[nabs-l] Fwd: [gui-talk] Fwd: Federal Government NotComplying with Web Site Accessibility Requirements, Study Indicates

Jorge Paez computertechjorgepaez at gmail.com
Fri May 20 23:11:25 UTC 2011 

And unfortunately Mike,
we are not the only ones.
Sighted people do it too you know.
If I can figure it out, its OK with me.



On May 20, 2011, at 5:31 PM, Mike Freeman wrote:

> Some websites are technically accessible but require some savvy rather than being simple and straightforward. Unfortunately, blind people must learn both website layout and how to use their screen-reader's features to advantage. 
> 
> Mike Freeman
> sent from my iPhone
> 
> 
> On May 20, 2011, at 13:01, Âris Nusbaum <dotkid.nusbaum at gmail.com> wrote:
> 
>> Huh? Two different things? Ease of access (accessibility,) or ease of use.  Isn't that what we're talking about, being able to use it independently with a screen reader? Isn't that access? Maybe you (Mike) or someone else can explain this to me.
>> 
>> Chris
>> 
>> "A loss of sight, never a loss of vision!" (Camp Abilities motto)
>> 
>> --- Sent from my BrailleNote
>> 
>> ----- Original Message -----
>> From: "Mike Freeman" <k7uij at panix.com
>> To: "'National Association of Blind Students mailing list'" <nabs-l at nfbnet.org
>> Date sent: Thu, 19 May 2011 19:51:57 -0700
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Fwd: [gui-talk] Fwd: Federal Government NotComplying    with Web Site Accessibility Requirements, Study Indicates
>> 
>> Actually, AMTRAK's site is accessible -- it just isn't useable -- they're
>> two different things.
>> 
>> Mike
>> 
>> 
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nabs-l-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf
>> Of Jorge Paez
>> Sent: Thursday, May 19, 2011 7:26 PM
>> To: National Association of Blind Students mailing list
>> Subject: Re: [nabs-l] Fwd: [gui-talk] Fwd: Federal Government Not Complying
>> with Web Site Accessibility Requirements, Study Indicates
>> 
>> What screenreader are you using?
>> 
>> On May 19, 2011, at 10:01 PM, Kirt Manwaring wrote:
>> 
>> This surprises me-not that I'm a government internet expert, but I've
>> seen a lot of their sites and the only one that really gave me any
>> trouble was Amtrak.
>> 
>> On 5/19/11, Jorge Paez <computertechjorgepaez at gmail.com> wrote:
>> 
>> 
>> Begin forwarded message:
>> 
>> From: David Andrews <dandrews at visi.com
>> Date: May 19, 2011 8:22:40 PM EDT
>> To: david.andrews at nfbnet.org
>> Subject: [gui-talk] Fwd: Federal Government Not Complying with Web
>> Site Accessibility Requirements, Study Indicates
>> Reply-To: "Discussion of the Graphical User Interface, GUI Talk
>> Mailing List" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
>> 
>> 
>> 
>> CONTACT:
>> Chris Danielsen
>> Director of Public Relations
>> National Federation of the Blind
>> (410) 659-9314, extension 2330
>> (410) 262-1281 (Cell)
>> <mailto:cdanielsen at nfb.org>cdanielsen at nfb.org
>> 
>> Federal Government Not Complying with Web Site Accessibility
>> Requirements, Study Indicates
>> 
>> National Federation of the Blind Expresses Outrage, Demands Swift
>> Action
>> 
>> Baltimore, Maryland (May 19, 2011): A study that has just been
>> published online in the journal
>> <http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/journal/0740624X>Government
>> Information Quarterly has found that of one-hundred Web sites
>> operated by federal government agencies, over 90 percent do not
>> comply with government accessibility guidelines and likely cannot
>> be used by people who are blind or have other perceptual or motor
>> disabilities.  The study, entitled "Accessibility of U.S.  federal
>> government home pages: Section
>> 508 compliance and site accessibility statements" and coauthored by
>> Doctoral Student Abiodun Olalere and Professor Jonathan Lazar of
>> Towson University, found that the home pages of over 90 percent of
>> the Web sites they evaluated contained violations of the
>> government's own guidelines for compliance with Section 508 of the
>> Rehabilitation Act of 1973.  That law requires that government
>> electronic and information technology be accessible to people with
>> disabilities.
>> 
>> Dr.  Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
>> said:
>> "Blind Americans are outraged that the government is failing to
>> comply with its own guidelines to make government information and
>> services available to citizens with disabilities.  Given the clear
>> legal requirements of Section 508 and the fact that use of the
>> Internet is critical to education, employment, access to government
>> benefits and services, and all other aspects of modern life, there
>> is no excuse for failure to follow and rigorously enforce these
>> guidelines.  We demand that officials in all branches of government
>> take immediate steps to bring all federal Web sites into compliance
>> with the law, and we pledge to continue to hold the federal
>> government accountable if it continues to treat the blind and others
>> with disabilities as second-class citizens."
>> 
>> The study evaluated the home pages of one-hundred government Web
>> sites across all three branches of the federal government,
>> including executive agencies, independent agencies, government
>> corporations (e.g.  Amtrak), the United States Congress, the United
>> States Supreme Court, United States federal courts, and "open
>> government" Web sites like <http://www.usajobs.gov>www.usajobs.gov
>> and <http://www.ready.gov>www.ready.gov.  The authors utilized both
>> automated-software tools and human-expert inspections on each home
>> page, and determined that over 90 percent of the home pages were
>> not in compliance with the Section 508 regulations.
>> 
>> Most of the accessibility problems were common ones that are easily
>> resolved, such as unlabeled images, mislabeled forms or tables,
>> videos without captioning, flash without any textual equivalents,
>> and lack of keyboard equivalents for mouse-over actions.  The
>> authors noted that this is not a problem unique to one agency.
>> Similar problems occur on multiple agency Web sites, and the core
>> problem is the lack of consistent compliance activities and enforcement
>> throughout the federal government.
>> 
>> The study makes several recommendations to increase compliance,
>> including improved resources on complying with the guidelines;
>> better documentation of best practices; publishing of information
>> about which agencies are compliant and noncompliant with
>> accessibility guidelines as part of the open government dashboard;
>> and better enforcement and monitoring procedures within government
>> agencies, such as the loss of Web-posting privileges for repeatedly
>> posting inaccessible content.
>> 
>> 
>> ###
>> 
>> 
>> About the National Federation of the Blind
>> 
>> With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the Blind
>> is the largest and most influential membership organization of
>> blind people in the United States.  The NFB improves blind people's
>> lives through advocacy, education, research, technology, and
>> programs encouraging independence and self-confidence.  It is the
>> leading force in the blindness field today and the voice of the
>> nation's blind.  In January
>> 2004 the NFB opened the National Federation of the Blind Jernigan
>> Institute, the first research and training center in the United
>> States for the blind led by the blind.
>> 
>> 
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