Are we True to our Priority definitions?

Another place that I think we get ourselves into trouble is that we say that
P1 P2 and P3 are based entirely on the degree of access they provide and not
at all on ease of implementation.

HOWEVER,  we do in fact filter our recommendations on practicality.  We do
not list everything that would be helpful or even needed if we do not feel
that it would be doable or rational to ask for.

Some of the problem we run into with the cognitive area is that we try to
act like there are clear lines - and then force reality to fit these lines.
This leaves people in the cognitive area thinking that we are talking out of
both sides of our mouth --- or saying that P1 has a clear “bright line”
definition when they can see that it doesn't when we are talking about
cognitive.   What they may not see is that is doesn't when we are talking
about other disabilities as well.

Also, it NEVER CAN when it comes to cognitive, since everything would need
to be a P1.   That is,  there will be some groups of people with cognitive
that will never be able to use a web page even if you did everything to it.
Thus everything would be required for that last person (or group) who could
use it (if you did everything) to use it.   Also, it should be noted that
there are some types of information on the web that we can never really make
accessible to people who are blind - and some types that we can never make
accessible to people who are deaf .)

So - where does that leave us.    Hmmmmmmmmm

I guess we might need to admit that these are not absolute pure guidelines…
and that they are limited to “what is reasonable to require of most all web
pages/sites”.   That is, the guidelines are not designed to make all pages
accessible to all users.   Rather, they are what is reasonable to require of
most all pages/sites.

This will make our discussions more honest but perhaps more difficult as
well.

Thoughts??

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 Saturday, 29 April 2000 22:26:08 UTC