Talking Drupal #130 - Special: Brian Charlson

In this special episode we share the New England Drupal Camp
keynote speech from Brian Charlson.   Brian shares the
struggles of a blind person using a good website and bad
website. 


Brian Charlson is a national authority on assistive technology
for persons who are blind or visually impaired.  Brian has
worked at the Carroll Center for the Blind as both a classroom
instructor and as the Director of Technology over the last 30
years.  Blind himself, he has dedicated his career to
ensuring that persons with vision loss have equal access to
technology and the skills to independently use it in their daily
lives.


As Director of the Carroll Center for the Blind Computer Training
Services program, and as the Chair of the Information Access
Committee of the American Council of the Blind, he has worked
with Sun Micro Systems, Adobe Systems, Microsoft, IBM and may
other companies to improve the accessibility of mainstream
products and services. While working with Freedom Scientific, GW
Micro, AI Squared and Duxbury Systems, among others, to assure
that access technology keeps up with the rapidly changing
information technologies used in school, offices and places of
public accommodation.


Brian has presented at national and international technology,
leadership and special education conferences including traveling
to Spain, Israel, Greece, England, Canada and Australia.  He
is often a guest speaker on subjects related to access to
technology for those with disabilities at universities, library
associations and other media events. Brian has taken leadership
roles in local, state, national and international consumer groups
including the Bay State Council of the Blind, Library Users of
America, American Council of the Blind and the World Blind Union.
 Brian is an advocate for quality services for people who
are blind so that they can achieve their individual best. 


Brian’s current passions include universal design so that
mainstream technologies can be used by everyone; making access
technology training available to everyone who needs it; Major
League Baseball as a fan of the Boston Red Sox and internet radio
as the co-host of the Yin Yang Show on ACB Radio Interactive.