RE: Politics: Strict Guidelines Considered Harmful

Jim and Kynn,
I assume you guys know that I also agree with you.  As long as we continue
the work and dream of an accessible web, it might actually happen!

Have a Happy New Year,
Cynthia

---------------------------------------
Cynthia D. Waddell
Sr. Consultant/Subject Matter Expert
PSINet Consulting Solutions
Accessibility Center of Excellence

Raleigh, NC: 1-800-547-5602 ext. 136
Sacramento, CA: 1-800-408-3567

San Jose Office:
PO BOX 5456
San Jose, California  95150-5456
http://www.icdri.org/cynthia_waddell.htm


-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org]On
Behalf Of Jim Thatcher
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2000 12:23 PM
To: Kynn Bartlett; w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: RE: Politics: Strict Guidelines Considered Harmful


Kynn,

I assume you would guess that I agree with you 100%. Having worked to bring
realistic web standards into IBM, now I am writing a course on Web
Accessibility for 508 training. This has to be practical. This must be
realistic.

Part of the problem is that the list members and group members so work and
rework the wording that when it comes out the other end, those responsible
for doing something about it can't understand what has been said. In that
process I believe that industry representatives long before the end felt
that they had to withdraw. I hope you will continue to stand strong and
clear.

Like you said, we all share the dream of an accessible web. For some of us,
being practical is much more important, will gain much more for everybody,
than strict interpretation, over-bearing detail and incomprehensible
abstraction.

Jim
jim@jimthatcher.com
Accessibility Consulting
http://jimthatcher.com
512-306-0931

-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org [mailto:w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org]On
Behalf Of Kynn Bartlett
Sent: Friday, December 15, 2000 10:16 AM
To: Davey Leslie; Charles F. Munat; w3c-wai-ig@w3.org
Subject: Re: Politics: Strict Guidelines Considered Harmful


At 8:51 PM +0900 12/15/00, Davey Leslie wrote:
>Kynn:
>Your Avoidance Theory of Web Design is clever but, to paraphrase Jessie
>Jackson, "doesn't pass the smell test."

Hi, Davey, can you explain this a little further?  I think I understand
what you are saying but I am not sure.

I do have serious fears that if we reach too far and demand too much
(and I _do_ believe that's possible; this may be a point of philosophic
disagreement right there), then the WAI and WCAG will become meaningless
by forcing people to choose between accessibility and decent design
practices.  I don't want that choice to be made and I don't think
it's necessary, -because- I think it's a case where accessibility
will lose consistently.

--Kynn
--
Kynn Bartlett <kynn@idyllmtn.com>
http://www.kynn.com/

Received on Sunday, 31 December 2000 15:10:34 UTC