[nfbcs] Sighted Assistance (was Re: namecheap)

[Nicole Torcolini]

I agree with you on this concept. However, note that this is different from
the original situation at the beginning of this thread. The situation at the
beginning of the thread, if I understand correctly, is that a website that
was accessible became inaccessible, which, JMHO, is not acceptable. I don't
know why this happened; maybe accessibility was just overlooked or maybe
whatever they want to do is not easily done in accessible way or what have
you. However, given that there is documentation on how to make websites
accessible, there is usually some way to find a solution. Sometimes making
something accessible means that it does not exactly the way that people
wanted it to, but that is just life. Why should we always be the ones who
have to give up having things work right?

-----Original Message-----
From: nfbcs [mailto:nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Gary Wunder
Sent: Sunday, January 19, 2014 10:49 AM
To: 'NFB in Computer Science Mailing List'
Subject: Re: [nfbcs] Sighted Assistance (was Re: namecheap)

What troubles many of us about the idea that everything must be blind
accessible is not that we don't embrace the goal but that so many of our
friends and colleagues will say that if it isn't blind friendly, we won't
can't use it. This attitude means we allow ourselves to be blocked from
fields in which we can compete--one class that isn't accessible should be
something we work to change, but while we're working to change it, we should
use sighted assistance to get through the class. My first computer class had
nothing but printed output and nothing but punchcard input. The class was a
requirement to get a degree in electronics technology. I paid for a lot of
reader time both to help me draw the flowcharts, punch the cards, read the
syntax errors in my code, and finally run and debug my programs. I worked
for 31 years as a programmer because good technology came along, but had I
let the barrier of needing sight serve as an excuse, I would not have the
degree I wanted or the field I came to love. So this is my cautionary tale:
observe what is broken, work to fix it, but don't let yourself be cast in
the role as victim in the process. 

Gary



_______________________________________________
nfbcs mailing list
nfbcs at nfbnet.org
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs_nfbnet.org
To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for nfbcs:
http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/ntorcolini%40wavecable.co
m