WebAdapt2Me

Despite standards for Web accessibility, many Web pages remain difficult to use for older users and people with various disabilities. IBM WebAdapt2Me is software that enables people who have vision, cognitive or hand limitations to customize the way Web pages are presented to them.

WebAdapt2Me is ideal for government agencies, organizations and businesses who want to improve Web access for employees, citizens or customers.

WebAdapt2Me can be launched in a standard Web browser. Because preferences can be preset and stored on a server, users can view Web pages with their individual preferences from any computer that has the software installed. These preferences can be saved and used from session to session, enabling users to view Web pages the way that works best for them.

Additionally, the technology manipulates Web pages without requiring Web developers to rewrite or change Web site content — no change is made to the Web page itself.

WebAdapt2Me assists people who are visually impaired by enabling them to magnify everything on a Web page — from text to browser controls — up to 250 percent. For example, users can click on the text-sizing buttons until the text is big enough for them to read comfortably.

Many people with cognitive impairments or low vision benefit from the ability of WebAdapt2Me to expand the space between lines of text and remove distracting backgrounds and animation. The technology provides choices that help make text, background and links easier to see by using high-contrast colors and reformatting pages into single columns. WebAdapt2Me, with its text-to-speech capability, provides additional benefit for low vision users.

Users with hand-movement impairments can take advantage of WebAdapt2Me's keyboard utility. People who have difficulty typing with accuracy — including those with tremors, arthritis, or who have had a stroke — may hold down keys too long or double-click letters. To correct these errors, WebAdapt2Me samples typing, detects errors and automatically adjusts the keyboard sensitivity to accommodate different typing styles. This feature is particularly useful for people who frequently conduct Web searches, fill in forms online, participate in online discussion groups or use Web-based e-mail.

Magnification preferences can also help people with hand-movement limitations navigate the Internet by making it easier to select and use browser controls.

The Web adaptation technology created for WebAdapt2Me has received several awards for research innovation including the da Vinci Award from the Engineering Society of Detroit and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society, Michigan Chapter; Best New Ability Research Award from the New Freedom Foundation; and Product of the Year Gold Award from the National Business & Disability Council.