Re: Question regarding browser-specific issues

Lars and Bevi,

I've had the same questions for some time now. It's time for our community
to stop thinking of digital accessibility as only the responsibility of
content authors alone.  Many of the WCAG rules go out of their way to
provide exceptions for accessibility features lacking in browsers and user
agents in general, for example.  Who thinks that's a good idea?  Why would
someone codify excuse making into a standard? Taking this approach only
kicks the can down the road another decade, benefitting a few to the
detriment of many.

A digital user experience is a complex interaction between the user, her
system software and hardware (OS/UA/AT), the digital content and it's
markup, and technical standards that serve as blueprints for all of the
facets of the user experience to follow.  I'm sure I've left something out,
but I hope you get the idea of what I'm trying to express. Until we take a
unified approach asking each facet of the user experience to own its
respective parts of the equation, we will be stuck in the same deepening
rut we've been in for some time now.

In my experience, I've never seen accessibility happen by accident.  It
takes all facets of the user experience working together in collaboration
to make digital accessibility an economically viable and usable reality for
people of all abilities.  We have WCAG baked into the laws and regulations
of countries around the globe.   I helped do the research on this topic as
a member of the CODE for Accessibility Task Force nearly 10 years ago - the
precursor of the IAAP and other accessibility certification programs. WCAG
is very one-sided in its rules that apply only to content authors.  Where
are the regulations for wares manufacturers to the same accessible end?
What are we doing to make sure that accessible code and strategies are
interoperable across platforms and disability types? What responsibilities
should standards bodies have in drafting rules that level the playing field
and make responsible accessibility governance possible?

Brooks Newton

>
>
>

<http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail>
Virus-free.
www.avg.com
<http://www.avg.com/email-signature?utm_medium=email&utm_source=link&utm_campaign=sig-email&utm_content=webmail>
<#DAB4FAD8-2DD7-40BB-A1B8-4E2AA1F9FDF2>