RE: mea culpa

I don't see the need for more discussion, this is simple:

Guideline x.x.x:  Ensure that the authoring tool user interface is
completely accessible to users with disabilities.  Refer to the appropriate
design guidelines for the particular platform that the authoring tool will
be used on.  For example, if the authoring tool will be used on the
Microsoft Windows operating system, ensure that the "Windows Guidelines for
Accessible Software Design" are met.


-----Original Message-----
From: love26@gorge.net [mailto:love26@gorge.net]
Sent: Friday, November 06, 1998 7:56 AM
To: w3c-wai-au@w3.org
Subject: mea culpa


I am ashamed and embarrassed that during the AU conference call I
championed the position that we should restrict our efforts to the
product of authoring tools without addressing forcefully the
accessibility of the tools themselves.  This is exactly the position of
"expedience" that we rightly deplore, e.g. PDF is so much more
convenient than HTML conversion, etc.

Despite a recent posting by Chuck Opperman: "I agree that it should be
dropped.  There are plenty of excellent references on producing
accessible applications.  Sun, IBM, Trace and Microsoft all have
guidelines for Universal Design and software applications." it is
incumbent on us to assure that any software that we play *any* part in
promulgating attend carefully to matters of accessibility; this includes
all our own internal tools or even the "Word macros" that constitute
authoring tools - because the next person who must use these tools for
maintenance will hopefully need to use access tools with said software.

Bottom line: this old geezer feels that Section 4 of our document is
central and vital to our output and that this is a line-in-the-sand,
do-or-die, deal-breaker, and all those other cliches and again I
apologize for forgetting why we're here.
-- 
Love.
            ACCESSIBILITY IS RIGHT - NOT PRIVILEGE
http://dicomp.pair.com

Received on Friday, 6 November 1998 13:42:22 UTC