Re: Re: Rockville, MD- Seeking low vision users for testing federal website

I suggest you keep a couple of things in mind.  this is a usability
organization and they are testing for section 508.  508 is fairly narrow
in its assumptions and while it might be prudent (I certainly do) for an
organization to test with as broad a number of environments as possible,
it is also prudent that they start with what section 508 is asking for
and what most people use.  In the message, it is indicated that this
will expand but thanks for the discussion.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Dwight H. Barbour" <dbs@dbsolutions.net>
To: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
Sent: Tuesday, December 17, 2002 9:31 AM
Subject: Fwd: Re: Rockville, MD- Seeking low vision users for testing
federal website



On Tue, 17 Dec 2002 09:31:03 -0500, "Dwight H. Barbour"
<dbs@dbsolutions.net> said:
>
> Many people in the US Federal Government think that Accessibility is
for
> the blind people of the world using JAWS.
>
> What a misconception.  Instead of following the guidelines, they are
> matching a set of products' requirements.
>
> Dwight.
>
>
> On Tue, 17 Dec 2002 09:24:23 -0500 (EST), "Access Systems"
> <accessys@smart.net> said:
> >
> > On Tue, 17 Dec 2002, David Poehlman wrote:
> >
> > why are you limiting yourself to Proprietary software, there are
numerous
> > other screenreaders and adaptive software that runs on other
operating
> > systems (and windows) that is used and well liked, such as
"emacspeak"
> >
> >   One of the major problems (as you know) is the myth that
everything on
> > PC is from Redmond Washington
> >
> > Bob
> >
> > >
> > > Hello, my name is Abhijit Ghosh. I currently work at the National
Cancer
> > > Institute in the Communication Technologies Branch. As part of the
508
> > > initiative, we are looking to test our website with low vision to
no
> > > vision users using JAWS, Window-Eyes, and in the future Screen
> > > magnifying software.
> > >
> > > The  Communication Technologies Branch at the National Cancer
Institute
> > > is helping lead an effort  to evaluate different federal web sites
and
> > > make them usable and useful to users with disabilities of various
kinds:
> > > vision,
> > > hearing, motor.  Recently we have started trying to assemble a
panel of
> > > volunteers with low vision or no vision who would agree to be web
site
> > > testers and join a database of volunteers we could call once or
> > > repeatedly to help us evaluate federal websites. Users will need
to be
> > > in the Northern Virginia, D.C, Maryland area.
> > >
> > > We will pay every volunteer for 2 hours of testing time at our
facility.
> > > We
> > > would pay $100 to each user in cash. In addition, we would cover
for
> > > transportation cost.
> > >
> > > They would make a huge contribution to aiding multiple agencies
who
> > > provide web information to users with disabilities.  For the low
vision
> > > part of the
> > > project, we would like to have both expert and novice users of
screen
> > > readers (Jaws and WindowEyes) as well as users who require
magnification
> > > devices/techniques.
> > >
> > > Our group is responsible for the web site http:/www.usability.gov>
> > > which is a rich source of information presenting and advocating
> > > evidence-based principles regarding web design and usability.  We
also
> > > do research on
> > > user-centered design in our a state-of-the-art usability testing
and
> > > training facility near the White Flint Metro stop in Rockville,
> > > Maryland.
> > >
> > > Please ask any folks you think would want to volunteer to contact:
> > > Abhijit Ghosh
> > > ghoshab@mail.nih.gov
> > > phone 301 594-9080
> > > fax 301 435-6069
> > >
> > > We certainly would appreciate as wide a distribution of this
message as
> > > possible.
> > >
> >
> >    ASCII Ribbon Campaign                        accessBob
> >     NO HTML/PDF/RTF in e-mail
accessys@smartnospam.net
> >     NO MSWord docs in e-mail                    Access Systems,
engineers
> >     NO attachments in e-mail,  *LINUX powered*   access is a civil
right
> >
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> > THIS message and any attachments are CONFIDENTIAL and may be
> > privileged.  They are intended ONLY for the individual or entity
named
> > above. If you are not the intended recipient, Please notify the
sender as
> > soon as possible. Please DO NOT READ, COPY, USE, or DISCLOSE this
> > communication to others and DELETE it from your computer systems.
Thanks
> >
> >
> >
> --
>   Dwight H. Barbour
>   .NET Community Builder
>   Section 508 and ASP.NET Educator and Developer
>   dbs@dbsolutions.net
--
  Dwight H. Barbour
  .NET Community Builder
  Section 508 and ASP.NET Educator and Developer
  dbs@dbsolutions.net

Received on Tuesday, 17 December 2002 09:44:34 UTC