Re: WAI Web site remarks and suggestions

I'll third this review.

I've raised this issue on so many occasions over the past ~4-5 years 
that I'd just about given up on ever seeing anything done about it.
check the thread "QED & Marshall McLuhan" about demonstrating rather 
than talking about.....
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-ig/1999AprJun/0361.html

The failure to use plain English, and ' not really communicating what 
it's even about' are particular problems.
I find outreach extremely difficult as most people find WAI deeply 
geeky.
The rationale as explained to me is that the 'audience' is software 
developers.
Working in education, as I do, means that nearly all the work on 
business use is irrelevant, at least in the introduction.

The nearest to something reasonable might be
http://www.w3.org/Talks/WAI-Intro/slide1-0.html
However slide 2 has to be seen to be believed. if an explanation is 
needed, wouldn't a help link be sufficient?

shifting the discussion to wai-site-comments@w3.org isn't appropriate.
A major change of function is required, and this effects all members, 
not just website admin.

Jonathan


On Saturday, October 11, 2003, at 02:51  pm, Jens Meiert wrote:

>
> Hi *,
>
>
> the following part is not supposed to be an allegation, but only a 
> factual
> remark -- when I just visited the WAI Web site (I often look at the 
> source
> code first when visiting a site; sort of developer syndrome, I guess), 
> some more
> or less important issues striked me, most of them related to 
> Accessibility,
> as a matter of course.
>
> So I e.g. wondered why the WAI doesn't use Accesskeys on its site, nor 
> is it
> fulfilling the own goals in relation to table use (the tables don't 
> comply
> with real data tables, and they don't use any <caption />, either, as
> discussed in about 1,000 mails before). The WAI also passes on 
> alternative styles
> (e.g. for aural use) and it also uses color schemes where I don't know 
> if they
> are that perfect (because of the minor contrast).
>
> There are of course several other topics related to this WAI 
> figurehead, but
> I'm too lazy to list them all, so I only decided to put an additional 
> Bobby
> analysis link in here:
>
>    http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/bobbyServlet?
>    URL=http://www.w3.org/WAI/&output=Submit&gl=wcag1-aaa&test=
>
> -- By the way, although the WAI Web site might be a quite simple site, 
> it
> also brings up some Usability problems by not really communicating 
> what it's
> even about, and breaking standards by e.g. linking the WAI logo to the 
> WAI Web
> site (although you're already there; it's recommended not to link to 
> the
> start page if you're quite there) or putting the navigation to the 
> right side.
> And 'switch column layout' is just an unnecessary and confusing 
> gimmick.
>
> Only some thoughts to lead the Web to its full potential ;) And 
> seriously: I
> think the WAI WG should set a good example, and it should be in our own
> interest to show how it's done best.
>
>
> All the best,
>  Jens.
>
>
> -- 
> Jens Meiert
> Interface Architect
>
> http://meiert.com
>
>
Jonathan Chetwynd
http://www.peepo.co.uk
"A web by people with learning difficulties"

Received on Monday, 13 October 2003 02:05:42 UTC