Re: Review this week: Media Accessibility User Requirements

Concerning [VP-2]: This only gives access to change font size, font
face and color.  Hansen showed in 1999 that letter, line and word
spacing were important factors that improved reading for readers with
low vision.

Vicki Hansen was no slouch.  She was chair of the ACM Special Interest
Group on Accessibility and the Director of Research on disabilities at
IBM Watson Labs.  Even though this has rock solid data backing
refereed literature, WAI groups consistently neglect spacing as a key
to accessibility for low vision.  I appeal to the group to send the
request to PFWG to include access to letter, line and word spacing.

The need for this access was established 9 years before WCAG was approved.

Wayne

Received on Friday, 21 October 2011 04:18:26 UTC