BART website

Date: Mon, 01 Mar 1999 12:28:24 -0800
From: BART Webmaster <webmaster@bart.gov>
To: Kelly Pierce <kelly@ripco.com>
Cc: JEANNANDI@aol.com, Denero@aol.com, Marty <denero_M@vta.org>,
     Waddell@aol.com, Cynthia <cynthia.waddell@ci.sj.ca.us>,
     Barbara Rhodes <brhodes@pacbell.net>, jgammon@uclink4.berkeley.edu,
     Lainey.Feingold@aol.com, Esq. <Lfeingold@california.net>,
     Randy Tamez <r_tamez@pacbell.net>, ssander@BART.dst.ca.us
Subject: BART website

Mr. Pierce:

This is in response to your February 13, 1999 inquiry regarding the
accessibility of BART's website for you as a blind computer user. Please
be advised that BART's website is in compliance with the American with
Disabilities Act (ADA). Information contained on the website is
accessible directly through the Internet and is also offered through
other alternate accessible formats. Further, BART is completing it's
implementation of the World Wide Web Consortium's (W3C) Web
Accessibility Initiative (WAI) reccimmendations. As you may know, the
W3C is the international industry and academic group that sets Internet
standards. The WAI is the authoritative reference for website
accessibility. I expect BART's website to conform to WAI standards next
week and I look forward to receiving additional input from the disabled
community on this process. 

You also commented in your correspondence that there is no way to order
fare cards over the Internet using your browser, Lynx. You believe that
this lack of usability is a denial of access to our program because of
your disability. Based on my research, I have found that while the
ticket sales page cannot be accessed by older browsers in general and
newer browsers that are not properly configured, it can be accessed by
most versions of Netscape Navigator or Communicator, Microsoft Internet
Explorer, and Lynx with built-in SSL support. It appears that the lack
of usability of BART's ticket page with your browser is a technology
issue. It is not a denial of access by BART because of your disability.

Notwithstanding, I am continuing to look into the problem you posed
regarding certain browser configurations that do not support secure
servers because a solution would benefit and provide options for the
non-disabled as well.

I spoke on the telephone with Cynthia Waddell, JD, ADA Coordinator for
the City of San Jose and author of a paper entitled, "Applying the ADA
to the Internet: A Web Accessibility Standard"
(http://www.rit.edu/~easi/law/weblaw1.htm). Jean Nandi referenced this
paper as a good resource - and it was. Ms. Waddell was extremely helpful
in outlining the complexity of online access issues. However, we were
unable to reach any specific conclusion regarding the secure server
issue.

Ms. Waddell suggested that I contact other leaders in this field for
advice. Accordingly, I have emailed members of the World Wide Web
Consortium (W3C) involved in the WAI through a discussion group
addressing accessibility problems (w3c-wai-ig@w3.org). I also emailed
Judy Brewer, the International Program Director for the WAI W3C effort.
In addition, I have emailed the Trace Research and Development Center
discussion group (uaccess-l@trace.wisc.edu). As you may know, Trace is a
non-profit research center focusing on universal, accessible design. I
look forward to hearing what the experts say on the matter.  When I have
more information, I will let you and the ABC know more about it.

Thank you again for your input.


-- 
Timothy J. Moore
Online Marketing Manager
San Francisco Bay Area Rapid Transit District (BART)
800 Madison Street, LMA-4
Oakland, CA  94607

voice:  (510) 464-7128
fax:    (510) 464-7175
email:  webmaster@bart.gov

Received on Tuesday, 2 March 1999 00:09:41 UTC