online BART ticket purchases

Recently, tim Moore of the Bay Area Rapid Transit District in California
posted information about https url's and ssl support to the WAI Interest
Group mailing list and the Universal Access List.  In the interest of full
disclosure and open communication, I share this and the following messages
that provide additional context and information regarding this issue.  In
mid-February, screen saves from the BART website show missing alt tags and
use of PDF files, which in part created an accessibility barrier.
commendably, Tim Moore and BART have corrected much of this and will
complete their work soon.  One barrier that remains is providing
alternatives to purchasing fare cards online for users of browsers that do
not support https url's.  These alternatives could include an e-mail link
for unsecure ordering, the ability to fax an order, leaving one's credit
card number on a dedicated voice mail line, or mail in purchases on the
same terms that the web provides.  BART and its lawyers believe that it
has no obligation or responsibility to offer these alternatives.  

The message below is a compilation of messages from members of the Access
BART Coalition, a group of people with disabilities who have raised the
web accessibility issue with BART.



kelly 


 >X-Sender: brhodes@postoffice.pacbell.net
>X-Mailer: QUALCOMM Windows Eudora Pro Version 4.1 
>Date: Tue, 09 Feb 1999 18:05:16 -0800
>To: Randy Tamez <r_tamez@pacbell.net>,
>        "Waddell, Cynthia" <cynthia.waddell@ci.sj.ca.us>,
>        "Denero, Marty (VTA)" <denero_M@vta.org>
>From: JEANNANDI@aol.com (by way of Barbara Rhodes <brhodes@pacbell.net>)
>Subject: Re: ABC Info/News: Online BART ticket purchases.
>
>Hi all --
>
>Cynthia -- note you are mentioned in the message.
>
>Randy -- note that it is not working for a person who is blind, but they
>are working on it.
>
>Barb
>
>	Thanks, Jim. Stick with it and let us know if/when there is a resolution and
>what that is, I might add.  Will help us advise other agencies for the future.
>One suggestion from Cynthia Waddell in San Jose is simply to set up a link to
>a phone line in place of a form, if the form is inaccessible, so you could
>talk your way through the purchase.
>--Jean
>
>In a message dated 99-02-09 11:34:04 EST, you write:
>
><< Subj:	Re: ABC Info/News: Online BART ticket purchases.
> Date:	99-02-09 11:34:04 EST
> From:	jgammon@uclink4.berkeley.edu (Jim Gammon)
> To:	JEANNANDI@aol.com
> 
> Well, that's great!   However,  it didn't work for a blind guy, yet.  I must
> say though that I did get a friendly and concerned response from the BART
> web master who's working on it.   Regards,   Jim 
>  At 11:14 PM 2/8/99 EST, you wrote:
> >>

Received on Monday, 1 March 1999 23:45:27 UTC