Emails for pwld

-----Original Message-----
From: w3c-wai-ig-request@w3.org
Behalf Of Nick Kew
Sent: 09 January 2004 23:13
Subject: Re: Emails for pwld

>But anyway, aren't non-readers and email mutually incompatible?

No. Screenreaders allow non-readers to receive and understand email
independently.
Its creation for this user group which is problematic and requires some form
of support.

e.g. technological support via applications such as Writing With Symbols
(would generally
be used by users with some, although often very minimal literacy skills)
or by simply dictating the content to a support worker whilst maintaining
editorial control. Even with the technological solution, often someone is
going to have
to prepare grids of vocabulary in advance for the particular email context.

Longer-term as speech recognition technology improves I'd be expecting many
users currently
struggling through processes such as these to have much more independence in
writing email.

For users with severe and profound cognitive disabilities access is a
continuum running from
fully-supported through to independent. Most users travel up this as their
experience
and familiarity with the various technologies increase, but many may well
always require some
direct support from another person. The really important message to get
across is that even
if 99% of the 'work' is done by a supporter, the 1% that's achieved
independently can be extremely
significant to an individual and throughout 'ownership' of the process is
never lost where support
is competent.

Simon

Received on Saturday, 10 January 2004 04:22:05 UTC