Re: "How PWD use the Web" comments

The term "learning disabilities," when used to refer to reading 
difficulties stemming from conditions such as dyslexia, is definitely used 
in more countries than just the U.S., so we need to change that somehow, 
perhaps by saying "...in some countries."

While the typical problem with disability terminology is words that are 
unfamiliar outside of a given region, in this case the issue is that the 
term has a different meaning in some regions, where it can mean 
intellectual disability. We might need a better way to highlight the dual 
meaning of the term.

- Judy

At 08:15 AM 7/7/2004 +1000, Brian.Hardy@visionaustralia.org.au wrote:

>I support Roberto's comment on learning disabilities.
>
>A few years ago this concept was not widely understood in Australia, but
>the term now has wide currency, particularly in the education sector.
>
>Cheers
>
>Brian Hardy
>______________________________________
>Brian Hardy
>National Manager Market Development
>National Information and Library Service (NILS)
>Consultant, IT-Test Consortium
>Phone: (03) 9864 9525   Mobile: 0419 102 451
>Phone International: +61 3 9864 9525
>E-mail: brian.hardy@nils.org.au or hardyb@ozemail.com.au
>454 Glenferrie Road Kooyong Victoria 3144 AUSTRALIA
>Postal: PO Box 860 Hawthorn Victoria 3122 AUSTRALIA
>NSW Office: 4 Mitchell Street Enfield NSW 2136
>NILS is a joint venture of Vision Australia Foundation, Royal Blind Society
>of NSW and Royal Victorian Institute for the Blind
>
>
> 
>
>                       "Roberto 
>
>                       Castaldo"                To: 
> <w3c-wai-eo@w3.org>
>                       <r.castaldo@iol.i        cc: 
>
>                       t>                       Subject:  "How PWD use the 
> Web" comments
>                       Sent 
> by: 
>
>                       w3c-wai-eo-reques 
>
>                       t@w3.org 
>
> 
>
> 
>
>                       07/07/2004 
> 02:03 
>
>                       AM 
>
> 
>
> 
>
>
>
>
>
>
>Hi group,
>
>I've read the latest version of "How People with Disabilities Use the Web"
>draft document.
>
>I've found it a really useful document, easy to read and to translate; in
>particular, I think it can be valuable for newbies, for teachers and for
>any
>kind of people involved into accessibility issues.
>
>I've just few questions:
>
>In the first paragraph of "Dyslexia, dyscalculia" chapter, I found:
>"Individuals with dyslexia or dyscalculia (sometimes called "learning
>disabilities" in the U.S.)... "
>Well, also in Italy (and I think somewhere else) we usually speak about
>learning disabilities; we could remove "in the U.S.".
>
>In the first paragraph of "Assistive Technologies and Adaptive Strategies"
>chapter, i found:
>"Assistive technologies are products used by people with disabilities to
>help accomplish tasks that they cannot accomplish otherwise or could not do
>easily otherwise"
>My proposed wording:
>"Assistive technologies are products used by people with disabilities to
>help accomplish tasks that they cannot accomplish or could not do easily
>otherwise."
>
>Then, in Alternative keyboards or switches paragraph:
>"Alternate keyboards or switches are hardware or software devices used by
>people with physical disabilities"
>Are we completely sure about this? Probably a semplified keyboard could be
>used by people with attention deficit disorder or intellectual impairments
>to reduce any possible kind of confusion, not only by people with physical
>disabilities.
>My proposed version:
>"Alternate keyboards or switches are hardware or software devices used by
>people with physical and intellectual disabilities"
>
>My best regards,
>
>Roberto Castaldo
>-----------------------------------
>www.Webaccessibile.Org coordinator
>IWA/HWG Member
>rcastaldo@webaccessibile.org
>r.castaldo@iol.it
>Mobile 348 3700161
>Icq 178709294
>-----------------------------------

-- 
Judy Brewer    +1.617.258.9741    http://www.w3.org/WAI
Director, Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), World Wide Web Consortium (W3C)
MIT/CSAIL Building 32-G530
32 Vassar Street
Cambridge, MA,  02139,  USA

Received on Wednesday, 7 July 2004 00:40:10 UTC