Public Institution Letter

I will be absent tomorrow.  I'm sick and I'm taking benedryl.
Here is what I want to send to CSU System.  It should work for a
school district or any public agency.

Wayne

Your service unit worked hard on the Website. You set aside budget and
hired good people. Now, you offers most services online. The Web also
informs people about services offered on site, classes and events.
Directions, calendars and other key information are distributed
through your on-line presence. You save your clients hours of of
commute time. You are proud, and should be.

 You may not realize it, but many people with disabilities will use
visit site. This is a large and growing group, and it is likely that
visitors with disabilities may miss important opportunities at your
institution because of easily fixed mistakes obstruct their access.
Form inputs without labeled, graphic elements without text
description, or the next step in a registration process shows up in a
modal dialogue that cannot be found by assistive technology. These and
other design barriers can make online usage miserable or impossible
for clients with disabilities. Your Website could block access to
public services that are intended for everyone — even people with
disabilities.

 If your clientele are frustrated, you want to know about it. The [Web
Accessibility Initiative] at the W3C has a resource to help them
communicate with you in a constructive and useful way. Consider
posting a link on your shopping pages for customers who encounter
shopping barriers.

 The guide is called [Contacting Organizations about Inaccessible
Websites] and can help your potential customers describe specific
areas of pain. Open the channels of communication to potential
customers with disabilities. You may make their holidays much merrier
and give yourself the gift of a new customer who is likely to return.
May your all your holidays be bright!

Received on Friday, 9 December 2011 07:21:57 UTC