http://www.washtimes.com/op-ed/ (Letter to the editor)

Internet pop-ups ruin deaf and blind viewing pleasure
     Monday's edition reported on the ire pop-up advertising causes among
Internet users ("Pop-ups strike out with Internet advertisers," Page 1). For
some Web surfers using assistive technology or other alternative means to
access the Internet, pop-ups are not merely annoying, but confusing and
intrusive as well. It is not difficult to imagine the frustration felt by
Web surfers who are blind or visually impaired when, without warning, these
ads change the focus from the page they want to view to the pop-up itself.
     Pop-ups are only one example of common Web features that make it
difficult, if not impossible, for people using assistive technology such as
screen readers or speech recognition to access the wealth of information on
the Internet. Graphics with no text alternatives, audio files with no
transcripts and drop-down menus that must be activated through mouse clicks,
for example, pose challenges to people who use text browsers, who cannot see
or hear, or who use only a keyboard interface.
     A recent study by San Francisco State University and
PricewaterhouseCoopers found that 87 percent of federal Web sites are
inaccessible, despite a federal law requiring Web-site accessibility since
June 2001. Yet many accessibility barriers can be eliminated
cost-effectively and with simple programming techniques.
     As director of technology initiatives for Columbia Lighthouse for the
Blind, I encourage organizations to implement accessible Web applications
that keep the end users' experience in mind. By doing so, they will create
more accessible Web sites that appeal to a broader audience, frustrate fewer
customers and likely gain more business in the end.
     TRACY LEONARD
     Director of technology initiatives
     Columbia Lighthouse for the Blind
     Washington


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