[acb-hsp] FW: [acb-l] [leadership] press release: American Cancer Society

Thu Feb 24 22:03:11 GMT 2011

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From: acb-l-bounces at acb.org [mailto:acb-l-bounces at acb.org] On Behalf Of
peter altschul
Sent: Thursday, February 24, 2011 1:42 PM
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Subject: [acb-l] [leadership] press release: American Cancer Society

---- Original Message ------
From: "Sharon Lovering" <slovering at acb.org
Subject: [leadership] press release: American Cancer Society
Date sent: Thu, 24 Feb 2011 15:03:32 -0500

FOR MORE INFORMATION, CONTACT:

Claire Greenwell

American Cancer Society

Phone: (404) 417- 5883

Email:  <mailto:claire.greenwell at cancer.org> 
claire.greenwell at cancer.org

Mitch Pomerantz

American Council of the Blind

Phone: 626-372-5150

Email: mitch.pomerantz at earthlink.net

American Cancer Society's New Website Designed for Enhanced 
Accessibility

Blind Community Leaders Praise ACS Initiative; Alternative Format 
Pilot
Program Also Underway

ATLANTA- February 23, 2011-The American Cancer Society (ACS), in
collaboration with the American Council of the Blind (ACB), has 
taken
affirmative steps to make its newly redesigned cancer.org website 
and other
information accessible to people with visual impairments.  The 
American
Cancer Society's new website provides an improved experience for 
anyone
looking for information, help or ways to fight back against 
cancer.  The new
cancer.org is divided into four main sections - Stay Healthy, 
Find Support &
Treatment, Explore Research and Get Involved - that reflect the 
primary ways
the American Cancer Society helps save lives from cancer.

"When the American Cancer Society launched its newly redesigned 
cancer.org
website, we were able to offer an improved experience for anyone 
looking for
online cancer information," said Terry Music, chief mission 
delivery officer
for the American Cancer Society.  "We are pleased that we can 
also make our
content easily accessible to people with visual impairments 
through our
collaboration with the American Council of the Blind."

"We are thrilled with American Cancer Society's commitment to 
make its
website accessible to people with visual impairments," said Mitch 
Pomerantz,
President of ACB.  "Today's announcement is part of the Society's 
on-going
effort to meet the needs of the visually impaired.  The website 
will provide
critical information to those in our community touched by cancer, 
as well as
family and friends."

Website Accessibility

The American Cancer Society's new website is designed to meet 
guidelines
issued by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World 
Wide Web
Consortium (W3C) (www.w3.org/wai).  The guidelines, which do not 
affect the
content or look and feel of a web site, ensure that sites are 
accessible to
persons with visual and other disabilities.  The guidelines are 
of
particular benefit to blind computer users who use screen reader 
voice
output or magnification technology on their computers and who 
rely on a
keyboard instead of a mouse for navigation.

"Web site accessibility is of great importance to both the blind 
community
and to people with disabilities generally," said ACB First Vice 
President
Kim Charlson of Boston, Massachusetts.  "Today's announcement is 
an
important milestone in the blind community's quest for 
independent access to
health information."

Alternative Format Pilot Program

The Society's accessible website is part of a broader initiative 
to ensure
the availability of cancer information to people who are blind 
and visually
impaired.  As part of that initiative, the Society has worked 
with ACB to
develop a pilot program that will offer certain ACS materials in 
Braille,
Large Print and Audio Formats to individuals whose disabilities 
prevent them
from reading standard print.

Details of the information available in alternative formats can 
be found at
www.cancer.org/AboutUs/ACSPolicies/accessibility-at-the-american-
cancer-soci
ety-policy .  Members of the public with visual impairments may 
call
1-800-227-2345 for more information and to request materials in 
other
formats.

About American Cancer Society

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with 
nearly a
century of experience to save lives and end suffering from 
cancer.  As a
global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we 
fight for
every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community.  We 
save lives
by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it 
early;
helping people get well by being there for them during and after 
a cancer
diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking 
discovery;
and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat 
cancer and
by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight.  As the 
nation's largest
non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more 
than $3.5
billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do.  As a 
result,
more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and 
countless
more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year.  
To learn
more about us or to get help, call us any time, day or night, at
1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org <http://www.cancer.org/> .

About American Council of the Blind (ACB)

American Council of the Blind is a national consumer-based 
advocacy
organization working on behalf of blind and visually impaired 
Americans
throughout the country, with members organized through seventy 
state and
special interest affiliates.  ACB is dedicated to improving the 
quality of
life, equality of opportunity and independence of all people who 
have visual
impairments.  Its members and affiliated organizations have a 
long history
of commitment to the advancement of policies and programs which 
will enhance
independence for people who are blind and visually impaired.  
More
information about ACB can be found by visiting www.acb.org
<http://www.acb.orgs/> .

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