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HTML
235 lines
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<!doctype html public "-//w3c//dtd html 4.0 transitional//en">
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<html>
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<head>
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<title>The GNOME Foundation: Membership Policy</title>
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</head>
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<body bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
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<center>
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<table BORDER=2 CELLPADDING=5 WIDTH="595" NOSAVE >
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<tr VALIGN=TOP NOSAVE>
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<td VALIGN=TOP NOSAVE>
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<center>
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<a href="http://www.gnome.org">
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<img SRC="../gnome.jpg" ALT="" height=250 width=198 border=0></a><img
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SRC="../text.png" ALT="The GNOME Foundation" height=198 width=354>
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</center>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<tr>
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<td>
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<center>
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<a href="../index.html">Home</a> :
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Press :
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<a href="../organization.html">Organization</a> :
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<a href="../documentation.html">Documentation</a> :
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<a href="../membership.html">Membership</a> :
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<a href="../elections.html">Elections</a> :
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<a href="../directory.html">Directory</a>
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</center>
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<br>
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<center>
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<a href="../press.html">[Other Press Releases]</a>
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</center>
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</td>
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</tr>
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<!-- End of Boilerplate -->
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<tr>
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<td>
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<br>
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<h3 align="center">Users with Disabilities Get Built-in Assistive Technology Solutions with the GNOME 2.0 Desktop</h3>
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<P>
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<B>New developments make the GNOME 2.0 Desktop more accessible to the needs
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of users with disabilities.</B>
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<P>
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New York, N.Y. January 28, 2002 - The GNOME Foundation today announced
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the latest innovative assistive technology contributions to the GNOME
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project, an open-source, free-software desktop for GNU/Linux and UNIX.
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BAUM Retec AG delivers the first full-featured GNOME screen magnifier, a
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screen reader, and a set of Braille drivers to meet the needs of
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vision-impaired users and the Adaptive Technology Resource Centre,
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University of Toronto is delivering the first GNOME on-screen keyboard
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to support users with motor impairments. These built-in assistive
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technologies seamlessly integrate with a new generation of accessible
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applications as they enable users with disabilities to easily interact
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with applications that can adapt to their needs.
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<P>
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These new assistive technologies leverage Sun Microsystems, Inc.'s
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contribution of the GNOME Accessibility Framework. This framework based
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on an open architecture, provides a comprehensive toolkit and APIs, that
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developers can use to create accessible applications and interface them
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with assistive technologies on any UNIX or GNU/Linux platform running
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the GNOME 2.0 desktop. With the combination of the Accessibility
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Framework and assistive technologies, users with disabilities have the
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solutions they need to get their job done efficiently:
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<UL>
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<LI>
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Screen Magnifier - enables users with low vision to enlarge the
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computer screen and interact with the magnified portion of the screen
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they are accessing, such as menus, toolbars, graphics, and text
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</LI>
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<LI>
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Screen Reader - allows users who are blind or visually impaired
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to access information on the computer screen through a Braille display
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or synthesized speech. With screen readers users can read and edit text,
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manipulate menu bars, buttons and dialog boxes, and fully interact with
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the GNOME desktop
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</LI>
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<LI>
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On-screen Keyboard - provides users with physical impairments a
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wide variety of ways to enter text and manipulate the graphical user
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interface of applications and the GNOME desktop. In addition,
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environments without a keyboard, such as a touch screen kiosk, can take
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advantage of the on-screen keyboard. This on-screen keyboard goes beyond
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the standard physical keyboard, it supports word prediction, scanning
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access, coded access, customizable keyboard layouts, and dynamic
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keyboard functionality that conveniently places menu bar options and
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other application elements onto the keyboard display for direct
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manipulation
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</LI>
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</UL>
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<P>
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"Integrating accessibility technology solutions with the GNOME desktop
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allows anyone to use GNOME," said Miguel de Icaza, GNOME Foundation
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President. These built-in capabilities provide enterprises with a
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ready-to-go and comprehensive accessible desktop that adapts to the
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needs of users with disabilities. The benefits are vast - for IT
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organizations this cost-effective alternative resolves the problem of
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buying and installing expensive complex software; for disabled users
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it's simpler and more convenient to work and collaborate with team
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members since they have the advantage of using any UNIX or GNU/Linux
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platform running the GNOME 2.0 desktop".
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<P>
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"We chose GNOME because of its open, extensible, and comprehensive
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accessibility architecture," said Thomas Friehoff, CTO, head of software
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development of BAUM Retec AG. "Using the open Assistive Technologies
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Service Provider API we were able to deliver our solutions quickly,
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because it eliminated the need to reinvent assistive technology software
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for different UNIX platforms, saving us time and costs".
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<P>
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"Our center in Toronto specializes in developing information
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technologies that include seamless accessible interfaces," said Jutta
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Treviranus, Director, Adaptive Technology Resource Centre, University of
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Toronto. "The GNOME Accessibility Framework free software project
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enables us to leverage the component-based architecture to develop
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technologies that intelligently integrate alternative access techniques.
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Using this approach we will make the user interface accessible and
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usable by the large group of individuals who cannot use a standard
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keyboard or mouse. We will continue working with the GNOME open source
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project to develop new kinds of user input support, including an open
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source keyboard configuration editor that provides ways to improve the
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efficiency of computer interaction for users with disabilities."
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<P>
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"By providing rich and consistent interfaces for both assistive
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technologies and applications, the accessibility framework enables
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flexible and comprehensive accessibility solutions for GNOME," said Bill
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Haneman, GNOME Accessibility Architect, Sun Microsystems, Inc. "A key
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aspect of the GNOME Accessibility Framework is support for user
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interface component sets beyond the built-in GNOME component set," said
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Peter Korn, Sun Accessibility Architect. "The thousands of applications
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that take advantage of the Java Accessibility API will work with the
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GNOME Accessibility Framework unaltered and gain the benefit of the
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assistive technologies included with the GNOME 2.0 Desktop. In addition,
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other important applications, such as the OpenOffice.org productivity
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suite, are being modified to use these technologies."
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<P>
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<B>Availability</B><BR>
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GNOME Accessibility Framework is available at:
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<a href="http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gap">http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gap</a>
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<P>
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Baum Retec AG assistive technologies are available at:
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<a href="http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gap/AT">
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http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gap/AT</a>
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<P>
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ATRC, University of Toronto assistive technology is available at:
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<a href="http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gap/AT">
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http://developer.gnome.org/projects/gap/AT</a>
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<P>
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<B>About GNOME</B><BR>
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Gnome is a unified, open and rich desktop that employs an intuitive AND
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APPEALING USER INTERFACE, includes a wealth of productivity
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applications,
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SUPPORTS THE LATEST industry STANDARDS, AND PROVIDES AN innovative
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component-based architecture, ALL BUILT ON a powerful network-centric
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architecture.
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GNOME is a free software project (also referred to as open source
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software) that is developing a complete, easy to use desktop for
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GNU/Linux, BSD and a variety of other UNIX and other operating systems.
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The GNOME desktop is used by millions of people around the world. More
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than 500 computer developers, including over 100 full-time, paid
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developers, contribute their time and effort to the project.
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<P>
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<B>About the GNOME Foundation</B><BR>
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Comprised of hundreds of volunteer developers and industry-leading
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companies, the GNOME Foundation is an organization committed to
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supporting the advancement of GNOME. GNOME is an entirely free user
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environment for desktops, networked servers and portable Internet
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devices. The modern architecture and design of GNOME includes a
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technically advanced application development platform and a powerful
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end-user desktop environment. Major leading software industry and
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computer manufacturers support the GNOME development effort, which is
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led by a world-wide community of volunteers. More information on GNOME
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is available at <a href="www.gnome.org">www.gnome.org</a>.
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<P>
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<B>About BAUM Retec AG</B><BR>
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As a leading European provider of products and services for the blind
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and visually impaired, BAUM Retec AG offers a wide range of electronic
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aids for educational, professional and private use. BAUM's products want
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to help visually impaired customers to be more successful in their jobs
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and to have all the possibilities to access information. More
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information on BAUM Retec AG is available at
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<a href="www.baum.de">www.baum.de</a>.
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<P>
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<B>About Adaptive Technology Resource Centre (ATRC), University of Toronto</B><BR>
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The ATRC advances barrier-free access to information technology by
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working directly with information technology manufacturers and
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developers to influence the early design stages of tomorrow's computer
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based technology. The ATRC uses a user-centered design approach to model
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and create solutions that are commercially feasible, operationally
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effective, and inclusive of users with disabilities. The centre works
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closely with government and public sector partners to address
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accessibility issues. More information on Adaptive Technology Resource
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Centre, University of Toronto is available at
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<a href="www.utoronto.ca/atrc">www.utoronto.ca/atrc</a>.
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<P>
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<B>About Sun Microsystems, Inc.</B><BR>
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Sun, Sun Microsystems, the Sun logo, Solaris, Java are trademarks or
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registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and
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other countries. More information on Sun Microsystems, Inc. is available
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at <a href="www.sun.com">www.sun.com</a>.
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<!-- Start of Boilerplate -->
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<tr>
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<td>
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<center><font size=-1>This site is maintained by
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<a href="mailto:membership@gnome.org">the GNOME Foundation Membership and Elections Committee</a>
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and was designed by <a href="mailto:jpsc@users.sourceforge.net">JP
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Schnapper-Casteras</a> and <a href="mailto:bart@eazel.com">Bart Decrem</a>.</font></center>
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</td>
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</tr>
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</table>
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</center>
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</body>
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</html>
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