Craft website for the visually impaired

Dynamic Resource Group of Berne has reformatted its free pattern Web site, FreePatterns.com, to be accessible to the visually impaired. The new feature became available on Feb. 6, 2006.According to the American Federation for the Blind, there are at least 1.5 million visually impaired computer users, including a large number who are blind. Blind and visually impaired persons are able to surf the Web using technology that translates information from their computer screen into either speech or Braille.

DRG, publisher of books, magazines and pattern booklets in a number of special interest areas, recently received an e-mail from an avid knitter, Eileen Scrivani, who also happens to be blind. Scrivani expressed concern that the company’s FreePatterns.com Web site lacked vision-impaired access.As a result, the company researched vision-impaired accessibility and made the necessary technological changes. Now, all of its free patterns are tagged to enable screen readers to translate them into audio. “

After exchanging e-mails with Eileen, I realized what a difference it could make if we upgraded the patterns to a version that allowed for text tagging,” said Marylee Klinkhammer, Web developer and internet services manager for DRG. “I am very pleased that every pattern on FreePatterns.com is now tagged to enable screen reading. This is a great resource for visually impaired crafters because there are nearly 2,000 craft and needlecraft patterns to download from the site.

”FreePatterns.com is available to the general public at no charge, and includes patterns in knit, crochet, paper crafting, quilting, sewing, tatting, plastic canvas, woodworking and general crafts. Members can download patterns from the Web site at www.freepatterns.com.DRG is headquartered in Berne and owned entirely by the Muselman family. It is now in its third generation and has two major business divisions; one in magazine and book publishing and consumer catalogs, and the other in subscription and product fulfillment.

The company Web site is located at www.drgnetwork.com.About Dynamic Resource Group (DRG): Dynamic Resource Group is an 80-year-old family business, headquartered in Berne, Ind., and owned entirely by the Muselman family. Now in its third generation as a privately owned company, DRG has two major business divisions; one in magazine and book publishing and consumer catalogs (DRG Publishing), and the other in subscription and product fulfillment (Strategic Fulfillment Group). SFG is located in a 140,000-square-foot fulfillment facility in Big Sandy, Texas, 100 miles east of Dallas. I

t offers clients a state-of-the-art unified database that facilitates the marketing and fulfillment of magazines, continuities and products, all under one roof.DRG Publishing encompasses leading brands, including Annie’s Attic, American School of Needlework, House of White Birches, Clotilde and The Needlecraft Shop. DRG publishes 15 magazines in the quilting, crochet, plastic canvas, knitting, nostalgia, woodworking, paper craft and cooking fields. It also publishes hardcover consumer books and instruction books that are sold direct to consumers and through wholesale and trade channels.