Accessibility Angels: Will you help us to help members who need a little extra help?

Question

Hello WikiTreers!

The Accessibility Angels are volunteers who assist people with disabilities, or older members, who need a little extra help using WikiTree.

We help people with accessibility issues to find their way around WikiTree and match them with volunteers who can transcribe documents into an accessible format and help to edit profiles. Our goal is for WikiTree to be accessible to as many people as possible, including people who use screen readers and other assistive technology.

You can read more about us and how to request our help on our project page here.

We are looking for friendly, helpful and patient volunteers who know their way around WikiTree to:

• act as guides to help people with accessibility issues to get comfortable with WikiTree and its features
• research and transcribe documents and sources that are not in an accessible format
• support members who need a little extra help editing profiles
• liaise with the Wikitree community to ensure WikiTree's website is usable by as many people as possible, including people who use screen readers and other assistive technology

Will you join us?

To join, please leave an ANSWER below and we will be in touch to get you started!

Thank you!

Ian, co-Leader, Accessibility Angels

Answer 1

Thanks for adding me where do I get a list of people who may need or like some help

Comments

Thank you Steve! Perfect timing. I just had a request for some transcription help. I will send you a private message with the details.

Ian

Answer 2

I just took a look at the Accessibility Angels Project task and teams and found that I do exactly what is in the Research and Transcription Team task description almost daily; either via requests in G2G or via requests I get via PM or a google group or sometimes already to my private mail address if I have helped the person before.

If there is a need, I would offer to work in the research and transcriptiam team, if German documents are wanted, which I could then also transcribe and translate into English if needed. I can also read simple Latin documents from mainly Catholic church records and translate them into German or English.

Besides the freely available online archives (FamilySearch, matricula, geneteka, AKVZ and many others) I have access to ancestry.de (only German documents) and archion.

Comments

Hi Dieter! Thank you for your message, and also for the work you do researching, transcribing and translating records.

I will be in touch soon with some more information about joining the Accessibility Angels!

Ian

Answer 3

I would like to join the accessibility project and help others in their quest to find relatives. I have used collaboration and research to find my biological family and relatives since I was adopted. It was a long process and sometimes brick walls had to be broken down, yet perseverance paid off.

Comments

Hi Joel, it sounds like you might be looking for the Adoption Angels Project., who help adoptees and birth families connect with each other. You can sign up for the Adoption Angels here.

The Accessibility Angels help members with disabilities to overcome barriers to accessing WikiTree. If you are interested in joining us, please let me know and I will be in touch about joining. Thanks!

Ian, Accessibility Angels Project Leader

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Ian, Yes I would like to join this project.

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Thank you Joel! I will be in touch shortly,

Ian

Answer 4

Ian, surely. I am a 64 years old Mexican polyglot non professional genealogist in Spanish, English and French languages, with father's family roots in the North-East Italian provinces and maternal side ancestors in Mexico City and some surrounding states.

And although right now it is not easy for me to sustain a paid account on non free genealogical sites, I would be very pleased to have the privilege of helping anyone needing a hand in those items where my experience gives me the certitude of sharing the best advice.

I am willing to receive a positive response.

With regards,

Mario Zama E.

Comments

Hi Mario, thank you for your interest in joining the Accessibility Angels! We will be in touch shortly.

Ian

Answer 5

I would love to assist as a accessibility Angel!

Comments

Hi Carrie, thank you for your interest in joining the Accessibility Angels! We will be in touch shortly.

Ian

Answer 6

I'd like to join. I like helping people, and I have experience with old records and transcriptions. (I saw that as one of the sub-teams for this project)

Answer 7

I would love to join Accessibility Angel. I have plenty of experience. And would love to help!

Comments

Thanks Marie for your interest in joining the Accessibility Angels! We will be in touch shortly with some information about the project.

Ian, Accessibility Angels Project

Answer 8

I'm new to WikiTree (not new to genealogy), and I am passionate about accessibility issues. Looking forward to helping wherever I can!

Answer 9

I think a screen reader would help a lot.Can one be borrowed for a time?

Right now I can't see most of the words here.

Thanks

Comments

Hi Sue,

If you are looking for a screen reader, you can download the NVDA screen reader for free here:

https://www.nvaccess.org/download/

There is a quick start guide for NVDA, as well as other training and support, available here:

https://www.nvaccess.org/get-help/

Ian

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Thanks Ian,

I have dr appointment today but will definitely have time after to do this.  Looks to be quite a lot of information; I will respond again after. I get to go through it al.

Thanks again for all that you do.