[blindkid] Web Site Concerns

[Peter Donahue]

Good evening again everyone,

    With all of the discussion of Web sites this past week I wanted to share 
a few observations and recommend to those POBC Affiliates that have Web 
sites to keep them fresh, in good repair, and up-to-date with the latest 
information especially when it concerns matters that could seriously impact 
education of blind children and services for blind adults.

    Texas is one of several states with a serious budget short-fall. Some of 
the cost cutting measures include cuts to services to blind children and 
merging the Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services (DARS) 
with other state agencies diminishing the quality of services provided to 
blind children and adults in Texas. Other states are also facing similar 
budgetary issues which could negatively impact services for blind children 
and adults.

    The NFB of Texas San Antonio Chapter Web  Site has a large section 
devoted to these matters accessible from the site home page. Check it out 
at:
http://www.nfbsatx.org

    Want to guess who the master mind behind this Web site is? I bring this 
up as I've seen a number of affiliate Web sites including NOPBC-affiliated 
sites where no mention of such matters is given. This includes the Texas 
Parents of Blind Children Web Site along with our affiliate Web site. Much 
of the content on the TPOBC Site is grossly out-of-date. This is but one 
example of what I've seen on various affiliate Web Sites and had to help 
them clean up. If folks want their affiliate to have a home on the Web they 
need to keep the site up and keep its content fresh especially when matters 
that could seriously impact the education of blind children and services to 
blind adults arise. It's great that more affiliates want a Web presence but 
it only produces fruit if the site is cared for and managed properly.

    If you include photos on your affiliate Web site please remember to put 
alt text on them so blind visitors know what is being shown. Whenever I do a 
Web site for an affiliate and they have pictures to be posted I ask them to 
rename the photo file to something that gives me an idea of what is being 
shown and include a description which I'll use to create the alt element of 
he image tag. Using Jack's bike riding experience as an example the image 
tag for a picture  of him riding the bike would be as follows:
<img src=http://www.ournopbcsite.org/images/jack_riding_bike.gif alt="Jack 
riding his bike while mother Marie looks on">

    There are other elements one can add to the above tag but I wanted to 
demonstrate how to write the alt attribute and how to submit pictures to a 
blind Web developer for inclusion on your NOPBC Web Site.

    Here's hoping we'll see new and improved NOPBC Web sites in the near 
future. See you in Orlando.

Peter Donahue


"Will you come and awake our lost land from its slumber
      And her fetters we'll break, links that long are encumbered.
      And the air will resound with hosannas to greet you
      On the shore will be found gallant Irishmen to greet you."
Will You Come to the Bower
Traditional Irish Folk Song