Christie Mason

I'm a big believer in simplier is better and it seems that simpler is also more accessabible and less of a barrier to many types of disabilities.

There are hints of what methods do/don't work in many of the threads and I thought it might be useful to create a top level topic to consolidate that info.

We can begin by summarizing some points based on  U.N. Gives Failing Accessibility Grades to the Planet's Top Web Sites
United Nations study finding only three leading Web sites around the world—out of 100 studied—meeting the needs of "persons with disabilities"

• Fail to provide adequate text descriptions for graphics - 93% 
  
• Rely on JavaScript or Flash for important functions and navigation - 73%
  
• Use pop-ups, which cause problems for those using screen magnification software - 87%
• Do not allow people to alter or resize fonts and/or images - 97%
• Use colors with poor contrast - 78%
• Offers poor page navigation -89% (I can't find out how they defined "poor navigation" perhaps navigation is like art - I know it when I see it)
  

Christie Mason

I'm a big believer in simplier is better and it seems that simpler is also more accessabible and less of a barrier to many types of disabilities.

There are hints of what methods do/don't work in many of the threads and I thought it might be useful to create a top level topic to consolidate that info.

We can begin by summarizing some points based on  U.N. Gives Failing Accessibility Grades to the Planet's Top Web Sites
United Nations study finding only three leading Web sites around the world—out of 100 studied—meeting the needs of "persons with disabilities"

• Fail to provide adequate text descriptions for graphics - 93% 
  
• Rely on JavaScript or Flash for important functions and navigation - 73%
  
• Use pop-ups, which cause problems for those using screen magnification software - 87%
• Do not allow people to alter or resize fonts and/or images - 97%
• Use colors with poor contrast - 78%
• Offers poor page navigation -89% (I can't find out how they defined "poor navigation" perhaps navigation is like art - I know it when I see it)
  

Christie Mason

Somewhere someone, not being able to easily find the who/where of that somewhere is an accessibility problem shared by all browser based threaded discussions, asked how to sell the need to focus on accessibility and disability compliance issues.

There are two ways to persuade someone - you either use pain (the stick)  or pleasure (the carrot).

Legal requirements are usually presented as a big stick to force organizations to comply, but it hasn't been an effective stick.  Very lax enforcement and no negative examples available of what happens when an entity doesn't care about making online presentations accessible.

But, that may be changing.  eCommerce quickly moved away from using Flash or other plugin dependent content when user's voted with their credit cards but it's only recently that they've been forced to consider the deeper impacts of inaccessible site design.  The Target lawsuit, studies showing negative online perceptions impacting the bottom line, the dismal ratings given by the U.N. are highlighting the problem on eCommerce sites, can eLearning be far behind?

What are the other sticks and carrots availble to persuade decision makers that a focus on usability is worthwhile?

Christie Mason

Somewhere someone, not being able to easily find the who/where of that somewhere is an accessibility problem shared by all browser based threaded discussions, asked how to sell the need to focus on accessibility and disability compliance issues.

There are two ways to persuade someone - you either use pain (the stick)  or pleasure (the carrot).

Legal requirements are usually presented as a big stick to force organizations to comply, but it hasn't been an effective stick.  Very lax enforcement and no negative examples available of what happens when an entity doesn't care about making online presentations accessible.

But, that may be changing.  eCommerce quickly moved away from using Flash or other plugin dependent content when user's voted with their credit cards but it's only recently that they've been forced to consider the deeper impacts of inaccessible site design.  The Target lawsuit, studies showing negative online perceptions impacting the bottom line, the dismal ratings given by the U.N. are highlighting the problem on eCommerce sites, can eLearning be far behind?

What are the other sticks and carrots availble to persuade decision makers that a focus on usability is worthwhile?

Christie Mason

Flash Paper - Great,  another product that continues the multi page, print paradigm online and requires manual maintenance versioning for original format and transformed format.  Any time that type of process is required I view it as breaking accessibility because it delays access to current, correct content.  Access to updated content is delayed while someone reruns the multi step process of finding the source, making the changes, transforming the source, reuploading the file.  Finding the source file can be real challenge, too many times I've heard some variation of "Dorothy wrote it and then Susan & Dan updated it but I think Henry was the last person to edit it and then his hard drive failed and he hadn't backed it up."  I fail to see a gain worth that type of pain. 

Oh well, at least they didn't use columns in the Best Practices for Accessible Flash Design link and the font/graphics zoom easily using the browser keyboard shortcuts (something that's iffy with PDF files), even though their TOC links don't work.

Christie Mason