- From: Charmane K. Corcoran <corcora1@msu.edu>
- Date: Fri, 30 Jan 2004 01:41:18 -0500
- To: EOWG <w3c-wai-eo@w3.org>
- Message-Id: <a05210609bc3fac71c5b3@[35.12.19.85]>
Comments are from Top of Document to Bottom 1. Web Accessibility is a Social Issue Web Accessibility is Essential for Equal Opportunity Therefore, an accessible Web is a requirement for equal opportunities in may areas. CHG: "requiremet" to "essential" to reflect the change in the title 2. The Web is an opportunity for unprecedented access to information for people with disabilities. Once that same information is available and accessible on the Web, it becomes exponentially users for many people with disabilities to use. Incomplete sentence. CHG: What becomes expontially here "important'? 3. same paragraph Additionally, providing Web information that is accessible to people with all different types of disabilities is much easier and less expensive then developing and distributing multiple alternative formats CHG: "then" should be "than", I think. Then is time based, isn't it? 4. People with disabilities can actively participate and provide content for the Web. When Web development software ("authoring tool") is accessible, people with disabilities can more easily develop Web sites. CHG: Can we expand this just a little. i.e. can we highlight expanding employment opportunities for under-served groups? Or highlight enhancing the field allowing qualified people to compete for jobs. Possibly mentioning that not all disabilities occur at birth. Often, disability occurs mid-career. Rather than retiring a qualified employee, accessible tools would allow a qualified employee to continue to compete in the work place. 5. Under "Barriers to Use" That is, some people do not have the financial means to afford [decent], regular [reliable] access to the Web, or the social environment that encourages Web use. CHG: "decent" - please explain relationship to "afford". Can we use reliable instead of regular. 6. Scope [In addition, since the benefits of accessible design also extend to other groups affected by the digital divide and other limiting situations, Web accessibility also supports improved access and social inclusion for many other groups, including:] CHG: "the digital divide" to "these" to avoid unnecessary overuse of the phrase (counter proposal to Blossom's #3 - can over use barriers, too) [In addition, since the benefits of accessible design also extend to other groups affected by these and other limiting situations, Web accessibility also supports improved access and social inclusion for many other groups, including:] 7. "Scope" list of other groups, and "Web Accessibility Benefits Other Groups" The last section of this page, "[@@Web Accessibility Benefits Other Groups]" provides examples of how Web accessibility benefits these other groups. Suggestion: Should have some continuity in groups between the two sections. The list in the "Scope" section breaks out what is combined in the headers of the other section. If it is combined in one section, it probably should be combined in the other. 8. ALSO Note: Andrew mentioned last week that we were missing some people in the "Scope" section. I don't recall but I think he listed about 3 different people/groups. 9. Web Accessibility Benefits More Than People with Disabilities While the main focus of Web accessibilty is people with disabilities, accessibility also benefits people without disabilities, including those in groups disadvantaged by the digital divide. Alternate wording: While the main focus of Web accessibilty is people with disabilities, accessibility also benefits people without disabilities whether or not they disadvantaged by the digital divide. Smoother, more connected to document flow. This also takes care of my issue with the placement of "digital divide" at this location. It was sort of dangling out in space because there was no text in the section about the digital divide. (See #8 Andrews comments.) The new text bridges previous paragraphs with this section a little better. 10. Access for Older People For example, many people with age-related visual deterioration benefit from being able to use a site they are used to using and progressively increasing the text size (as opposed to using a very differently designed text-only site or a screen reader). CHG: For example, many people with age-related visual deterioration benefit from being able to use a site they have been using and progressively increasing the text size (as opposed to using a very differently designed text-only site or a screen reader). 11. Access for People with Low Literacy and Speakers of Other Languages Accessible Web sites can benefit people with low literacy levels and people who are not fluent in the language of the Web page. Specifically, many of the aspects of Web accessibility for people with cognitive disabilities help people with low literacy or language understanding, including clear and simple language, consistent design and navigation, and supplemental illustrations. Also accessible sites can be read by screen readers (for people who are blind) and people who cannot read can also benefit from listening to sites. CHG: Accessible Web sites can benefit people with low literacy levels and people who are not fluent in the language of the Web page. Specifically, aspects of Web accessibility such as clear and simple language, consistent design and navigation, and supplemental illustrations used for people with cognitive disabilities also help people with low literacy or language understanding. In addition, screen readers can read accessible sites for people who are blind and people who cannot read can also benefit from listening to sites. 12. Access for People with Low Bandwidth Connections to the Internet and Older Technologies CHG: copy editŠŠ Proper use of parens??? (for example, mobile phone or personal data assistant (PDA)) Remove double period at the end of the first paragraph. 13. NOTES and possible references: misc The European Commission, in their Green Paper "Promoting a European Framework for Corporate Social Responsibility " (July 2001), define it as a "concept whereby companies integrate social and environmental concerns in their business operations and in their interaction with their stakeholders on a voluntary basis." Comment: I like this quote and think that it is worth including. The others have stats but I don't like the one that is a link to buying the report. The advertisement to buy the report is what bothers me not the quote. -- MSU: Advancing Knowledge. Transforming Lives. Libraries, Computing & Technology: Connecting People and Information ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Have a Productive Day! ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Charmane K. Corcoran Information & Project Principal Michigan State University Client Advocacy Office 316A Computer Center East Lansing MI 48824 E-mail: corcora1@msu.edu Phone: Dept. Office - 517/353-4856 Direct/Vmail - 517/355-4500 Ext. 244 FAX: Office: 517/355-0141 HmPg: http://www.msu.edu/~corcora1/
Received on Friday, 30 January 2004 01:42:33 UTC