RE: New: Perspectives on Accessibility

FYI -- Blind computer users tend to find top posting to offer considerably higher usability in email discussions than the technique of quoting previously written material and interspersing comments.  Personally, I find the quoting technique to be so inefficient that I often delete a message as soon as I discover that the author is using that technique.  Similarly, if an email discussion list maligns top-posters, I generally will not post contributions to it because the alternative is so inefficient for me to do in the expected manner.  

This is an unfortunate, but real, set of circumstances.  I have not found an approach (on Windows) to make reading and writing quoted mail practical, and know that this applies broadly to screen reader users (though I am certainly not speaking for all)..

Jamal


-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of John Foliot
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 11:47 PM
To: 'Roger Hudson'; 'Phill Jenkins'; 'WAI Interest Group'
Subject: RE: New: Perspectives on Accessibility

Apologies for Top Posting

For what it's worth, I totally agree with both Phil and Roger.  Ensuring engaging content for all users should be a firm goal - yes it is sometimes more challenging, but think of it as showcasing that it *CAN* be done:
correctly, engagingly, and appealingly to all users.

I particularly like Roger's example of providing videos of users simply interacting; a perfect opportunity to also demonstrate that captioning is useful, achievable and affordable. We need to prove the theory and not just teach or preach.

As Marshall McLuhan noted: "The medium is the message."

Cheers!

JF

**************

From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Roger Hudson
Sent: Monday, October 19, 2009 4:11 PM
To: 'Phill Jenkins'; 'WAI Interest Group'
Subject: RE: New: Perspectives on Accessibility

I agree the new look is better and easier to use, but like Phil I think it would be good if it didn't rely so much on text.

Not only pictures I would like to suggest the use of videos and animation.
I can't believe how many people have contacted me about the video I did a while ago showing Bruce Maguire using a refreshable Braille device (http://www.dingoaccess.com/accessibility/refreshable-braille-and-the-web/
. Many people said they really liked seeing the Braille machine being used for a real task like buying a book rather than only having someone just demonstrating it. I am hoping to do something similar with a screen magnifier in the near future and other ATs after that.

I think it would be great if the WAI site could have videos of people with disabilities using the web for everyday things - shopping, playing online games, booking tickets etc. Maybe also some videos of people struggling with things like CAPTCHA or some of the new interactive social networking sites/tools (or maybe not?)

Regards

Roger

Roger Hudson
Web Usability
Ph: 02 9568 1535
Mb: 0405 320 014
Email: rhudson@usability.com.au
Web: www.usability.com.au
Blog: www.dingoaccess.com  
 
Freezer 31: Sky goes to dinner at her parents' house and has a surprising encounter with her uncle, Elliott Price.
http://www.dingoaccess.com/freezer/freezer-ep-31-dinner-with-uncle-elliott
/

________________________________________
From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org] On Behalf Of Phill Jenkins
Sent: Tuesday, 20 October 2009 3:55 AM
To: WAI Interest Group
Subject: Re: New: Perspectives on Accessibility


OK,
I like the discussion, we just need more pictures to explain it and not so much text.  

I was reviewing the site with a large retailer's Web development team and they immediately commented about how much TEXT was on the pages and they couldn't just get the jist by seeing the high-level picture first.  They told me its kind of like shopping - you want to know if you are looking for shoes or furniture - then drill down to the size and dimensions.
 Maybe we could learn from retailers on how they "sell their stuff" -
 which is one aspect of the business we are in - selling accessibility - so to speak.

Regards,
Phill Jenkins,

Shawn Henry <shawn@w3.org>
Sent by: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org
10/14/2009 03:30 PM
To
WAI Interest Group <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
cc

Subject
New: Perspectives on Accessibility







Dear WAI Interest Group Participants,

Along with the redesigned W3C website, we have a new Accessibility page that introduces the what, why, where, and how of web accessibility. Read what it says about how the impact of disabilities can be radically changed for people using the Web when websites, web technologies, and web tools are properly designed. See:
   Accessibility - W3C
   http://www.w3.org/standards/webdesign/accessibility

Feel free to circulate this message to other lists; please avoid cross-postings where possible.

Regards,

~Shawn Lawton Henry
WAI Outreach Coordinator, Education and Outreach Working Group (EOWG) Chair


-----
Shawn Lawton Henry
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
e-mail: shawn@w3.org
phone: +1.617.395.7664
about: http://www.w3.org/People/Shawn/

Received on Tuesday, 20 October 2009 15:52:36 UTC