Re: mistake in web page

After reading Anne's and Jason's comments, I am resending my response from
31 August.  Note that it contains proposed text for the Errata page.  There
are two issues that were combined into one thought in Guideline 1.
Deafness *does* need to be mentioned because of the difficulty that some
people have reading written text if Sign Language is their primary language.

I look forward to comments.
thanks,
--wendy

At 02:44 PM 8/31/99 , Wendy A Chisholm wrote:
>hello,
>
>We caught the same statement in the introduction during last call, but we
>must have missed this one in the guideline text. 
>
>In the Introducation we more clearly describe text equivalents and non-text
>equivalents.  Including the following paragraph:
>
>Non-text equivalents of text (e.g., icons, pre-recorded speech, or a video
>of a person translating the text into sign language) can make documents
>accessible to people who may have difficulty accessing written text,
>including many individuals with cognitive disabilities, learning
>disabilities, and deafness. Non-text equivalents of text can also be
>helpful to non-readers. An auditory description is an example of a non-text
>equivalent of visual information. An auditory description of a multimedia
>presentation's visual track benefits people who cannot see the visual
>information. 
>
>I propose that we direct people to the Introduction from the errata page
>and edit the text of Guideline 1 in a future version.
>
>The entry in the errata page might read something like this:
>3.  Clarification of rationale for Guideline 1
>Added: 1 September 1999
>Class: clarification
>The rationale for Guideline 1 is confusing because it implies that people
>with deafness benefit from the use of synthesized speech ("...Synthesized
>speech is critical for individuals who are blind and for many people with
>the reading difficulties that often accompany cognitive disabilities,
>learning disabilities, and deafness....")    The issue that some people
>with deafness, cognitive and learning disabilities may share is a
>difficulty reading written text.  Sign language is often the primary
>language for many people with deafness, thus written text is secondary and
>they may not be as fluent.  Please refer to the discussion of text and
>non-text equivalents in the Introduction to the Web Content Accessibility
>Guidelines.
(http://www.w3.org/TR/1999/WAI-WEBCONTENT-19990505/#Introduction)
>
>--wendy
>
>At 10:11 AM 8/31/99 , you wrote:
>>I believe the intent here was to say something like:
>>"Also, synthesized speech is (may be) critical for people with the speaking
>>difficulties that sometimes accompany cognitive disabilities, learning
>>disabilities (?), and deafness."
>>
>>Perhaps the confusion could be fixed simply by saying:
>>"Synthesized speech is critical for individuals who are blind and for many
>>people with the reading or speaking difficulties that often accompany
>>cognitive disabilities, learning disabilities, and deafness." ,
>>although this might be too convoluted to be entirely clear.
>>
>>Maybe a separate sentence is indeed needed.
>>
>>Regards,
>>Chuck Letourneau
>>
>>At 30/08/99 11:03 AM , keren beth moses wrote:
>>>
>>>Here's one mistake in the w3c accessibility guidelines:
>>>
>>>"Synthesized speech is critical for individuals who are blind and for many
>>>people with the reading difficulties that often accompany cognitive
>>>disabilities, learning disabilities, and deafness."  (Guideline 1)
>>>
>>>Maybe just too much info in one sentence, but it implies that synthesized
>>>speech is critical for the deaf.

>>>
>>>-- Keren
>>> 
>>>
>>
>>----
>>Starling Access Services
>> "Access A World Of Possibility"
>>  e-mail: info@starlingweb.com
>>   URL: http://www.starlingweb.com
>>    Phone: 613-820-2272  FAX: 613-820-6983
>> 
>wendy chisholm
>human factors engineer
>trace research and development center
>university of wisconsin - madison, USA
> 
wendy chisholm
human factors engineer
trace research and development center
university of wisconsin - madison, USA

Received on Wednesday, 1 September 1999 22:55:47 UTC