Volume 2, Issue 1.

Concept:Americans with Disabilities Take Action

The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) is suing Target Corp., for having an inaccessible Website. The NFB claims that the website is violating the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990, which states retailers and other public places are required to make accommodations for people with disabilities.

Screen-reading technologies such as JAWS for Windows, Hal and Hal Professional, MAGic, VoiceOver, and many others have been created to make surfing the web for people with disabilities, a reality. Like any growing technology, adapting the Internet for the disabled has been a rocky road. An overwhelming number of sites are difficult to navigate through, especially ones built semantically incorrect leaving screen-readers unable to interpret.

Though the Act could be interpreted narrowly to exclude electronic retailers, many ecommerce sites are adjusting their websites to be ADA friendly because, “We’re trying to be proactive,” says Best Buy spokeswoman Kelly Groehler. It remains a challenge due to the continuing progression of technologies to keep sites compliant for all viewers. If the trial proves to be a success for the NFB, the future of the web will be an uncomplicated environment for people with disabilities to surf the web.

Recipe:Give Your Pitch a New Niche

For this year’s resolution, think about reinventing your pitch to the ever popular line, “What do you do for a living?” Though the question seems so generic, an active socialite will tackle this question casually 8-10 times in any networking event. Consider these helpful tools to lift your elevator pitch:

1. Don’t chitchat. Inspire. – Get your audience involved with you and what you do in a clear, concise way. If they ask questions, they are interested in your services.
2. Know your Audience. – It is vital to know exactly who benefits from your speech. Communicate ideas they will recognize, so they see precisely how you can assist them or others. Involve them in the conversation.
3. Emit Success. – Talk about your success stories and how they were achieved. These can be great intros into your pitch. Keep to the point. Emit success, not arrogance.
4. Believe in your enthusiasm. – Often people say that laughing is contagious and passion is no different. If you are proactive about what you do, it spreads.

Client:Nevada Rural Counties Retired and Senior Volunteer Program (RSVP)

Nevada Rural Counties RSVP is one of three programs in Nevada that are part of Senior Corps., a national company that connects Americans over 55 with the people and organizations that need their help most. RSVP required a complete overhaul of their pre-existing website and asked Noble Studios for their experience. With various videos and an advanced CMS system, the local RSVP branch is able to inform the community of programs on multiple platforms instantly.

2007 Noblestudios.com