is everybody here, yet?

Hi, I'm Al Gilman and I just joined this list.  Through my work
with the Lynx help desk I have learned that there are problems
with the accessibility of the Web.  Through my work with
standards for the design and test of electronic circuits, I have
learned that solutions to problems like this benefit from a
"negotiation" approach.

Eventually there will be archives for the mail exchanged on this
list.  But for now, I just joined; please bear with me if these
questions have just been answered:

Should we get the Consortium to advertise the WAI mailing lists
on their website (better)?  I only looked at the press release
which is the first mention of the Initiative that one comes
across, and the "Accessibility" branch on the website which is
also prominent, and neither one advertised this list.  I am
concerned that we may not be getting the full spectrum of
affected parties to the table.  Should we make the list more
evident to the casual visitor?

Who are the affected parties?  How can we get them involved in
the process of working out a solution?  My own model at the
moment is that there is one level of discussion between content
providers and content consumers that can be carried out as if the
Web were one big BBS.  The distribution of read, write and keep
activities can be set aside as we consider what kinds of
description are needed and how to get people to fill in these
blanks.

The Web Heads who write the tools can do a pretty good job of
parceling out content into HTML fields and dialogs into HTTP
transactions.  I hear via the -wg mailing list that the recent
meeting decided to learn requirements before deciding protocols.
We here need to support the wisdom of that decision.  This means,
in my opinion, figuring out who is affected by web access issues;
getting them connected with the process; learning what they care
about; helping consolidate a cumulative model of the care-abouts
of all players.

That will give the technology wizards the right kind of decision
criteria to work from in crafting the detailed mechanics of the
client/server implementation that runs over the Web.

I have some contacts among the blind.  The process of getting
them to know about the Initiative and plug into it is moving
along.  There is some action afoot to try to make sure that all
disabilities are included, and not just the blind.  On the other
hand, I don't myself have the same quality of contacts among Web
entrepreneurs.  How can we identify the diverse classes of Web
participants that are preparing content for Web publication?  How
can we interest them in participating here?

Those are my hot-buttons as of today.  Thanks for listening.

--
Al Gilman
http://www.access.digex.net/%7Easgilman/web-access/process_points.html
asgilman@access.digex.net

Received on Saturday, 24 May 1997 12:19:37 UTC