re: Hello?

Designing for accessability does not mean that you
have to get rid of all the whiz-bang features and
visual appeal.  Many of the requirements are simple
and sensible design requirements that all web
developers should already be doing.  Things like
adding meaningful alt tags to images.

While simplifying things down to a plain text page
would work, it would require keeping up two versions
of each page.  Why do that much work and have that
maintenance when you can make some small changes to
your normal site that doesn't deteriorate the appeal
to non-impaired persons?  Obviously, its not always
this simple, but from the research I've done the
solution is often much simpler than one would first
guess.

Rebecca



--- Lauren Hanka <bluejay(at)starband.net> wrote:
> I'm here John, and have been watching with hesitated
> interest. Please, be
> don't be disgusted, but I find accessibility issues
> annoying. Tell me why
> one must study, on top of all the other studies that
> are required to keep up
> with this ever-changing, and highly competitive
> field, to make a site
> accessible for the visually impaired, when if this
> is desired, all that's
> really needed, as far as I understand, is make a
> "text only" duplicate of an
> existing site? Am I wrong? Short-sighted? After all,
> the Web, *is* a
> visually based medium, as is television. Of course,
> I am in agreement that
> easily accessible *information* be available for the
> visually impaired on
> the net, just annoyed that a separate and
> specialized technique must be
> learned and employed to make a basically visual site
> easier to see for the
> visually impaired --it just doesn't make sense in
> the efficiency department.
> 
> On the other hand --since North American governments
> are establishing
> compliancy requirements, and since there are so few
> designers with knowledge
> in this area, I'm game to learn...
> 
> Just my quick, unguarded, and conflicting personal
> thoughts...
> Lauren
> 
> 
> ----- Original Message -----
> From: "John Foliot - Another 4:00 AM Web Thing"
> <foliot(at)fouram.com>
> To: <aware-techniques(at)hwg.org>
> Sent: Wednesday, January 23, 2002 10:31 AM
> Subject: Hello?
> 
> 
> > This appears to be the sleepiest list I've ever
> subscribed to.  What's the
> > problem? Are there really no issues, or does
> nobody but a very small group
> > of us actually care?
> >
> > - Yesterday I received an eMail from the good folk
> at M*crom*dia (names
> > changed to protect the innocent) who have put on a
> travelling road show to
> > demonstrate the accessibility features in a number
> of their applications
> > (both graphic and code tools).  Has anyone been to
> any of these demos in
> > their home town?  Is it worth investing half a day
> of dog and pony show?
> > Inquiring minds want to know...
> >
> > - As a Canadian web developer located in Ottawa,
> Ontario, list members
> might
> > be interested in the following fact:  The Canadian
> Federal Government has
> > mandated all federal web sites be compliant to the
> Level 1 and Level 2 WAI
> > Guidelines, similar to the Section 508 statute in
> the US, but, to my
> > understanding, stricter.  Can anybody confirm or
> deny this fact?
> >
> > - There is a dire need for developers who are both
> aware and able to code
> to
> > these standards... hint<wink>.  The Canadian
> government has provided a
> > testing group to assist governmental employees who
> actually work on
> federal
> > sites
> (http://www.cio-dpi.gc.ca/clf-upe/1/wats/wats_e.asp)
> to help them
> > identify and correct potential problems. 
> Attendees consistently ask if
> > there are any "real time" support mechanisms out
> there.  I would love to
> > recommend this list, but the last posting was
> dated October 8th, 2001.
> >
> > So, show of hands... is there anybody out there?
> >
> > JF
> > Ottawa, Ont.
> 
> 


=====
Do while Project<>Completed
   if impossible = true then
      rethink(approach)
      set impossible = false
   end if
loop

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