THE WAI AND DISABLED POPULATIONS :: Essays Papers

THE WAI AND DISABLED POPULATIONS Introduction-In a world where the Internet is the fastest growing method of communication and educational resources, it should be available to all of its users. However, it seems that the creators seemed to have left out a certain group of people. This group of people would be the disabled population of the world. It might seem to the "normal person" that this is not a big issue. Contrary to what people might think it truly is. The Web Accessibility Initiative was established by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Its promise is to assure all users of the web a fair and equal opportunity for people with disabilities. There are many important reasons why web accessibility is important. Not many people realize how many obstacles the web has for people with disabilities. This affects millions of people throughout the world. Some of these include visual disabilities. For example, web sites that have poorly marked-up table or frames, unlabeled graphics or undescribed videos. People with hearing disabilities also experience problems, such as lack of captioning for audio, and proliferation of text with out visual markers. Other sites on the web are also unfair for people who have cognitive or neurological disabilites. This can cause problems because of flickering or strobing graphics on pages, and highly complicated presentations and language use(Brewer). In October 1994, the W3C was created to lead the information superhighway to it's highest potential by developing a set of guidelines that ensure its evolution, accessibility and understanding by everybody. WAI is sponsored by a mixed group of government and industry supporters of accessibility. It has three different guidelines to address different needs. 1.) Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0. 2.) Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 3.)User Agent Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 Each guideline has specific supporting documents and resources. Some examples of this are checklists, technique documents with implementation detail, curricula, and logos. Research and development can have a major impact on the future of web accessibility. WAI plays a key role in assessing trends in implementations of accessible and inaccessible web technologies. It also helps with devoloping collaborations with research projects to promote awareness of the need for accessibility and benefits of universal design. For people with disabilites the Internet has been a "mixed blessing(Brewer)". Inaccessibility is unfair because the Internet is an excellent source for news, information, commerce, distance learning, email, voting, entertainment and even keeping in touch with family and friends.

Counter-Terrorism Strategies

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam were founded in 1976 with the aim of championing for the Tamil people of Sri Lanka-Hindus who comprise about 18% of the total population against the Buddhist Sinhalese who make up the majority of the population (Rabasa, pp. 68). To fight for the formation of an independent state curved out from Sri Lanka, they have repeatedly waged war using guerrilla, conventional, and terrorist tactics and have attacked military, government and civilian targets.One major unit that specializes in terrorist attacks is the Black Tigers who often commit suicide during such attacks. The Irish Republican Army (IRA) is a terrorist organization founded in the year 1916 and has conducted many violent and terrorism campaigns against the British authorities in the Northern Ireland for a long time since 1916 . The current operations of the army is based on a kind of rules of war in which for instance warnings of an imminent bomb attack are provided followed by a certain cod e that acts as a verification of the legitimacy of the warnings.The bombings have been targeted to disrupt the lives of British people so that the organization can continue obtaining financial support from associate countries though this is anticipated to change. The range of bombs used by the terrorists include small devices made from high explosives which have been provided by foreign associates or stolen and large improvised bombs based on Ammonium . A renewed ceasefire declared in 1997 by the IRA was far from being comprehensive since it only refrained them from attacking the security forces and therefore the IRA continued to launch brutal attacks against Roman Catholics .Different strategies have therefore been employed to combat terrorism both in Sri Lanka and Northern Ireland. These strategies exhibit some differences as well as a number of similarities. This paper will compare and contrast these strategies adopted by the authorities to suppress acts of terrorism propagated b y the Tamil Tigers in Sri Lanka and the IRA in Northern Ireland. The strategies adopted by the authorities to suppress acts of terrorism in Sri Lanka and Northern Ireland differ on several facets.Firstly, the authorities in Sri Lanka have predominantly used military force to combat the violent acts propagated by Tamil Tiger rebels. In contrast, the British government have applied extensive legislative measures to suppress the terrorist organization, the Ireland Republican Army in Northern Ireland. There are several examples of legislation by the British government. It is worth noting that since its formation, Northern Ireland has been in a state of emergency and the Civil Authorities Act of 1922 was passed only a year after its partition .In the 1970s the British government perceived an imminent possibility of the violence in Northern Ireland spiraling out of control and therefore it expeditiously introduced the Northern Ireland Emergency Provisions Act (EPA) in 1973 . This Act was a milestone since it paved way for a number of new measures including increased power for the Royal Ulster Constabulary (RUC) and Army to arrest any terrorism suspect.In addition, the Act allowed the formation of non-jury courts specially for conducting trials on those accused of terrorism and also it provided for the prohibition of all terrorist organizations. As another and more advanced measure to suppress acts of terrorism, the British Parliament quickly passed the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) in 1974 after the deadly Birmingham pub bombings by the IRA . The PTA also served to extend the measures undertaken by the EPA throughout the UK by the virtue of introducing more powers with regard to interrogation and detention.These two major Acts had extreme provisions and therefore they were originally designed to be temporary though the government fully understood the dynamic nature of terrorism and therefore was committed to renew them until they were eventually replaced by more permanent provisions of the Terrorism Act of 2000 . The effectiveness of such legislation can be seen particularly from the implementation of Northern Ireland Emergency Provisions Act in 1973 which gave the military power to arrest and detain suspects temporarily and also search homes in the absence of warrants.The culmination of such a move was that hundreds of people were detained and more than 250,000 homes searched during which thousands of hidden weapons were discovered and seized by the military . These legislation paved way for a number of methods in curbing terrorism in Northern Ireland. These methods include criminalisation, internment without trial, Diplock courts and the supergrass system in which the policies of each focus on punishing those accused of crimes related to terrorism with unwanted or unforeseen effects .Therefore, the legislative measures adopted by the British government to combat Ireland Republican Army’s terrorist actions forced it to alter its ow n legislative avenue to make it commensurate with the political violence in the Northern Ireland by both taking extreme steps and first making their provisions temporary. In contrast to such legislative approaches to ending terrorism, the government of Sri Lanka can be said to have mostly applied military force combined with very few harsh legislative measures when compared to those adopted against IRA by British government.It is important to remember that when it attained its independence in 1948, Sri Lanka was not prepared to deal with even minor protests leave alone such large terrorist groups as Tamil Tigers which developed gradually over time. This was due to the small number of police and military in addition to inadequate equipment and lack of a firm organizational structure. There are several incidences which demonstrate that the government has employed force in terms of military action as well as legislation as major strategies against the Tamil rebels.In 1977, before a mon th was over after the UNP government coming to power, an army was sent to wipe out all the people who were organizing a movement to demand for a separate Tamil state . This was purposed to stop the secessionists before the movement became a threat to the government. A similar attack in August 1977 resulted in hundreds of Tamils being killed and thousands left homeless. This was done through the use of force by the police and the military.An example of a legislation against terrorism is the Prevention of Terrorism Act which was passed in 1979 and whose provisions included confessions made out of torture, detention without trial, and conducting searches without warrants . In addition, the Act made crimes such as kidnapping, murder, and abduction punishable by life imprisonment. This legislative approach can however be compared to the one used in Northern Ireland by the British government though it has passed many legislation compared to the situation in Sri Lanka with regard to counte r-terrorism.In the mid 1981, another military-initiated attack against the Tamils occurred which left the group devastated. A major preventive war in 1983 was waged against Tamils by the government to crash them completely following a shift in the balance of power between the Tamils who were secessionists, and the Sri Lankan government . This pogrom had a lot of effects compared to the previous incidences of military action since it was accompanied with the use of violent attacks by organized mob groups which left over 3,000 Tamils brutally killed and 150,000 left homeless .These events are examples which demonstrate the difference in the way the two governments have dealt with terrorism propagated by the two groups. Another major contrast in the strategies to combat the activities of both the Tamil Tigers and the Ireland Republican Army is that the British government in the Northern Ireland has extensively applied contingency measures which include legislation aimed at dealing with biological, chemical or radiological attacks .In Sri Lanka, such measures have hardly been used and instead, legislation to curb terrorism by the Tamil Tigers have been predominantly those that give the military more power and authority to use force. However, a similar case applies in Northern Ireland with regard to use of harsh tactics to arrest and suppress the members of the Ireland Republican Army. The major measure used between 1971 and 1975 was that of using torture during interrogation of suspects who had been subjected to internment without trial .The measure was particularly applied on suspects whom the authorities believed they were potential sources of valuable information which could possibly enable them apprehend more suspects including the masterminds of the terrorist attacks by the IRA. The in depth interrogation as an example of using force on suspects entailed five main techniques including exposure of the terror suspects to a monotonous and continuous loud voice w ith the head covered with a black hood and being forced by means of a button to stand for about six hours at a time against a wall, hands raised above the head with the legs apart for a period of several days.The suspects were also subjected to severe deprivation of food and water and also sleep was denied. However, the European Commission on Human Rights later on judged the method as one constituting an inhuman practice of treating people who have been arrested. This led to the discontinuity of the use of the five techniques following unfavorable publicity . A major similarity in both counter-terrorism strategies is with regard to the attempts to use peaceful means or dialogue which has seen several treaties being signed between the IRA and the British government and between the Sri Lankan government and the Tamil Tigers.The peace agreements have been accompanied by certain promises and conditions such power sharing deals, surrendering of weapons by the rebelling groups including o ther conditions with the purpose of seeking peace. However, a similar scenario witnessed in both cases is that most of the attempts to initiate sustainable peace agreements have in most cases failed due to diverse political, economic or social reasons.A major attempt and a good example of a peace agreement in the Northern Ireland is the Downing Street Declaration which was initiated in December 1993 and which signaled readiness for more dialogue to break the stalemate between all the sides involved in the resolution process including the IRA and Sinn Fein, the Ireland’s oldest political movement . In Sri Lanka, since a new government came to power in 2001, the government has adopted a peace approach to suppress terrorism by the Tamil Tigers in which at least three breakthroughs have been achieved.Among the peace talks have been a disarmament process, agreement on humanitarian measures and most importantly, the readiness of the Tamil Tigers to welcome a federal structure . It can therefore be clearly deduced that there have been practical and viable approaches to counter acts of terrorism by both the Ireland Republican Army and the Tamil Tigers which have been implemented by the governments concerned to try and improve the situation in these countries. A good similarity is that both governments have tried peace agreements though most have not elicited sustainable outcomes.Another similarity is seen in the use of force though the kind of force used against IRA is seen to be mostly applied after suspects have been apprehended in an effort to gather useful information from them. The force used on Tamil Tigers is predominantly military action. The biggest contrast between the strategies in both situations is that a lot of sustainable legislative measures have been adopted against the IRA with only one major legislation being implemented against the Tamil Tigers. Bibliography Bjorgo, Tore. Root causes of terrorism: myths, reality and ways forward.New York: Ro utledge, 2005. Brenner, Edgar H and Yonah Alexander. Uks Legal Responses to Terrorism. New York: Routledge, 2003. Derkins, Susie. The Irish Republican Army. New York: The Rosen Publishing Group, 2003. Dos Santos, Anne Noronha. Military intervention and secession in South Asia: the cases of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Kashmir, and Punjab. New York: Anne Dos Santos, 2007. Geraghty, Tony. The Irish War: the hidden conflict between the IRA and British Intelligence. New York: JHU Press, 2000. Houen, Alex. Terrorism and modern literature, from Joseph Conrad to Ciaran Carson.New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. Martin, Gus. Essentials of Terrorism: Concepts and Controversies. New York: SAGE, 2010. Rabasa, Angel. Beyond al-Qaeda: The outer rings of the terrorist universe. New York: Rand Corporation, 2006. Shanahan, Timothy. The provisional Irish Republican Army and the morality of terrorism. Salt Lake City: Edinburgh University Press, 2009. Sluka, Jeffrey A. Death squad: the anthropology of state terror. Philadelphia : University of Pennsylvania Press, 2000. Wallis, Geoff, Mark Connolly and Margaret Greenwood. Rough guide to Ireland. Dublin City: Rough Guides, 2003.

Rosewood Hotels Marketing Plan Essay - 1450 Words

MARKETING PLAN OBJECTIVE The main objective was to foster customer retention and loyalty increasing cross-property usage. The number of multi-property guest stays should be increased to 10% from the 5% rate experienced during the last year. MARKETING SITUATION Problem situation: Rosewood brand was muted, not very well known but it was not clear what is the best corporate branding strategy without destroying the value of each individually branded hotel and loosing a customer. A new branding strategy proposing an increased customer profitability and lifetime value is†¦show more content†¦This number is pretty high taking into consideration that within the sector of individually branded hotels Rosewood is the second biggest in a number of hotels. Customers. We do not have lots of information about the customers in the case but probably we could group the clients into a several groups in order to understand their profile better: †¢ Wealthy families. These costumers most probably stay at the hotel 1-2 times a year for a holiday or family festival. It is high-income families that might be traveling to different resorts and countries and could be a potential repetitive customer in another Rosewood hotels worldwide too. †¢ Business travelers. It might me leaders or honor guests of some companies that travel a lot and value the uniqueness of a specific Rosewood hotel and prefer to have personalized services (for example as it was mentioned in the case specific type of pillow). †¢ Private owners (â€Å"co-op†) that most probably also include members of wealthy families and business travelers mentioned before. This group of customers is reluctant for more visible hotel brands and do not see the benefits of being a part of bigger organization. Collaborators. The main collaborators I would say are travelShow MoreRelatedRosewood Hotels1703 Words   |  7 PagesMARKETING PLAN OBJECTIVE The main objective was to foster customer retention and loyalty increasing cross-property usage. The number of multi-property guest stays should be increased to 10% from the 5% rate experienced during the last year. MARKETING SITUATION Problem situation: Rosewood brand was muted, not very well known but it was not clear what is the best corporate branding strategy without destroying the value of each individually branded hotel and loosing a customer. A new branding strategyRead MoreRosewood Case Solution1626 Words   |  7 PagesLuxury hotel segment is getting more competitive. Rosewood Hotels Resorts have been competing in this segment more than 25 years with its distinctive individual hotel brands. On the contrary, guests want to see one unique brand, same quality and service at every hotel that they stay under one corporate brand name. One corporate brand strategy help companies increase their retention rate, make multi-cross selling and have loyal repeat buyers. Guests also tend to tie the brand of hotels that theyRead MoreHbs - Rosewood Case1322 Words   |  6 PagesRosewood Hotels and Resorts is considering a new brand strategy in an attempt to increase their multi property guest stays, revenues and cross selling rates. However, the company needs to do so without the expense of possibly diminishing the powerful brand image and strategy of their existing properties. Rosewood has built a customer value proposition on a core set of philosophies, as well as, strategic and marketing plans designed to create their unique competitive advantage through differentiationRead MoreRosewood Hotels Resorts Essay1744 Words   |  7 PagesRosewood Hotels Resorts 1 Running Head: ROSEWOOD HOTELS RESORTS Rosewood Hotels Resorts Rosewood Hotels Resorts 2 Rosewood Hotels Resorts is a collection of unique, one-of-a-kind luxury properties that are individually branded with the purpose of capturing what is unique about a given location. This strategy has been successful but now management believes that branding the hotels as a collective will increase customer visits between properties. Question #1- Why is Rosewood consideringRead MoreDefinition Of Individual Brand Strategy1229 Words   |  5 Pagesidentity, often downplaying the overarching (corporate) brand. Individual branding can prove advantageous because it allows the company to position each product differently, extending its offerings to more diverse markets. For example, Rosewood Hotels Resorts (Rosewood) positions its properties by tailoring each one to their surrounding areas, highlighting the distinctive aspects that make each location special. By doing so, the company is able to attract customers from all over the world who areRead MoreRosew ood Hotel Case1145 Words   |  5 Pagesï » ¿Case Study of Rosewood Hotels Resorts Background: Established in 1979, Rosewood Hotels Resorts, a privately held company, became known for its ability to enhance a property’s value by creating unique, one-of-a-kind properties that differentiated from other chain-like luxury competitors. In early 2004, to boost the company’s growth, Rosewood considered to implement a new branding strategy to establish Rosewood as a true brand with a global reputation for iconic luxury hotels. Problem Definition: Read MoreRosewood Case3947 Words   |  16 PagesRosewood Hotels amp; Resorts Case Study Background The Rosewood Hotels amp; Resorts has been in business for close to 25 years. It operates in the luxury hotel segment, with a focus on one-of-a-kind hotels. Each hotel reflects the local culture and character of its location. Up to this point it has allowed properties to thrive on their own with very little corporate identity. However, management feels there is an opportunity for growth in the market and is considering a new brand strategy;Read MoreLobby3909 Words   |  16 Pages Page 1. Introduction-----------------------------------------------------------------------------3 2. Profile of our Hotel--------------------------------------------------------------------4 3. What is a lobby?-----------------------------------------------------------------------5 4. Plan of the Lobby----------------------------------------------------------------------6 5. The Functional areas of the Lobby--------------------------------------------------7Read MoreGrowth of a Hotel Chain Via Globalization6780 Words   |  28 PagesGrowth of a Hotel Chain via Globalization Kempinski Hotels S.A. Subject: Introduction to Hospitality Group: PGDO Students: Valentina Domenyuk (dova030690) Jelena Hrulova (hrje250583) Ryan Lin (litz080588) Cindy Pai (pape310888) Eddie Yang (yach110882) Word count: 6540 Lecturer: H. Bayne Table of Content Introduction 3 History 3 Management Board 6 Brand Philosophy 7 Corporate Social Responsibility 7 Kempinskis goal 8 Awards 9 Different Kempinski’s logos 10 NotableRead MoreImproving Profitability By Applying Sustainable Strategies9898 Words   |  40 Pagescommercial industries are realizing the massive negative impact that businesses have on the environment and they are trying to implement different strategies to transform their business in a more sustainable one in hopes of lessening that impact. Hotel owners, employees and guests started to be more aware for the environment by expressing their concern. Both parties are playing a huge role in making the hospitality industry more sustainable. When people started to be interest in the impact the business