re:development WAI activities

I have long suggested that those working on some of these issues unplug
their monitors and mice for some lengthy period of time.  Only then will
some of the access issues make more sense.

Those who teach people who are blind to walk with a cane or guide dog must
go through the same experience in some blind folded fashion.  It is in
this way that they learn to really trust and understand both the methods
they are teaching and gain insight into the real experience.



On Sun, 1 Mar 1998, William Loughborough wrote:

> Jaap writes: "I serve the net for more then two years now and
> unfortunately I must say: the longer I do it, the more difficult it
> becomes.  But although the discussions were interesting, they did not
> really hit the real problems I had when using the web."
> 
> WL::  The "becoming more difficult" part is perhaps universal in that as
> "cool" enters, usability (insofar as getting information or interacting
> with sites) suffers, even for those of us with functioning retinae.  The
> part about "interesting discussions" is more troubling because we are
> all obviously commited to doing something about reducing the
> "difficulty" - but as Jaap points out we *must* attend to the "real
> problems...using the web."
> 
> WL::  It is imperative that more users who are the targets of our
> efforts be brought into this thing and above all else *HEEDED*.  If any
> "wisdom" has come from my loooonnnng involvement in this area it is that
> the client is whom to serve.  The most important thing I try to get
> across to the folks working on these problems is that you have to spend
> a little time in the "shoes of another" in order to really understand
> how severe these problems are.  Spend a little time with the monitor off
> and the mouse out of use.  I thought I understood what that meant and
> disdained doing it in the interest of "saving time" in writing programs,
> etc. but unless you actually "dance that dance" for a good length of
> time it will not get through clearly.
> 
> WL::  We are fortunate to have several "people with disabilities"
> working with us on these things and it behooves to get the maximum
> benefit from their counsel and experience.  You can't know what it's
> like to be blind by closing your eyes or wearing a blindfold for a few
> hours.  You can't know what it's like to use a speech synthesizer by
> listening to a demo or even a few minutes of PWWebSpeak.  These are
> experiential things, not just "understandings".  Mea Culpa a lot and I
> urge all of us to attend very carefully what Gregory, Jaap, and others
> have to say.
> -- 
> Love.
>             ACCESSIBILITY IS RIGHT - NOT PRIVILEGE
> http://dicomp.pair.com
> 

Kelly

Received on Sunday, 1 March 1998 13:19:34 UTC