I believe there are two different issues here.
First, the age or version of the access technology being employed. Many
blind computer users do not have the resources to keep up with the latest
wiz bang versions of JAWS or Window Eyes. I personally know people who are
still using versions of JAWS as old as version 6.0 and version 4.5. I even
know of people still employing Windows 98 with its attendant software now a
full ten years out of date. Some of the early blind friendly browsers are no
longer being maintained and so fall ever further behind as web technology
moves ahead. This is mostly an economic issue and the only way web
developers can deal with this is to maintain true backward compatibility.
It can be done, I've seen it, but few are willing to make the effort.
Second: As another list member mentioned, some blind people just have more
trouble than others. Those of us who are more tech savvy, (read geeky),
tend to judge harshly those who just don't seem to get it. WE assume they
just don't try, and we assume they could do it if they weren't so lazy.
This is inherently an elitist attitude. I'm sure it is true in some cases
that a person doesn't attempt to help themselves. However, in my
experience, it is far more common that many people just have trouble. I
mean if one is really objective on the subject, adapted computers accessing
and parsing data which is almost always designed for maximum visual
usability, is not simple. In fact computers are complex and cranky and
stump sighted people just as often. The difference here is a blind person
is using an additional layer of technology, the screen reader, which just
makes it even more complex. Especially when family, friends, or IT.
professionals, rarely understand screen reading software well enough to
really be of much help. Now, before all you other geeks, just like me, jump
all over me for being a soft touch, let me ask you: How many of you are good
dancers or good athletes? How many of you can play musical instruments at a
performance level? How many of you are wonderful cooks? The fact is, we
all have our abilities, and those things for which, no matter how hard we
try, we will only be barely getting by. I can't cook to save my life,
(exaggeration of course), but I'm great with a computer. My wife is lucky
if she can walk a straight line without injury, and so she is aclutz, but no
one accuses her of being lazy or "her own worst enemy." So, she'll never
be a ball player, but she can cook me into the dirt.
So I suggest that instead of just writing off our fellow blind friends as
stupid, incompetent, or lazy, we instead be grateful that some of us are
really good at this computer and web stuff, and keep finding ways to make it
simpler for our less skilled friends.
Bill
-----Original Message-----
From: Visually Impaired Computer Users' Group List
[mailto:[log in to unmask]] On Behalf Of Dan Rossi
Sent: Wednesday, November 19, 2008 8:48 AM
To: [log in to unmask]
Subject: Re: [VICUG-L] inaccessible websites
Are there metrics for what makes a site quote accessible quote? I know that
the w3c has guidelines, but who gets to say if a site is accessible or not.
I found it surprising when SouthWest got sued because just a couple of weeks
before the announcement of the suit came out, I had purchased tickets on
their site.
Over on another list, I am trying to help someone out who feels that the
audible.com site is very inaccessible, yet there are many blind people who
use that site regularly with no, or minimal issues.
If one blind person can use a site, does that mean it is accessible? If one
blind person cannot use a site, does that mean it is inaccessible?
Obviously, it isn't one of those extremes, so how do you measure
accessibility and who gets to make the final call?
I am honestly not trying to be provocative, I am trying to find a real
answer, because I am often asked this question and I don't have an answer.
The confusion seems to come from the fact that you can build a site that
adheres pretty closely to the WAI guidelines, and still have a site that
some blind people will have trouble with. Conversely, it is pretty easy to
build a site that fails a lot of the tests for accessibility, but is not
actually inaccessible.
Thanks for any help.
--
Blue skies.
Dan Rossi
Carnegie Mellon University.
E-Mail: [log in to unmask]
Tel: (412) 268-9081
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