Hi:

Given that Alternet is a nonprofit organization, I wonder if it might be
worth offering assistance in making their website more accessible instead
of merely complaining?

Peter



-----Original Message-----
From: Mary Otten [mailto:[log in to unmask]]
Sent: Thursday, October 23, 2003 10:40 PM
To: Jennifer Sutton; Jamal Mazrui
Subject: alternet reader survey


I know you both read alternet articles from time to time. I don't know
if either of you has received the alternet survey notification in your
email. In case you  have not, then I will include the url at the end of
this note, so
that you can check it out for yourselves. Last time Alternet had a
survey, I found it inaccessible, and I fired off a letter complaining
that this organization which claims to be so progressive and inclusive
wasn't doing
such a good job when it came to their survey design. I couldn't fill it
out using my screen reader. Its not rocket science to make an accessible
survey. I'm sure you've filled out plenty of them as I have.  They
responded, apologizing for the design and saying they'd do better in
future. Wel, I invite you to look at this survey, check out all the God
awful garbage links without alt tags and draw your own conclusions as to
just
how seriously Alternet takes web accessibility.  Have their web
designers never heard of radio buttons and check boxes? And try to
answer question 2. Can you tell which of those 2 links is "yes" and
which "no"?
How mucyh longer do you suppose it will take you to fill this stupid
thing out, except because they a: didn't alt tag the links and b: used
links at all, when other elements, such as radio buttons and check boxes
would
have been much more efficient? And of course, there is question 2, which
you can't answer at all, because you can't tell which link is for which
answer. I suppose some might say I'm making a mountain out  of a mole
hill, and perhaps I am, to a degree. But I am just plain sick and tired
of needlessly inaccessible web design getting in the way of our use of
the internet. and from a progressive organization, its even worse.
They're
suppose to give a damn.
Check it out for yourself at
http://www.alternet.org/survey/

and if it disgusts you half as much as it does me, I hope you'll let
them hear from you and urge others you know to let Alternet know we
don't appreciate their attitude towards our access issues, as
exemplified by this
ridiculously presented survey.
Mary


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