RE: A symbolic WAI homepage *U

Jonathan,

Some questions about the WAI home page assessment and writing pages for CD
consumption in general.

Some of the suggestions would seem to make it more accessible to people with
CD but at the expense of others.  Your examples of having only a few words
on a page.   Dropping navigation bars  that at least I find very helpful
when I come to a page.  (In fact on most sites I see if I can find what I
want in the navigation bars first and only begin plowing through the text if
I can't find a shortcut to where I want to go).

For most access measure we recommend,  we don't change the format that
everyone would see but only recommend alternatives that could be viewed by
people who have trouble with the original form.   Most of your
recommendations seem to recommend changing the way everyone would see a page
so that it would work for people with CD.  This often makes the primary
presentation of the page less usable for others - perhaps for all.

[ NOTE: this does not include the ideas that Jonathan pointed out that we
all would agree would make the page better for everyone.

1)   Do you (does anyone) have any ideas for how to make a page more
accessible in a way that doesn't change the presentation for others?  (like
ALT text, long desc, closed captions, alternate OBJECT content etc.)

2)  If breaking the pages up and putting alternate graphic presentation
would make them more accessible to CD - would you recommend that all the
pages on the web (or the WAI site) be done this way?

3)  Would putting graphics on the WAI pages make any of that information
really accessible to people with CD?   If so how serious a CD (or what
types) could a person have and still understand the concepts presented on
most of the WAI pages. (not a couple fundamental ideas like "this group is
helping to make web or Internet pages easier to use for people with all
disabilities" but the vast majority of the information presented.  )

4)  How many of the people (types not count) who could figure this
information out from symbols would not understand it if it were read to them
aloud?  (or signed to them... we will soon have text to sign language
software).
	- which types of CD ?
	- which types of information (specifically) on the site could they
understand in pictures but not in speech? (or sign?)

(You can answer the speech and sign language questions separately since text
to sign is not yet here)

The questions are directed to Jonathan since they come off of his comments
but are general questions I am wrestling with and can be addressed by
anyone.   I think we need to address questions like these in order to move
forward in a concrete way.

Thanks

Gregg

-- ------------------------------
Gregg C Vanderheiden Ph.D.
Professor - Human Factors
Dept of Ind. Engr. - U of Wis.
Director - Trace R & D Center
Gv@trace.wisc.edu, http://trace.wisc.edu/
FAX 608/262-8848
For a list of our listserves send "lists" to listproc@trace.wisc.edu

Received on Sunday, 9 April 2000 15:22:38 UTC