[blindkid] Web Site Concerns

[Sally Thomas]

Peter,

Volunteers do the best they can.  It would be helpful for you to point out 
the positives.  The negative characterizations diminish the hard work and 
selfless efforts of many people.

Sally Thomas
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Peter Donahue" <pdonahue2 at satx.rr.com>
To: "NFBnet Blind Kid Mailing List,(for parents of blind children)" 
<blindkid at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2011 6:43 PM
Subject: [blindkid] Web Site Concerns


> 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 of the content on the TPOBC Site is grossly out-of-date.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
>
>
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