Re: Accessibility of Microsoft Word Documents

On Tue, Mar 18, 2003 at 01:26:43PM +0000, Andy Heath wrote:

> platforms/apps.  Its not fun repeatedly saying
> "don't use that feature because it doesn't work
> with ....." and so on.

   No, I've noticed this. My least favourite line is "You can solve that
  particular design issue with [insert CSS], but sadly it doesn't work in
  Internet Explorer".

   On the other hand: "Don't use frames. That feature doesn't work very well
  with [insert situation]" is something I *gladly* say for sake of
  accessibility.

   "Please do not send me Word documents, as I cannot read or write them" is
  another.

   In a collaboration situation you might not have any other choice than
  using Word - though I do. But in a *publishing* situation you have so many
  choices it is almost scary.



> Now if there really were an open source word that
> *was* completely and transparently compatible ........
> there goes a flying pig again ....

   Frankly I don't give a damn about open source *programs*. Open source
  *formats*, on the other hand - like the XML that OpenOffice use - might
  be an idea. 

   But yet again - I ask, politely I hope, everyone to consider NOT publishing
  documents in OpenOffice format. Or Word. Or PDF. I ask that we publish in a
  variety of formats, of which one is accessible HTML.

   Thankyou, all.


-- 
 - Tina Holmboe