New Easy Web Browsing makes Web surfing a breeze

Helps seniors and people who are colorblind or have low vision easily access the Internet.

Visitors to the IBM home page at www.ibm.com can now download a complimentary copy of Easy Web Browsing. The new software allows seniors and people who are colorblind or have limited vision to access the Web more easily by:

• Setting a comfortable page magnification level.
• Zooming in on selected portions of the Web page.
• Changing the color of the page background and text.
• Opting to have the computer read the text aloud, in a choice of languages.

Download your evaluation copy of Easy Web Browsing here.

Easy Web Browsing is the latest in a long line of innovative IBM technology that can make a difference in the lives of individuals. These IBM inventions, beginning with the early Braille printers and talking typewriters of the past, also includes:

From the day in 1914 when IBM hired the first employee with disabilities, the corporation has been committed to diversity in its hiring practices and to accommodating all employees so they can make a maximum contribution at work.

IBM has issued a corporate directive to design accessibility features into its products, including hardware, software and services. IBM clients are finding that accessible information technology not only empowers their employees, but also helps the companies reach a broader range of customers. For example, IBM worked with Mitsukoshi, one of the oldest and most prestigious retail stores in Japan, to build an accessible online shopping Website. Mitsukoshi finds the Web site attracts seniors and people with visual impairments, who like to shop from home. Case Study

IBM actively supports accessibility standards that are consistent – or "harmonized" – country to country. When global standards are the same, companies like IBM can invent once, and then build innovative products that meet guidelines everywhere, speeding new technology to the people that need it most.

IBM is working with local and national governments in several countries that want to use accessible technology to better serve a diverse population:

• In Italy, IBM is working with the Italian Senate to make its website accessible to citizens.
• In the United States, IBM provides an accessible Web portal as the single point of contact for citizens of the State of Arizona to access government services and information. Case Study
• In China, IBM has signed a far-reaching partnership agreement with the China Disabled Persons Federation to help the government there aid citizens with disabilities through science and technology. With 60 million disabled citizens in China, the government is working toward a "Harmonious Society" to help people with disabilities move from "survival to self-achievement." More information

Throughout the world, according to the World Health Organization, almost 1 billion people live with impairments in their speech, vision, mobility, hearing or cognitive abilities. And, as the world's population ages, many more people will need an assist for fading eyesight, hearing and limited mobility. But with accessible technology, we can remain productive, regardless of our age or physical ability.