RE: Strict Guidelines Considered Harmful

Beg to differ.  Realistic is a matter of circumstance and with the economy
slowing down and fear of recession, industry is tightening the belt.  It is
realistic to do this, but this has to get into the budget and planning cycle
at least one year in advance for the next fiscal year.  Many companies do
three year plans and is difficult to get things in.

When economy or consumer needs drive the idea, it will be implemented.
Since the disabled community is asking for equal access, the market economy
is saying why do I need to absorb this cost and decrease my revenue when the
economy is tight?  Companies will protect their stock price as the wall
street financial analyst look at this as good management.  Smart companies
will not take any unnecessary risks to injure their stock and status if they
do not have planned funds to use.

There are several driving factors that will change the scope
1. Disabled people become a market force.  This can be accomplished through
a source code or check box on every web page so you can measure the PWD
traffic and provide concrete metrics to the marketing and merchandising
staff.  Relying on log files is not reliable.  Would this check box be
do-able or would this be an insult or would people volunteer this
information.  I found that many people in the work environment will not
admit they have a disability.
2. Ensure the tools for developers are there to support rapid application
development
3. Ensure there is training for developers and education for managers
4. Disabled people become a voice that is heard.  Write to every CEO and ask
why they have turned away a customer
5. Federal, State and Local law force companies to do this.
6. Write to every senator and representative to explain your situation and
problems.  Be tactful and work to get a staffer's attention.  Foster that
relationship withteh staffer as that is how to get to the elected official.
Need a champion!



 -----Original Message-----
From: 	w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org]  On
Behalf Of Paul Davis
Sent:	Saturday, December 16, 2000 9:41 AM
To:	w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject:	Strict Guidelines Considered Harmful


"In my experience, "realistic" is an industry code word for "requires little
effort and costs us nothing." Every -- EVERY -- standard ever imposed on
industry, from seat belts to emissions standards, has been met with
tremendous resistance and the cry of "be realistic." In my mind, what is
unrealistic is expecting people with disabilities to continue to accept
second-class status because industry doesn't want to be bothered."


Yeah, go to it Charles, I'll hold your coat. You tell 'em, and whilst they
are out for the count I will bring up the humble pie I ate the other day
right in their laps.

Of course the other consideration is the tendency in schools and colleges
over here (UK) to teach simple drag and drop web building software, this
makes life easy for the teachers as the kids can produce a web site without
actually teaching them anything apart from how to use a mouse and what page
attributes means. So they get a result. These kids are this afternoon's web
builders.

12 years ago a customer of mine could not pay his bill so offered me his
expensive but manual camera and a whole host of accessories in lieu of the
debt. I took the offer, as I was still married then, and rich. (a wife can
be a transitory thing, an ex-wife is for life)

I had been taking snapshots for years with expensive but automatic cameras,
so once I was confronted by F stops, aperture settings, delayed flashes a
whole host of complicated things I was totally lost. I had to go back to
college in the evening to learn how to use it. And whilst I am currently
having a short love affair/fling with my new digital camera, when I want to
take a proper photograph I still use my old manual camera. Everything else
are just snaps.


Paul Davis
www.ten-20.com The UK portal site for disabled people and associated
professionals.

Received on Thursday, 21 December 2000 01:21:05 UTC