RE: alt text seen or not?

dc wrote:
>There is one other flaw with your television analogy...
>all TVs cost money. The same is not true of browsers.
>...which are free).

Where is a free browser?  Oh sure, there is all that marketing FUD from
Netscape, Microsoft and others that *their* browser is "free", but will it
run without a computer, or an operating system (OS), or Internet access -
ALL of which cost real money!  There is even those other slick marketing
guys giving away the machine, OS, and free browser - IF, you just pay them
$$ each month for the Internet access [for years!].  So think of the term
"browser" that I used as including everything that is needed to run the
"browser".  Even the cost of the assistive technology should be added, for
example, from the $89 street price for HPR to many times that for a full
fledge multi-purpose screen reader.

P.S. There is "free [to the user]" Internet access in the City of Austin
located in libraries, senior centers, and community centers, many even
equipped with HPR, but the machines, OS, and ISP service were paid for with
donated funds from individuals and corporations [usually with a tax
write-off <smile>]

I agree with your points about not all browsers having all the
"accessibility chips" built in, nor, as I, you, and others have said, not
even ONE of the browsers have ALL the "chips" built in.

But not all TV shows are captioned either. And for those that are, someone
is paying to have the captioning done.

I guess I'm back to my "journey" point... We're all in this together and
everyone has some responsibility; the developers, the authors, the users,
and the governments. And my economics vs accessibility point... that they
are [or should be] separate.

Regards,
Phill Jenkins
[HPR] http://www.ibm.com/sns
[FUD] Fear, Uncertainty, and Doubt
[ISP] Internet Service Provider

Received on Monday, 17 January 2000 20:03:28 UTC