[Nfb-science] MSDS Sheets/Training Accessibility

[Peter Donahue]

Hello Leisa and listers,

    Not enough space for Braille? If you asked me it's the most efficient
way to go. How about having the sheets translated in to electronic Braille
format which you can load in to your notetaker and can search for the
information you need. And of of course  they'll be available for other blind
employees who need to access them.

    I don't believe that altering a chart so it can be presented in a
specialized format is going to make anyone libel for anything as long as the
information contained in the chart remains intact. Remember you're not
altering the document's content; just the medium in which it is displayed.

    Although progress has been made in making Portable Document Files more
accessible PDF with screen reading technology files are still a royal pain
for a blind person to access if they're not marked up correctly so they can
be read efficiently with screen reading software.

    If you produce them in hard-copy Braille they should only take up a few
book shelves  so no one need worry about being evicted from their home or
kennel. IF GDB needs someone to translate them in to Braille we know of
someone who can do it. If the Education Service Center Region 20 transcribes
them in to hard-copy, or E-Braille Format I bet I know who will proofread
them. She's currently on her way home from work. I'm talking about my Mary.
I'm going to CC her on this message so she can inject her thoughts in to
this discussion since she's the Braille transcription expert.
Hope this helps.

Peter Donahue
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Leisa Sekhon" <lsekhon at guidedogs.com>
To: "NFB Science and Engineering Division List" <nfb-science at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 4:19 PM
Subject: Re: [Nfb-science] MSDS Sheets/Training Accessibility


Hi Peter, Thanks, as usual, for your comments.  We have over 80
chemicals that are used on campus.  We don't, for obvious space issues,
want to use Braille.  Otherwise, the .pdf's that are available on most
of the manufacturer websites are not very accessible .pdf's, I have
heard.  Is this not true?  Are the charts and tables that are used in
those .pdf's able to be altered to be JAWS friendly?  And, there are
some legal issues about not being able to alter those sheets because
then the manufacturers are liable for anything going wrong with the
altered information.

I have to be able to quickly refer to any of the 80 plus sheets that we
have.

What do you think?  Anyone else?

Leisa

-----Original Message-----
From: nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org
[mailto:nfb-science-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Peter Donahue
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 2:47 PM
To: NFB Science and Engineering Division List
Subject: Re: [Nfb-science] MSDS Sheets/Training Accessibility

Hello Leisa and listers,

I don't believe that making MSDS sheets available in specialized formats
is
any more complicated than making other types of material available in
these
formats. I've accessed these sheets from chemical manufacturer Web
sites, or
have had them translated in to Braille just as I would any other type of
document. That's really where it begins and ends as far as I'm
concerned.

Peter Donahue

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Leisa Sekhon" <lsekhon at guidedogs.com>
To: <nfb-science at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Saturday, March 31, 2007 1:54 PM
Subject: [Nfb-science] MSDS Sheets/Training Accessibility


Hello,

I'm trying to find people that are employed in jobs that come in contact
with certain chemicals, or if you know of anyone that goes through MSDS
Training or had to access MSDS chemical sheets on your or their job
sites?  These information sheets are put out by chemical manufacturers
to describe the chemical, what it would interact badly with, and what to
do if you ingest it, etc.  The sheets are usually kept in each
department of a job site that comes in contact with certain chemicals,
disinfectants, etc., on a regular basis.  There is also usually a yearly
training to refresh employee knowledge of such products and procedures.




I work for Guide Dogs for the Blind, Inc., in the kennels, and we have
such information presented to our staff regularly.  I am researching
what other blind/visually impaired employees have done to make this
information accessible to them.  What format is used, have they had any
dealing with the chemical companies to make this info accessible, etc.
So, these may be somewhat questions for managers of those employees, but
I thought you may be a good resource.  Please feel free to forward this
email to anyone that may have some insight on this issue.



Thanks,



Leisa










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