Dolphin Announces Access to Terminal Services
Good news for network users
1st Nov, 2003
Dolphin's latest software provides equality of access for users of thin client technology.
Worcester, England - November 20th 2003 - Dolphin Computer Access today announced the availability of their award winning access software now with terminal server support. Following the success of extensive software trials amongst several public sector and corporate clients in the UK and USA, Dolphin is pleased to announce their latest release of computer access software with support for terminal server sessions.
Following more than 5 months of client trials using Windows Terminal Server and Citrix MetaFrame operating systems, the latest software release from Dolphin allows blind and visually impaired computer users unprecedented access to applications running on remote thin clients, as well as Windows desktop terminals.
Versions 5.30 of Supernova, Hal, Lunar and LunarPlus provide a combination of screen magnification, speech and Braille support for Windows desktop terminals and speech and Braille support for thin client terminals. This now allows businesses to offer equality of access to their computer systems from all networked terminals. Speech support within a thin client environment will necessitate the use of an external hardware synthesiser.
Mike Hill, Dolphin's Software Director said "This is a real breakthrough in access software development. It will allow large employers and universities to offer full inclusion and equality to blind and visually impaired computer users from any networked terminal."
"Many employers are implementing thin client technology in the workplace, and we at the Royal National Institute for the Blind have been monitoring the situation for some time," said Ruth Loebl, Senior UK ICT Development Officer at the RNIB. "Until very recently, applications delivered this way have been completely inaccessible to access technology users, so we are delighted that Dolphin have now developed magnification, speech output and Braille solutions for this platform. This will enable employers to hire and retain more blind and partially sighted employees in jobs where thin client technology is used, and should offer new opportunities for employment and career development to people who rely on access technology to do their job."
Dolphin has been working very closely with their customers and the Accessible Technology Team at Microsoft and the Citrix Corporation in order to make accessibility through Terminal Services a reality.
"We are always delighted to work with Dolphin in order to extend the use of their accessibility solutions to more customers," said Mike Schutz, technical product manager, Windows Server Product Management Group, Microsoft Corp. "As a result of the combined efforts of Dolphin and Microsoft, customers will now be able to benefit from accessibility features when running applications in a Terminal Server session."
"This technology is going to make a real difference to people working in large enterprise environments and their employers, " said Steve Bennett, Dolphin's European Sales Director. "It will enable people with a visual impairment to meet their full career potential, and allow their employers to choose the best person for the job without being limited by technology."
The move supports the US government's implementation of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act and the UK government's Disability Discrimination Act 1995.
