Editors: Reporters and photographers are welcome to attend either session on Nov. 27 or Nov. 29 at 9:30 a.m.
A picture isn't worth a thousand words to Zuhair Mah'd. But Mah'd, who is visually disabled, still finds the Internet to be a valuable resource.
In an effort to help students learn how to design Web sites that are user-friendly for people with disabilities, Mah'd will speak to undergraduate and graduate business students on Nov. 27 at 9:30 a.m. in the ÃÛÌÇÖ±²¥-Boulder Leeds School of Business, room 301.
Mah'd's visit is part of a Leeds School systems course that teaches systems design and implementation. He will demonstrate how he surfs the Internet using an audio screen reader, as well as raise awareness among students that people with disabilities have the same technological needs as people without disabilities.
"Exposing students to the challenges that people with disabilities face creates an opportunity for students to gain a skill set in something other institutions don't necessarily offer," said Ken Kozar, the systems professor who teaches the course. "We always preach the idea of having empathy for users. There are 30 million people with disabilities in the United States, so we need to make systems usable for them, too."
Students also will gain hands-on training in creating user-friendly Web sites during a special session on Nov. 29 at 9:30 a.m. Class exercises will simulate visual disabilities and give students an opportunity to experience technology such as the screen reader Mah'd will demonstrate.
The classes coincide with the goals of the recently named Leeds School's efforts to teach students social responsibility and an appreciation of diversity. "Aside from the business applications of these sessions, it's just the right thing to do," Kozar said.