative in the area of usability and accessibility. We are also hoping that the November 2004 edition of Technical Communication can be dedicated to the theme of disabilities and accessibility; the editor, George Hayhoe, is receptive to the idea, pending a Call for Proposals to determine what kind of authorship we can anticipate. I encourage you to consider that publishing opportunity when it comes along.

Our web site continues to grow and flourish under the capable leadership of Cynthia Lockley and Leslie Reed. They continuously refresh and augment it by posting valuable new leads as they appear on our lively discussion list. That, in turn, had grown to 117 subscribers as of press time for this article, and it continues to expand. I encourage you to consider subscribing (to join, contact Fabian Vais, fabien.vais@videotron.ca). A digest form is available, and there is a comprehensive archive.

Fabien Vais and his team (Judy Vinegar, Lori Gillen, Gloria Reece, Gail Lippincott, Jodi Shumway, and Melissa Haughton) are nearing completion of a comprehensive Conference Guide for People with Special Needs, which will offer valuable information, resources, and tips to help ensure a fulfilling and accessible conference experience for attendees with disabilities. We have also worked with the STC Office to determine the most efficient and equitable manner in which to accommodate various disabilities at the conference.
We are preparing for a "slam-dunk" progression at the upcoming 50th conference entitled "From Disabled to Enabled: Meeting Special Needs to Ensure Accessibility," the session will include ten round-table presentations/discussions on a wide range of topics pertaining to special needs and accessibility. If you are fortunate enough to be in Dallas for the Golden Jubilee, trust me, this is a session you do not want to miss.

There are rumors, presently unconfirmed, of a Monday evening SIG-only medieval costume party. Stay tuned to your local Special Needs SIG discussion list for bulletins.