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shayela mohib
International
Taxing noises
13 September 2002
A cacophony of speaking revenue forms is now bombarding taxpayers from computer terminals across America
The US Inland Revenue Service has removed one more excuse from reluctant taxpayers avoiding its online services. If Americans say they are having problems seeing internet tax forms, they will now be able to hear them instead, the IRS
In an attempt to make its online services more accessible, the IRS has set up a talking tax form system which communicates the contents of an electronic form monotonously, relentlessly, line by line until the user gets the message.
The tax agency has spent a year setting up the system which reads both text and PDF files to the user. It is primarily set up to help people with visual impairments. It was developed by the IRS together with its suppliers Adobe Systems and Plexus Scientific.
Other public organisations are now interested in the software with officials at the Social Security Administration, the Justice Department and the House of Representatives keen to work with the technology.
The initiative is part of a legal requirement in the US, known as Section 508, to make web pages and electronic documents accessible to people with disabilities.
Source: Kable's Electronic Government International
Publication date: 13/09/2002 12:48:52 PM
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