RE: Web accessibility for people with dyslexia

Ø  Why and how would you want to do that rather than just subscribing to a well-defined set of universal design criteria?

As good and relevant as the WCAG 2 guidelines are – there is always room to review and add to them.  In 2008 technology was at a different state and the guidelines were written to be technology agnostic to the web technology at the time.  Today new specifications such as ARIA are available and different technologies and options are available for users.  Considering the broadest set of needs that may not have been possible in 2008 but that are possible to be put into future guidelines today should and must be evaluated to make sure we increase accesss to more content for more people.  In addition, implementing best practices that cannot become formal guidelines but that may increase access is an important step as well.  There will always be useful things that can be done but for whatever reason can’t make it into the final guidelines but still provide value to some users.  This is why the WAI has released a number of documents as non-normative notes to assist the community.

Jonathan

Jonathan Avila
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From: Lars Ballieu Christensen [mailto:lbc@sensus.dk]
Sent: Tuesday, May 02, 2017 2:35 PM
To: Juliette
Cc: WAI IG
Subject: Re: Web accessibility for people with dyslexia

Hi Juliette

I would still argue that the best approach would be to follow the general accessibility guidelines (WCAG 2) – that would address the needs most users (not all, I know). In my opinion, the alternative is problematic … having to explicitly decide which users you would want to accommodate. The visually impaired? The dyslexic? Those with motor deficiencies? … the list goes on. Why and how would you want to do that rather than just subscribing to a well-defined set of universal design criteria?

Venligst/Kind regards

Lars
----
Lars Ballieu Christensen
Rådgiver/Adviser, Ph.D., M.Sc., Sensus ApS
Specialister i tilgængelighed/Accessibility Consultants
Tel: +45 48 22 10 03 – Mobil: +45 40 32 68 23 - Skype: Ballieu
Mail: lbc@sensus.dk<mailto:lbc@sensus.dk> – Web: www.sensus.dk<http://www.sensus.dk> <http://www.sensus.dk/> &
www.robobraille.org<http://www.robobraille.org> <http://www.robobraille.org/>

Vi arbejder for et tilgængeligt og rummeligt informationssamfund
Working for an accessible and inclusive information society

Fra: Juliette <piazza.juliette@gmail.com<mailto:piazza.juliette@gmail.com>>
Dato: tirsdag den 2. maj 2017 kl. 18.54
Til: Lars Ballieu Christensen <lbc@sensus.dk<mailto:lbc@sensus.dk>>
Cc: WAI IG <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>>
Emne: Re: Web accessibility for people with dyslexia
Sendt igen fra: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>>
Dato for sendt igen: Tue, 02 May 2017 16:56:05 +0000

Hi Lars,

I really agree with you. The thing is I know a few companies who either want to show to the world that they are 'accessible for people with visual impairment' or 'accessible for people with dyslexia' or whatever the impairment. They think, providing a guidelines on how to make a website accessible for people with dyslexia for example will give them good publicity.. I tend to explain them that such people will all have their own way to use websites so at the end, if they really want to be 'accessible for people with dyslexia', they simply need to be accessible and following the W3C guidelines is probably the best way to do that.
Thanks for you feedback!
Best,
Juliette


On 2 May 2017 at 17:47, Lars Ballieu Christensen <lbc@sensus.dk<mailto:lbc@sensus.dk>> wrote:
Hi Juliette,

Accessibility as a term is usually not used to describe accommodations for particular user groups, e.g., people with dyslexia. Rather, accessibility refers to a set of universal design principles that aim to ensure that digital solutions can be used as widely as possible, irrespective of disabilities, situations and technologies.

I’m sure you can find design recommendations for people with dyslexia, but in my opinion that has nothing to do with accessibility. It’s actually quite the opposite.

Venligst/Kind regards

Lars
----
Lars Ballieu Christensen
Rådgiver/Adviser, Ph.D., M.Sc., Sensus ApS
Specialister i tilgængelighed/Accessibility Consultants
Tel: +45 48 22 10 03<tel:+45%2048%2022%2010%2003> – Mobil: +45 40 32 68 23<tel:+45%2040%2032%2068%2023> - Skype: Ballieu
Mail: lbc@sensus.dk<mailto:lbc@sensus.dk> – Web: www.sensus.dk<http://www.sensus.dk> <http://www.sensus.dk/> &
www.robobraille.org<http://www.robobraille.org> <http://www.robobraille.org/<http://www..robobraille.org/>>

Vi arbejder for et tilgængeligt og rummeligt informationssamfund
Working for an accessible and inclusive information society

Fra: Juliette <piazza.juliette@gmail.com<mailto:piazza.juliette@gmail.com>>
Dato: tirsdag den 2. maj 2017 kl. 18.13
Til: <undisclosed-recipients:;>
Emne: Web accessibility for people with dyslexia
Sendt igen fra: <w3c-wai-ig@w3.org<mailto:w3c-wai-ig@w3.org>>
Dato for sendt igen: Tue, 02 May 2017 16:14:46 +0000

Hello,

Is there any guidelines to make a website accessible for people with dyslexia?
My thoughts are that people with dyslexia can use a wide range of assistive technologies or no assistive technology at all. For this reason, making a website accessible for people with dyslexia leads to entirely follow the W3C guidelines. But, is there any specific standards or criteria for people with dyslexia?
Thanks a lot.

--
Juliette



--
Juliette