Qualitative methods of data collection and analysis were used. The project involved focus group meetings with representatives from groups and peak disability organisations in the states of Victoria, NSW, and the ACT. The data was analysed using techniques of analytical induction and thematic analysis.
A major strength of the browser produced on the basis of the evaluation is that it incorporates technology oriented to a range of specific disabilities in with a single generic software package.
MultiWeb can be used to access documents available on the Internet. As part of the project a document containing disability rights and employment related information was published in electronic format. The document that was chosen for publication by focus group members was A User Guide to the Disability Discrimination Act (Villamanta Document).
This project was completed in July 1997 and MultiWeb was launched by The Hon. Warwick Smith MP minister for Family Services in November 1997. The report on the project Computer Assisted Access to Documentation: An Evaluation and Further Development of the Technology is available for viewing from the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services Office of Disability Web Site.
Richard Braithwaite is a lecturer in the School of Management Information Systems at Deakin University. Richard has been working with computers in various capacities for ten years and lecturing in Management Information Systems for four years. He currently lectures in Electronic Commerce (including the development of Web pages), Data Communications, and Systems Development, teaching students to develop Windows-based software using Visual BASIC. He has supervised honours projects as well as a number of undergraduate-student case study projects involving software development for actual clients external to the university. He has also made significant use of multi-media technology to support his teaching, having developed course material in both Powerpoint and World Wide Web formats.
Prior to working for Deakin University he worked for Telecom Australia where he was involved in telecommunications and quality assurance as well as computers. His experience in computers also includes development of Management Information Systems, Local Area Network administration, hardware maintenance and user support. Richard can be contacted via e-mail at richardb@deakin.edu.au
Susan Keller was involved in the systems analysis, design, programming, beta testing and user documentation of both the LEAD and the MultiWeb Browser projects. She is currently lecturing in systems development at Deakin University and has a keen interest in universal accessibility issues. Susan has several years industry experience covering areas such as systems development, training and support. She can be contacted via e-mail at at susank@deakin.edu.au
Ms Gayle Lamb Ms Gayle Lamb is a Lecturer in the School of Studies in Disability at Deakin University and is Manager of the Special Needs Technology Centre. Gayle has had many years of experience in the education of students with visual impairments and learning difficulties and as a member of the Technical Aids Liaison Group (Victoria) and Convenor of the Special Education Computer Interest Group. Gayle's work has been published in Australia and New Zealand. She has been a consultant to the Foundation for the Blind in New Zealand and has been involved in the development of Moon and Cheyne fonts for use in embossed systems of communication. Gayle lectures in Technology and Disability and Applied Information Systems and Disability. She was involved in the evaluation of MultiWeb. Gayle can be contacted via e-mail at gaylel@deakin.edu.au
Ms Janet Owens is a lecturer in the School of Studies in Disability, Deakin University. She lectures in communication-related areas at both the undergraduate and graduate levels, particularly in communication impairment, Social context of disability, Early Intervention, Nature and Identification of Disability, Clinical Aspects of Disability, Hearing Impairment and Deafness, and Ageing.
Janet has worked with individuals with communication impairments in the USA and Australia. She has been the coordinator of the Hearing Impairment and Deafness graduate diploma course at Deakin and has worked closely with people who are deaf (in educational and other facilities) for the past 12 years. She has also worked with educational facilities for students with severe and multiple disabilities in the construction of curriculum documents on communication.
Janet's research has been in the area of augmentative communication and efficacy of key word signing workshops, development of a tactile training program and a tactile communication symbol program for severely and multiply disabled deaf-blind students, and phonological performance of deaf students using different methods of communication.
She is a member of Speech Pathology Australia and AGOSKI (among others) and has assisted with coordination of augmentative communication workshops given by Pat Mirenda and Carol Goossens in Melbourne. Janet has presented papers at national and international conferences and has published both journal articles and book chapters. Janet can be contacted via e-mail at jowens@deakin.edu.au
Kaye Smith, B.A.(Disability Studies), M.A. Lecturer, Institute of Disability Studies, Deakin University. Kaye has studied and worked in the disability area for fifteen years. Kaye has recently been awarded a scholarship to undertake a Ph.D in the area of employment and disability. Kaye has a Master of Arts in disability studies, her thesis for this degree was entitled "Investigation of computer-assisted instruction for mentally retarded individuals". As a member of the Equity Access Research and Development Group at Deakin University since 1996, Kaye has been involved in a number of recent research projects including the MultiWeb browser project. Kaye is currently working on a project funded by the Commonwealth Department of Health and Family Services which is evaluating the outcomes of employing a person with a disability from an employer's perspective. Kaye can be contacted via e-mail at smithk@deakin.edu.au
Diana Verlinden was involved in the systems analysis, design, programming, beta testing and user documentation of both the LEAD and the MultiWeb Browser projects. She has a Bachelor of Business, Honours (Computing) from Deakin University. Diana has worked in the computer industry for the past eight years. During this time she has worked for both the government and private sector across a number of areas. Her experience includes software training and support, technical engineering, network administration, software design and development and project management.