- From: Kynn Bartlett <kynn-edapta@idyllmtn.com>
- Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2002 09:24:27 -0700
- To: "SHARPE, Ian" <Ian.SHARPE@cambridge.sema.slb.com>, "WAI (E-mail)" <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
At 9:41 AM +0100 8/12/02, SHARPE, Ian wrote: >Hi All, > >I've been asked to answer a couple of points regarding website accessibility >for some potential business. Social inclusion pleasantly being an imporant >aspect of the development. I found myself starting off initially with the >somewhat unqualified statement: > >"It is widely accepted by the accessibility communitee that it is not >currently realistic to sensibly provide a fully accessible solution to this >problem for all social groups at this time". If you look at WCAG 1.0 or Section 508, then is undoubtedly true. Adherence to either places a much lower priority on the needs of some groups than on others, and also sets up a competition between the needs of some groups and the needs of others. So I would say this is a legitimate statement. >The problem being a web portal comprising numerous backend systems which >come together to deliver dynamic content potentially in a variety of formats >and using a variety of media. Even if we reduce the problem to a straight >forward online flight booking system for example I personally don't believe >it is possible to cater for all sensibly at this time? Just taking the >visually impared and learning disabilities alone I feel moves the problem >into potentially two separate solutions with the VI requiring textual >feedback and learning disabilities perhaps more familiar with some kind of >SVG approach? This is why an adaptive/transformative approach is most valuable. The idea that all users can be equally served by a single user interface is one which should have died years ago. Unfortunately, it's 2002 now and we have yet to see fully-deployed increased accessibility adaptive transformations. :( You have accurately identified a weakness in current accessibility thinking. The solution, as I see it, is to change our thinking and realize that multiple interfaces need to be constructed. If you are already assembling a portal system which separates the business logic (backend) from the front (dynamic content) then you are already advantaged when it comes to building a functioning adaptive transformation system. You can get better results for a broader group of users by creating multiple templates which meet a diversity of needs. --Kynn -- Kynn Bartlett <kynn@idyllmtn.com> http://kynn.com Chief Technologist, Idyll Mountain http://idyllmtn.com Next Book: Teach Yourself CSS in 24 http://cssin24hours.com Kynn on Web Accessibility ->> http://kynn.com/+sitepoint
Received on Monday, 12 August 2002 12:25:05 UTC