FW: RE: Federal Website

just some feedback from the real world.  rob

> -----Original Message-----
> From:	Marilyn Knapp Litt [SMTP:webmaster@rrb.gov]
> Sent:	Thursday, September 09, 1999 11:42 AM
> To:	ADAM GUASCH-MELENDEZ; dmclark@cast.org; Robert.Neff@usmint.treas.gov
> Cc:	bobby@cast.org; karl.hebenstreit@gsa.gov
> Subject:	Re: RE: Federal Website
> 
> Hello Adam
> 
> Thank you for your thoughtful response.  I will mention that we are
> meeting 
> the A guidelines of WAI and that we anticipate this will help us toward 
> meeting the Section 508 guidelines when they are released.  I don't 
> anticipate much response to our press release, assuming we do one.  We are
> 
> a tiny federal agency and I have to explain to most people I meet that I
> am 
> a civil servant, not a railroad worker.
> 
> Your point about meeting a real world test as opposed to a software test
> is 
> well made.  I am sure that the Bobby Approval is accurate in that it did 
> find content to check, but whether someone using a speech-based browser 
> would find rrb.gov easy, I do not know.  I am trying to find someone who 
> can take a look at it and give me comments.
> 
> Congratulations on reaching AA.  Our next goal will probably be the 508 
> guidelines, whatever they are.  I have hundreds and hundreds of PDF 
> documents (of limited interest) that I would like to also present in HTML,
> 
> but I am the entire web department, so that will not be accomplished soon.
> 
> Thank you again for your trouble.
> 
> Marilyn Knapp Litt ~Webmaster
> http://www.rrb.gov
> 
> At 01:24 PM 9/8/99 -0500, ADAM GUASCH-MELENDEZ wrote:
> >Yes, we're Bobby approved (well, the site passes both the on-line and 
> >java-based tools). I don't make a point of advertising that fact, though,
> 
> >because accessibility goes beyond what any one tool can determine.
> Bobby's 
> >a great tool, but (with apologies to David Clark) it makes mistakes. In 
> >particular, I'm reminded of one of the presenters at the last FedWed 
> >conference who mentioned that some Bobby-approved sites are completely 
> >inaccessible to him using speech-based browsers. The explanation I came 
> >away with (I haven't tested it myself, so I may be wrong) was that there 
> >are certain sites that are unusable to the point that Bobby can't find
> any 
> >content, and therefore can't find any errors. I can't verify this from 
> >personal experience, but since this came from someone whose only options 
> >for web use are speech and braille terminals, I tend to trust his
> opinion.
> >
> >A press release announcing accessibility is a good idea - anything that 
> >will promote the idea of accessibility, and provide a real-life example, 
> >is great. But rather than basing it on any particular tool, it would make
> 
> >more sense to focus on the WAI guidelines. This is what EEOC is planning 
> >to do - we've reached the AA level of WAI compliance (there might be one 
> >minor quibble about a few ASCII documents that could be handled better in
> 
> >HTML). This reminds me that I need to check to see why it hasn't happened
> yet.
> >
> >Adam Guasch-Melendez
> >EEOC
> >
> > >>> "Neff, Robert" <Robert.Neff@usmint.treas.gov> 09/08 10:42 AM >>>
> >Our intranet is...Not sure which agency is listed on the bobby site.  Our
> >internet has plans to be AA in March.  We are also one of the few
> e-commerce
> >sites in the government - we are doing 7 million  a month.
> >
> >EEOC is making a big push for AA, maybe Adam can provide insight on their
> >site. (Adam are y'all bobby approved?)
> >
> >rob
> >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: David Clark [SMTP:dmclark@cast.org]
> > > Sent: Wednesday, September 08, 1999 11:39 AM
> > > To:   webmaster@rrb.gov
> > > Cc:   Bobby; Robert Neff; Karl. Hebenstreit@Gsa. Gov
> > > Subject:      RE: Federal Website
> > >
> > > Marilyn,
> > >
> > > There are several people in the Federal Government working on web
> > > accessibility. Two that come to mind right away are Karl\ Hebenstreit
> > > (Karl.Hebenstreit@Gsa.gov) and Robert Neff
> (Robert.Neff@usmint.treas.gov).
> > > they may be good resources to talk to.
> > >
> > > Hope this helps.
> > >
> > > David M. Clark
> > > CAST, Inc., 39 Cross St., Peabody, MA  01960
> > > Tel 978-531-8555 x236 - Fax 978-531-0192
> > > Email dmclark@cast.org
> > > http://www.cast.org/bobby/
> > >
> > > -----Original Message-----
> > > From: owner-bobby@cast.org [mailto:owner-bobby@cast.org]On Behalf Of
> > > Marilyn
> > > Knapp Litt
> > > Sent: Tuesday, September 07, 1999 6:16 PM
> > > To: Multiple recipients of list bobby
> > > Subject: Federal Website
> > >
> > > I have just gotten my website to pass Bobby.  I checked your database
> and
> > > could find only one .gov website listed.  Are you aware of any other
> .gov
> > > websites that are Bobby approved, but not listed in the database?  We
> want
> > > to do a press release, but don't want to overstep ourselves in making
> > > claims.  I am not aware of any others.
> > >
> > > Thank you.
> > > Marilyn Knapp Litt~Webmaster
> > > http://www.rrb.gov
> > > webmaster@rrb.gov

Received on Thursday, 9 September 1999 12:06:28 UTC