- From: David Clark <dmclark@cast.org>
- Date: Tue, 2 Mar 1999 11:00:05 -0500
- To: "'Leonard R. Kasday'" <kasday@acm.org>
- Cc: <w3c-wai-er-ig@w3.org>
Len, See, this is the struggle I have with this group. I think we are spending too much time on the '"R" and not enough time on the "E". By focusing on the repair tool, we are putting the onus the user or a third party to try to guess what the author is trying to communicate. If we pay a little more attention to evaluation, we can give authors feedback on how to express themselves in multiple, and therefore inclusive, ways. There is rarely a one to one correspondence between the same information presented in different modalities, which is why I do not think it can be automated with a tool. David Clark CAST, Inc. -----Original Message----- From: Leonard R. Kasday [mailto:kasday@acm.org] Sent: Tuesday, March 02, 1999 10:27 AM To: David Clark Cc: w3c-wai-er-ig@w3.org Subject: RE: How can we better accommodate learning disabilities? >I have been cringing at this discussion equating LD with low intelligence. >In fact, as Len points out, LD is defined as disparities between overall >intelligence and performance in specific areas. > >The solution? The key is redundancy. Just as a site should not be all >graphics, it shouldn't be all text either. By presenting information in >multiple formats (text, images, sound, etc) ensures access to the widest >group of people. It is not about "dumbing down" the material. Can we translate this into tools? For example, there are "screen readers" for people who are not blind but have difficulty reading because of a learning disability. These typically highlight text as they read. For example monologue http://www.firstbyte.davd.com/html/monolog.htm WYNN http://www.austin.ibm.com/sns/wynnibmnews.html Zoom Text Xtra http://www.aisquared.com/ (actually designed for low vision but also useful for dyslexia) Are there problems using these with web pages? Problems that a tool would help? There were suggestions about other accommodations a few emails back at http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-er-ig/1999Mar/0006.html Len ------- Leonard R. Kasday, Ph.D. Universal Design Engineer, Institute on Disabilities/UAP, and Adjunct Professor, Electrical Engineering Temple University Ritter Hall Annex, Room 423, Philadelphia, PA 19122 kasday@acm.org (215} 204-2247 (voice) (800) 750-7428 (TTY)
Received on Tuesday, 2 March 1999 10:55:53 UTC