Re: A proposal for changing the guidelines

Hi, Charles

The advantage of dynamically generated web pages is that it reduces
the amount of effort needed to produce multiple formats which
in turn improves the cost-benefit ratio.

The screen reader version is much less interesting visually.  I think many
sighted people would prefer something more visually appealing depending
on the purpose of the web page.

What is your definition of an appropriate version?  What do you think
blind people would define as an approriate version?

There is an illusion you are working under that all groups will be
covered in a single format.  Look at the issues of cognitively impaired.
Can you truly argue that their needs are being covered in the guidelines?
Some need more text.  Others need more pictures.  It is doubtful that
a single version will cover all.

Finally, another fact you need to recognize is that Universal Design
does not handle all people's needs all the time.  It is an attempt
in that direction, but there are people whose needs are so uncommon,
they will be left out in certain situations.

Scott

> Scott,
> 
> There is nothing you can do in dynamically generated pages that cannot be
> done by hand coding (although one may be easier than the other) just as there
> is nothing that can be done with a WYSIWYG tool that cannot be done by hand
> coding.
> 
> In the case of tailored content, what is important is to ensure that a user
> is not served an inappropriate version, and even more important is to ensure
> that there is an appropriate version available. In your specific example, as
> a sighted user, I found the "screen reader" version much better than the
> other version.
> 
> I have argued several times that there is benefit in being able to tailor
> content, but there is a risk of missing out on some groups by making too few
> versions available, and to a lesser extent by poorly describing the benefits
> of tailored versions that are available so that people do not use them.
> 
> Charles

Received on Monday, 13 March 2000 16:19:30 UTC