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The Alternative to PDF: Using Sphinx to Build an EPUB

In a previous blog post, we explained why PDFs have outlived their usefulness and that you should be using the EPUB format instead. It just makes sense to use a format that gives you a wide variety of accessible and mobile-friendly options by default. But what is EPUB exactly and how does one use it? An EPUB file is a ZIP archive that contains HTML5 files, images, CSS style sheets, and everything used to essentially make a website. It can handle most elements that are associated with modern browsers, which make’s is a great way to share documents in a...

PDF is Dead, Long live EPUB

PDFs have served their purpose, but it is time to stop using them. Just as they have become convenient to use they have outlived their usefulness . PDFs need to be seen as the liability that they are. PDFs were intended to be a Portable Document Format. Something that anyone could open and read in a common format. It’s been a way more professional way to send a document like a resume or annual report than using Microsoft Word. There are far fewer concerns about virus’ or version numbers and it generally managed to lock in the look of the...

How & Why People With Disabilities Should Engage with Open-source Software Communities

I have been developing open-source software now for over a decade and feel that community software is a really important concept for inclusive technology. With the rise of the Linux operating system and more importantly with the growth of the Internet, more people and companies have embraced a collaborative culture. The growth of do-it-yourself initiatives that allow creators to use, modify and distribute ideas is key to making technology fit a wider range of humanity. My company, OpenConcept, has been developing open-source solutions for the Web for the last 15 years. We develop with a popular Content Management System (CMS)...

Promoting BCorps in Canada

OpenConcept organized and hosted an event in our offices to promote Benefit Corps (BCorp) earlier in the year. It was great to see just how many people came out to this event on a very cold February evening. We did this because we want to see more businesses in Canada become interested in becoming certified. We reached out to MP's & MPP's because there are legislative changes that can be made which will provide more incentives for businesses to become BCorps. We also reached out to municipal counselors as municipalities in the USA are starting to take measures to incentivize...

Why Use CART Services for your Next Event?

Most people have never heard of Communication Access Realtime Translation (CART), but it is a great way to make a live event more accessible. CART isn't as good for the deaf as ASL, but it is generally seen as sufficient accommodations. The Canadian Hearing Society has some very legitimate concerns about how CART is implemented and provides suggestions about how this should be regulated better. I've now seen CART used at Carleton's Accessibility Summit , Accessibility Camp TO and CSUN15 but have only seen them at accessibility focused events. In organizing A11yYOW last year, we made sure to include CART...

Computers are Everywhere, Security Awareness Is Even More Critical

With the cost of computers dropping we are seeing them in places most people don't recognize. It is totally amazing the computing power that's been built into the $35 Raspberry Pi and they are also in our cars, TVs and many other products that could never afford to be "smart" before. One of the most common devices that people don't see as computers is their router. Most organizations now have several routers to make it more convenient to access the Internet. Although they don't look much like computers, they are. OpenConcept is a web development shop and doesn't offer security...

Gratitude & the Drupal Community

At this time of year, a lot of people are thinking about gifts, both those that we give and receive. It is often a joyous time, although often stressful too. People come together and often reflect on what has happened in the last year, celebrate the victories and set new goals for the year ahead. We have a great deal to be thankful for and it is a time of year when we find ourselves expressing gratitute for those who have supported us and are part of our community. I don't think we are particularly good at doing this in...

Ladies Learning Code - Drupal Ottawa

I was happy to have OpenConcept well represented at Ottawa's first Ladies Learning Code Drupal event. There was a great turnout of interested people, keen to get their feet wet learning Drupal. Mathew Winstone from Coldfront Labs led the full day event. It was clear how much work he had put into getting new people who weren't familiar with programming started with Drupal. It was great to be able to leverage Pantheon 's free hosting service to get people started. Fortunately, we didn't need to introduce the students to Git or installing a local environment before getting them involved in...

BADCamp 2014 - Accessibility & Drupal 8

San Francisco is beautiful in the fall, BADCamp has become a real institution in the Drupal community, and I had an opportunity to present about Drupal 8's accessibility. So I packed my bags and flew down to sunny California and was able to participate in several Drupal Core Code Sprints , the NGO Summit and several talks. It is useful to go to these community events and to have a chance to hang out with other people who are shaping this community. The Drupal community involves a lot of passionate people who believe strongly in collaboration. It is always exciting...

A11yYOW - Building Ottawa's Accessibility Community

Digital Accessibility is a really big and complicated issue. There are no simple fixes because the technology keeps changing and the web standards are regularly being adjusted in attempt to keep up. A site that is considered accessible today, may not be accessible viewed this way in 6 months. Ultimately it is about building technology such that the widest number of people can have the greatest access to the web. The web has become our town square and school as well as our our path to city hall and venue for purchasing for goods and services. Increasingly, to be an...

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