Re: Illustrating Guidelines

Lisa,
 Thank you for providing a lot of useful information that has greatly
enhanced my understanding of  these conditions.
 I don't think anybody is saying we should not try to include guidelines
that help people with LD, CD etc, rather we are stuggling with just how to
do that.  In particular how to do that without making things harder for
other groups at the same time.  It is unfortunate, but a fact, that what
helps one group may make life more difficult for others.  An example in the
"real" world is curb cuts. Absolutely needed for wheelchairs, loved by
mothers with baby strollers and somehting generally liked by everybody once
they got accustomed to the idea but ...
Did you know they are a problem for the blind? Did you know that a curb cut
makes it hard for many blind people to find the curb edge so they can line
up to cross streets properly?

What seems to be happening here is we have needs that conflict with each
other, what makes it more accessible to one group interfers with the access
of another and the requirements may discourage people from even trying to
make things more accessible.
I venture to guess that not so many years ago, before the GUI, those with
LD, CD etc did not use computers at all.  Now, with the GUI everywhere, and
multi-media growing by leaps and bounds things are so tantalizingly close it
must be a major frustration.
I believe we fall back on the TEXT answer because we know the most about it,
it was here before the GUI.  Alt text and things like it are, after all only
meant to provide access in a manner that exsisted before the GUI.
What we are reaching for now is really new ground, and the more
understanding we have of the needs of these groups the better chance we will
have of developing good answers.
Marti

Received on Sunday, 13 May 2001 05:58:29 UTC