RE: Washington Post editoral: Claims Against Common Sense

Mr. Raspberry,

In response to your  editoral:  "Claims Against Common Sense"  and your
remarks stating Randy Tamez to "get a grip" regarding his ADA complaint about
Web sites I must ask - *who* is blind in this situation?

The Internet has proved to be a blessing for those of us who have disAbilites,
handicaps and debilitating illnesses. It has enabled us to interact in real
time with other people - the entire world in fact - whereas before many of us
were limited to the company of those at home and in the doctors office. The
Internet has also opened a world of information that never existed before.
But those such as yourself who have contempt and dismiss those with
disAbilities as well as being sorely misinformed about Internet Accessibility
dare threaten to take that away from us.

To quote Tim Berners-Lee, Director of W3C, creator of The World Wide Web: 
"...The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless
of disability, is an essential aspect..."
There is nothing in this statement, nor anything in the ADA to be
misinterpreted or ridiculed.

The disAbled and Handicapped community will be, if not already, a powerful
voice in the Internet. The dedicated efforts by hundreds of people on the
Internet to improve and implement accessibility though supporting the W3c's
Web Access Initiative attest to this fact. It is obvious you know nothing
about the Internet, these people, their efforts and many more like them.

Mr. Tames and approximately 750 million people worldwide "see" what the
problem is while you Mr. Raspberry close your eyes to the truth.  Indeed Mr.
Raspberry, in my eyes, it is you who is void of one at least one of your
sences.  I truly feel sorry for *you*.

Sincerely,
L.Kelly

Received on Tuesday, 17 November 1998 18:54:45 UTC