- From: Paul Davis <paul@ten-20.com>
- Date: Sun, 20 Aug 2000 15:11:44 +0100
- To: w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
I have been away for a few days so this comment is late in coming.
I have also had to go out and replace my waste bin as I reshaped my last
one whilst kicking it round the room in frustration at some peoples'
surprise over the attitude of Gap.
"You can't tell where you don't show.......You can't lead where you won't go."
All forms of advertising no matter the medium, are targeted. Gap have
obviously decided that disabled people in general do not buy their
products, so why cater to their needs? Now whilst you can argue the
accuracy (or integrity) of this decision. There is no point at the moment
screaming "foul play" then sitting back and doing nothing about it.
Disabled people in the U.K. currently spend £33 billion a year. (source
Radar, I have no figures for the States) It is also true to say much of
this money is government funded. But one hell of a lot isn't. And all of it
is spent somewhere. Ten-20 realized this from the word go, the problem
being ten-20 is funded by me......alone(and always will be), so development
is slow.
If any change is to be brought about regarding accessibility, then we need
to show, not tell. Commercial decisions are based on facts, figures and
educated guesstimates. We need to prove to commercial minds that disabled
people are worth going that extra few bucks to accommodate. The only way is
to prove it. Give them a working model. Once that is done, we may all get
trampled in the rush to conform.
What is more that is exactly what ten-20 intends to do.
smiles
Paul Davis
Received on Sunday, 20 August 2000 10:11:02 UTC