By John T. Moore

Ann Arbor, Mich.

Thanks to an Ann Arbor, Mich.-based nonprofit called AssistiveMedia, visually impaired people aren't being left out of the Internet revolution.

Through its Web site, AssistiveMedia allows users to listen to spoken-word recordings of previously printed literary works using RealPlayer -- a product of RealNetworks Inc.

"What I think is so very neat about AssistiveMedia is that we achieve our mission of delivering accessible literary works directly through the Internet," says David Erdody, founder and CEO of AssistiveMedia. "I feel I give one more outlet that overcomes a really tough barrier a lot of people face."

In addition to helping visually impaired people, Erdody says AssistiveMedia can benefit those with cerebral palsy, autism, developmental dyslexia, congenital limb deficiencies, multiple sclerosis, muscular dystrophy, Parkinson's disease, rheumatoid arthritis, closed head injury, traumatic brain injury, stroke, spinal cord injury, asphyxia and heart, kidney, liver and lung disease.

The site has few graphics, and text links are easily navigated in order to accommodate users with poor vision, Erdody says. A person who is completely blind will have special software that "reads" the text on their computer screen in an artificial voice, allowing them to navigate the information on the Web page.

AssistiveMedia didn't begin with a Web site, however. The nonprofit was created in 1996 with a small cadre of readers who helped Erdody record originally inaccessible materials free-of-charge for libraries to use for the blind and physically handicapped.

Erdody was inspired to form the organization by his father Kenneth Erdody, who was a lifelong Type 1 diabetic and an avid reader.

"His diminishing vision became a concern for me," says the younger Erdody. "So I undertook searching for accessible literary works and discovered, through the Library of Congress that less than 5 percent of publications in the United States are provided in an alternative audio-based format specifically for people with text reading disabilities."

In March 1998, Erdody evolved the service to directly serve computer users with disabilities around the world.

RealNetworks' RealMedia technology enables the site's worldwide audience to instantly access media content over the Internet with no long download times. Erdody says that the RealPlayer program has improved dramatically since the introduction of the RealAudio format in 1995.

He first used RealAudio to do online narrations of art objects for the University of Michigan Museum of Art's Web site. He was, and still is, a Web developer for the University of Michigan.

Narrations for the AssistiveMedia site are done by volunteers. Erdody says he tries to select individuals who possess an exceptional skill at verbal interpretations. They include speakers with various English dialects that can provide an aesthetic multicultural variety of narratives.

Erdody tries to update the site with new recordings each month. When the updates are in place, he informs a list of more than 700 subscribers by e-mail.

Erdody expects that list of subscribers to keep growing as his site gains popularity.

"I really look forward to evolving this service far into the future," he says. "It is such a pleasure to offer."

John T. Moore can be reached at
johntm@mindspring.com