[BlindRUG] BlindRUG Digest, Vol 53, Issue 1

Fri Mar 5 20:11:48 UTC 2021

Hello Ben,

"accessibility" is an exercise in shifting sands, especially when it comes to web content. 

First, the owners of the site could make relatively minor changes that have disastrous side effects with respect to accessibility. What is said to be accessible today might change for the worse and in my experience, the access often gets outlived by the permanent archival record of someone saying that it is accessible.

Second, what I find to be accessible might not be so for a different blind person whose equipment and software (not to mention experience) might mean their experience is considerably different to mine.

For these reasons, I am loathed to offer an opinion on any web content that is beyond my own control, or so solid in its construction that that detrimental change is almost impossible.

I'd also pose the question of what is meant by "access". In far too many situations, people (even some blind people) think that access means using the exact same solution as a sighted person. Personally, I find the idea that all students are homogeneous rather unsustainable, so my teaching has to accommodate the plethora of learning styles.

Sometimes, and the use of spreadsheets as a substitute for printed tables is a great example, the solution is considerably harder than making use of a sighted assistant. For example, If I say to an assistant, come down to the row for z=1.9 and then across to the column for 0.06, they should then be able to read 0.9750 to me. That is considerably faster than the same exercise undertaken by arrowing around a spreadsheet. To communicate with that sighted person demonstrated I know how the table works. In an exam or test environment, I'd forego the independence without blinking an eye. If however I was up late at night trying to finish my homework or assignment, I'd want a solution that requires no human assistance. 
To have one solution that works in both scenarios must surely be more efficient and possibly more effective, especially if it is part of a long term solution.

HTH
Jonathan

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindRUG <blindrug-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Ward, Elizabeth - wardex via BlindRUG
Sent: Saturday, 6 March 2021 2:55 AM
To: Blind R Users Group <blindrug at nfbnet.org>
Cc: Ward, Elizabeth - wardex <wardex at jmu.edu>
Subject: Re: [BlindRUG] BlindRUG Digest, Vol 53, Issue 1

I am a sighted professor of statistics who teaches introductory statistics (I'm on this mailing list because I had a blind student and became interested in accessibility for R). I usually teach a few examples using the table, just because it seems like students are expected to know it. Then, I switch to having them use an online app, calculator or R.  I often suggest the app in the following link, but I'm not sure how accessible it is. Maybe someone could use their screen reader to look and let me know?
https://www.webassign.net/csalt/#/toolset/distributions

Best Wishes,
Ben

-----Original Message-----
From: BlindRUG <blindrug-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Amy Albin via BlindRUG
Sent: Thursday, March 4, 2021 2:46 PM
To: blindrug at nfbnet.org
Cc: Amy Albin <amyralbin at gmail.com>
Subject: Re: [BlindRUG] BlindRUG Digest, Vol 53, Issue 1

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Hello Jonathan,

Thank you for your response. As a blind person in a society that often has low expectations, it's hard to know whether using a calculator or R is an excuse to not learn the skill of reading the Z table. Like some blind people have people take class notes for them because they can't read and write independently. I suppose you're saying this is a case where blindness actually does make it harder?

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Look for help using R commands by reading the accessible e-book "Let's Use R Now" compiled by Jonathan Godfrey at:
https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__R-2DResources.massey.ac.nz_lurn_front.html&d=DwICAg&c=eLbWYnpnzycBCgmb7vCI4uqNEB9RSjOdn_5nBEmmeq0&r=cgRfASaJjCZgA7NTWNKTNw&m=kMLOP8m9ny8i96XBu9tIBh6j3JFqEkSR7I_2-xZoToc&s=tcpTMbVLMBk9NDRpBSXrOvrsw84BJM1Pli7LhkXy2lk&e=

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More information and useful links about using R as a blind person can be obtained at:
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Look for help using R commands by reading the accessible e-book "Let's Use R Now" compiled by Jonathan Godfrey at:
http://R-Resources.massey.ac.nz/lurn/front.html