The first speaker described a system that allows the exchange of data via speech between users and a database in both English and Chinese. The second talk presented a meta-method for assessing and achieving accessibility of Web pages by a diverse group of users. Below, we summarize the main points of each and show how the various pieces informed the issues addressed in the other presentations.
Users can dial up and request information about the exchange rates of various currencies.
The system currently works in English and Cantonese Chinese with plans to expand it to Mandarin Chinese as well. Telephone access is possible through landline and mobile phones using various standards. Reuters is a sponsor of the project and supplies a dedicated satellite feed for it. Users can choose between two different interactions aimed at novice and expert users. The directed dialogue option offers stepwise guidance while the natural language interaction allows users to use entire sentences with all the information they want to convey to the system.