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	Press Release
For Immediate Distribution
>>From
http://www.Audio-Tips.com
September 12, 2000
Sydney Olympics
A Call For Live Volunteers On Line - Audio Angels.
A solution to help the blind community on the Internet gain access to
the
Official Sydney Olympic Games web site has been offered in a unique
way -
using live humans to help.
As reported by ZDNet Australia as late as September 4, 2000,
Organizers of
the official Sydney Olympic Games web site say it "will not be
possible"
to
make Olympics.com accessible to the blind before Opening Ceremony
September
15th, 2000. They estimated the cost in excess of AU$2 million and
taking
368
working days to complete. IBM was contracted to create the site.
George Buys, creator of the
http://www.Audio-Tips.com
 community, himself
blind has offered a unique solution.
George's site has endeavored to bring free web based group Voice Chat
to
the
blind and sighted Internet community, and has created web pages easily
accessible by any person using Internet Explorer or Netscape Navigator
on
a
Windows Platform.
For this occasion, web pages have been created to allow a site map of
the
Olympics Game site, with a link to an associated voice chat room
directly
above it on the page.
This is a link to the Sydney Olympics Voice Enabled Site.
http://www.audio-tips.com/SydneyOlympics2000.html
Upon clicking on a voice room link, a small window appears in the
browser,
and an automatically downloading ActiveX control for Internet Explorer
or
embedded control for Netscape Navigator will load within a few
minutes,
even
with a slow 28.8 Kbps modem. Speakers to listen, a microphone to talk
and
let the live accessibility begin!
George says he is asking for "Audio Angels", people who are sighted or
are
capable of giving help to people having difficulty in navigating the
web
pages to describe the site and the updates as they happen, and in
general
hold discussions of the appropriate web pages and events.
He hopes that volunteers from all nations will lend a helping hand
that
will
extend around the globe.
George's site,
http://www.audio-tips.com
 was developed with his desire to
create a volunteer community of people helping people, sharing their
experience, strengths, and hope.
Links to the Olympic web pages open the page in a new browser window,
thus not infringing upon the rights of the Olympic Committee in any
way.
(References to Recent Articles)
August 9, 2000 4:36 AM PT
Olympics Web site riddled with blind spots
Organizers claim there's no time to make the official Web site
of the 2000 Sydney Games accessible to everyone.
http://www.zdnet.com/zdnn/stories/news/0,4586,2613315,00.html
Monday September 04, 2000
Olympic site must race for blind accessibility
http://www.zdnet.com.au/zdnn/stories/zdnn_display/au0005194.html
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