- From: Paul Davis <paul@ten-20.com>
- Date: Sun, 21 Mar 2004 11:55:33 -0000
- To: "David Dorward" <david@us-lot.org>, <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>
"The number of people visiting sites that are available in multiple languages is tiny?" Not saying overall visitor levels are low, just people who would be unable to navigate the site and expeience the problems highlighted are miniscule, and those who are effected are possibly of a paranoid nature, not visually challenged. Therefore their ability to navigate the site is not in question, just their mental state. However, the number of color blind and low vision visitors would be far greater, yet this simple and obvious flaw was not mentioned. It was the more sophisticated stuff that drew the attention. "You are missing that a complete critique of the site isn't needed in order to point out that the authors of the site are unlikely to have the technical knowledge to implement language negotiation." I fail to see how bemoaning the lack of other's skills on this list promotes accessibility, why are you not attempting to change things from within the organization? An email suggesting your recommondations with the suggested coding to the webmaster may be of more direct and constructive help, if a bit revoluionary granted. A fifth columnist may be more effective in these cases. There is a mistake of falling in love with the technical side of coding and not the original objective of making the internaet accessible to the masses, no matter their disability or even the lack of one!!!! (digital divide wise) All too often I read on this list about Jaws (or any other paid for assistive software) experiencing problems with this or Jaws (ditto) needs to be adapted to do that, you are lucky to have Jaws (ditto) in the first place. Try navigating the net on a pentium 1 with 64mb ram and viewed on a 14 inch screen. Accesibility defines a whole new set of rules. The skills to adapt computer settings in the first place are also all too often assumed. I often visit clients who would love to be abused with the problems highlighted here if only they had the hardware to be so mistreated in the first place! Not a personal attack here, I like to think of these posts as 'present company accepted' I would however, suggest (as I did once 3 years ago on this list) a visit to the nearest library and look up Kiplings poem 'Tomlinson' ....thou has read, thou has heard, thou has seen, good lack, yet the tale is yet to run...... come to think of it the poem 'IF' written by the same author in 1910 also applies in today's world from a slightly different perspective!! smiles Paul (Jiminy Cricket) Davis
Received on Sunday, 21 March 2004 06:56:28 UTC