[nabs-l] advocating accessibility and feeling blamed, what to do

[Kaiti Shelton]

Hi Ashley,

I am so sorry you are having these issues.  It sounds like the DS
people are just being ignorant, and what is this Digital Accessibility
Coordinator doing anyway?

I would print out all copies of the emails you've sent to the person
who gave you those rude comments to show proof of your repeated
complaints of inaccessible web content.  If you've made phone calls
and can access the date and time of those calls, I'd write those down
and send them along as well.  Demonstrating to a higher authority that
you did indeed advocate for these serious issues to be resolved, and
the DS person said you didn't, will show them that you're the one with
the credibility and they'll be more likely to hold the DS person
accountable.

The tech people at my university have told me similar things when our
stuff doesn't work; they'll say, "Well, she needs to use a different
web browser."  While this isn't as bad as saying my JAWS skills suck
and I need more training, it is the same kind of thing.  I shouldn't
have to switch web browsers in order to access the same content
everyone else can get with the same web browser, or the web browser of
their choice for that matter.  I also don't know about you, but I
consider myself to be an advanced JAWS user but don't even use all the
commands in the book.  Nevertheless, the JAWS training you have really
shouldn't matter; even an advanced JAWS user would still have to deal
with that unlabeled table, have issues with the weird HTML5 tabs, etc.

Seriously, I wonder what this blind digital accessibility guy is
really doing, because it sounds like it should be his job to find
these problems and advise the tech people on how to troubleshoot them
on behalf of the students, or at least back them up when he doesn't
find something and they do.

On 9/28/14, Ashley Bramlett via nabs-l <nabs-l at nfbnet.org> wrote:
> Hi all,
>
> I've mentioned here I've gone back to the community college, called Nova,
> for short, to obtain a writing certificate and have more electives; figured
> it was better to do that while career exploring than sitting around. For
> instance, I've taken a general business class, public relations, and tried
> marketing. I ended up dropping marketing because of the style of lectures
> and unaccomodating atmosphere. I figured I was best off with a different
> professor later.
>
> I've encountered numerous accessibility issues on our college website.
> The following are the biggest issues.
> 1. PDFS don't read; the newsletters are often in that format.
> 2.  There are tabs that I cannot activate all links. I get into them with
> space bar, but after this, I have issues with in the tab. This is a new
> feature used in html 5.
> 3. unlabeled tables.
>
> I have barriers doing some research because I cannot click on all links with
> in tabs for databases or encyclopedias.
>
> I'm quite frustrated because when I complained last year, nothing happened;
> when I did that again, the campus wide disability coordinator blamed me for
> failing to advocate. I felt her response was rude and abrupt when I asked
> for her address to send the formal letter; she says, you always had it.
>
> What should I do for advocacy other than meeting with the  digital
> accessibility coordinator who btw is also blind? I am hopeful he will
> understand being blind himself.
>
> I just feel quite ignored and cannot access all info I need to online due to
> access.  She went so far as to say that all students need advanced jaws
> training or work arounds since not all sites are fully accessible. Okay, I
> agree we need to know jaws well,  but this tone seems to shift the blame to
> students knowing all advanced settings in jaws menus and problem solving
> versus having a usable website up front.
> She should know I'm a good student, and I do not appreciate the insinuation
> that I failed to know jaws enough. I've been told I know more than most
> people. can I learn more? Yes, but they need to do their part too.
>
> I'm taking my chances that using first names only will not yiled this
> message in google.
> The disability coordinator Estella said this with my comments first.
>
> 2.I told you a few months back that the website has not been designed to
> accommodate screen readers
> The website is bing redesigned and all issues are being solved as we
> advance. You are not the only blind student we have on campus and the more
> you know how to use Jaws, the less issues you have. I suggest you get an
> advance training in Jaws so you can learn the works around and succeed on
> any website which by the way, most of them are not 100%accessible.
>
>
> 3.For instance, I cannot click on the films on demand tab, so in order for
> me to watch the videos, I have to use sighted help.
> This is another issue that needs to be brought up to your instructor,
> disability counselor or inform Tim so he can work with the department to fix
> the problem. If you keep it to yourself we will not be able to address it.
>
>
> 4.Please inform me what address to send my letter to.  My information is
> below my name and you have always had it.
>
>
>
> 6.I also have come across numerous powerpoints in my classes which are not
> as accessible as they can be. They need to have alt text on the graphics. I
> suggest Nova train faculty how to make accessible documents.
> Once again, this is an issue you should have discussed with your instructor
> and informed us. Our office helps faculty learn how to create accessible PP
> and we are constantly training them. We have over 5000 faculty and staff and
> believe me, you may have come across with one that was not yet trained but
> again, if you let us know, we fix the problem. It is not a matter of just
> complaining, it is a matter of informing in a timely manner when a problem
> is encounter so our office can address it.
>
>
> So, that is what she said in her own words. It seems like a rushed response.
> I did inform my dss counselor and she shifts the blame to me saying I did
> not talk timely when this is something I've said before; maybe not to her,
> but my counselor who should have told her office rather than falling on
> deaf ears. I also informally complained of the website before so she is
> pretending she never heard.
>
> Should I send a copy of my letter when I write it to the dean of students?
> Has anyone encountered  similar issues?
>
> Thanks.
>
> Ashley
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-- 
Kaiti