[Nfbc-info] social networking website resolution

Fri Dec 5 22:25:31 UTC 2008

    One thing I think the technology committee will address or should is 
social network sites are set up to be user friendly for anyone that is if 
your not using a screen reader.
Now a person with advanced knowledge of jaws or window-eyes can successfully 
navigate those sites to a greater or lesser extent.
But the average user can't.
so the standard is different it's not just about using a screen reader to 
access it's about is the blind user the average blind user of a  screen 
reader given the same degree of access  as the sighted.
In fact I suspect if every blind user was polled it's likely during 
2003-2008 someone maybe with limited vision or superior knowledge a blind 
person did or could hav used target or a limited number of features on 
targets site.
  Nevertheless the average blind person using the standard screen reader 
couldn''t.

Also the folks who say they use the networks successfully aren't using all 
the features such as chat equally to their sighted counterparts who may be 
employees employers etc on a social network.  One of the things that draws 
sighted folks to social networks is chat with all the features it's more 
than just yahoo messenger or msn messenger.  access limited access is no 
more equal than requiring a black man to use a separate bathroom or eat at a 
separate lunch counter or ride at the back of the bus.  Well what is the 
problem anyway, he's on the bus isn't he?
Glad Rosanna Parks didn't see it that way!
It's limited not equal.

Another related problem we just started having outside of social networks is 
we have a website. Godaddy has made the web building feature so graphical 
that we are going to be forced to find another website provider.
Terra can use Angelfire but it's twice as expensive.
That's not something specifically required by the resolutions but if blind 
folks want to have websites like the sighted it seems like they should be 
accessible and in this instance we are paying for the service it is a cyber 
store so the ADA should cover it.
Mike

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Brian Miller" <brian-r-miller at uiowa.edu>
To: "'NFB of California List'" <nfbc-info at nfbnet.org>
Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 3:03 AM
Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] social networking website resolution

> Hi Tim,
>
> I think part of the intent of the Target lawsuit was to try and establish
> the principle of online sites as facilities equivalent to brick and mortar
> stores, therefore being covered under the ADA, addressing the point you
> succinctly make below.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
> On
> Behalf Of Tim Elder
> Sent: Friday, December 05, 2008 12:06 AM
> To: 'NFB of California List'
> Subject: Re: [Nfbc-info] social networking website resolution
>
> Unlike Target.com, there is no Brick and Mortar physical Facebook store to
> link a law suit to facebook.  The Target suit was only successful because
> they  have physical stores which are in fact covered by the ADA.  Without
> physical stores overlapping the web-based services, there isn't much good
> law to base a suit upon.  So far, the reach of the ADA to web-only 
> services
> is extremely limited.
>
> That being said, updating to the latest version of your browser (Internet
> Explorer 7, Firefox etc.)and the Flash player plug-in version 10 makes a 
> big
> difference in accessibility of facebook.  Also, Jim Barber mentioned on
> another list that m.facebook.com is another good alternative way to access
> facebook.
>
> I did have one question for the list though:  For those using facebook 
> with
> some success, I am wondering if the chat function is accessible.  As far 
> as
> I can tell, the chat function isn't usable, even though I can access most
> other functions.  Jim?
>
> Tim
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org [mailto:nfbc-info-bounces at nfbnet.org] 
> On
> Behalf Of Lisamaria Martinez, NOMC
> Sent: Thursday, December 04, 2008 6:32 PM
> To: NFB of California List
> Subject: [Nfbc-info] social networking website resolution
>
> Hi,
>
> I was wondering what we've done about the social networking website
> resolution.
>
> I have desperately tried to learn the layout of the new FaceBook, but I
> swear the page is refreshing. Plus, certain aspects of the page just don't
> read well with JAWS. for instance, JAWS will say, "---- has accepted your
> friend request." I have no idea who may have accepted my friend request
> because JAWS doesn't read it. But something is there.
>
> It is getting to be quite frustrating especially since many groups,
> organizations, etc. are on FaceBook. My high school class reunion is
> starting to organize on FaceBook and I can't access everything.
>
> If we sued Target, why aren't we suing FaceBook?
>
> LM
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