aloha, dan!
one of the places you definitely want this question aired is
<[log in to unmask]>
that's the eddress the mailing list of the authoring tool accessibility
guidelines working group -- part of the web accessibility initiative (WAI)
of the world wide web consortium (W3C)
the list is publicly archived at:
http://lists.w3.org/Archives/Public/w3c-wai-au/
the Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines working group is the body
responsible for drafting, debating, fine tuning, and testing the
implementability of a set of guidelines whose purpose is to ensure that
tools used to create content in markup languages which are traditionally
thought of as web-based : 1) are capable of producing accessible web
content, 2) prompt, guide, and assist authors in composing/creating
accessible web site/pages; and 3) ensuring that the authoring tools be,
themselves, accessible...
the working group's web space is located at:
<http://www.w3.org/wai/au/>
the Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) -- which became a W3C
Recommendation on 3 February 2000) -- can be found at:
<http://www.w3.org/TR/ATAG10/>
(for more on the release of ATAG, consult either the post to BLIND-DEV
archived at:
<http://maelstrom.stjohns.edu/CGI/wa.exe?A2=ind0002A&L=blind-dev&P=R70>
or consult the materials available at the authoring tools working group's
home page)
an associated document, which contains techniques that illustrate how each
checkpoint contained in ATAG could be, might be,or currently is
implemented, can be found at:
<http://www.w3.org/TR/ATAG10-TECHS/>
currently, the working group is concentrating on finalizing a new public
draft of the Techniques document -- you can always find the latest working
group draft of the Techniques document at:
<http://www.w3.org/wai/au/atag10-techs/>
the Authoring Tools working group has performed (and is performing) a
number of conformance evaluations of existing tools, which can be found at:
<http://www.w3.org/wai/au/reviews/>
a list of existing tools can be found at:
<http://www.w3.org/WAI/AU/tools>
the tools i have found most useful as a totally blind author are allaire's
HomeSite, SoftQuad's HoTMetaL 6, and Sausage Software's HotDog but mostly i
use a plain text editor to create documents for use on the web by hand, so
i'm really not the best person to ask about WYSIWYG tools
i hope that this helps -- please feel free to contact me or Charles
McCathieNevile (the W3C staff contact for the working group, and an editor
of ATAG), to whom i have CCed this emessage -- if you have further
questions about the Authoring Tools Accessibility Guidelines, the working
group, or their mailing list and archives...
the Authoring Tools working group would also be interested in knowing:
1. what authoring tools (if any) do BLIND-DEV subscribers use?
2. what assistive technology do you use? (software and hardware)
3. on what platforms do you develop web content?
4. how well do the tools you use suit your needs as a blind or low vision user?
5. what do you find most limiting about today's crop of tools?
6. are you satisfied with the tools available to you? if so, why? if not,
why?
7. what (if any) evaluation and repair tools do you use to check the output
of the tool you use?
gregory, listowner, BLIND-DEV
At 06:35 PM 4/12/00 -0400, Dan Flasar wrote:
>Hi,
> I've been involved in clinical reserach mentoring for 12 years now, which
>involves a great deal of computer use and managment. 6 years ago, I began
>losing my central vision. though I will never be completely blind (at least
>from the retinal problem I have now) - I will never regain my central vision,
>either. I use JAWS for Windows as a screen reader and have worked w/ OCRs,
>use RFBD books and have been investigating random access documentation for
>programs like SAS and SPSS.
> However, web pages have me stymied. I know the basics of HTML but editing
>a file and putting in all those tags is cumbersome. I'd like to find a good
>path for me to learn to create web pages (yes, accessible web pages) for my
>users to download protocols for data submission and the use of statistical
>programs, the processses used in the data gathering, analysis and reporting
>phase. I also want to create a web page for clinical researchers who want to
>recuit disabled patients for their clinical trials - necssitating that their
>documentation for the studies are accessbile to everyone and how to share
>solutions to problems that might occur for these indivdiuals in the conduct
>of the experimnent (for example, people w/ severe arthritis have problems
>using mice to click answers on a data intake screen - keyboard commands and
>careful intake screen design can anticiipate those problems).
>
> I've got operating systems, the basics of the internet and email down,
>understand most software but I'm really slowed down in learning *new*
>things,like web page design and creatoin. What package do you use, what
>would you reccommend for me to obatain to get started.
> I just got back from the "Technology and Persons w/ Disabilities"
>conference in LA and it was an amazing, humbling, inspiring experience. I'm
>ready to get out of my slump and get with the spirit of those amazing people
>I met there.
>T
>Thanks,
> Daniel R. Flasar
> Informatics Core Director
> General Clinical. Research Center
> Washington University School of Medicine
> St. Louis, MO
> (w) (314)362-2122
> [log in to unmask]
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He that lives on Hope, dies farting
-- Benjamin Franklin, Poor Richard's Almanack, 1763
--------------------------------------------------------
Gregory J. Rosmaita <[log in to unmask]>
WebMaster and Minister of Propaganda, VICUG NYC
<http://www.hicom.net/~oedipus/vicug/index.html>
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