[NFBCS] Accessibility for programmers

[Jack Heim]

Yeah, I think if the NFB got behind a group for blind IT professionals, 
we might be able to do some good. As I said, I tried to get something 
like that started independently but it fizzled out. Here is a list of 
the goals of that organization.

1. Communicate with hardware & software manufacturers about 
accessibility problems. If their new router software has accessibility 
issues, does Cisco even know it? Lets make sure they do.

2. Help current IT professionals avoid being "backwatered". (I 
personally coined that phrase). Getting backwatered is my term for being 
stuck in a job dealing with obsolete technology because its what has 
always been accessible -- until its not. Your skills get narrower and 
narrower. You don't get to play with the new stuff because its not 
accessible.  These are huge problems in a very competitive job market.

3. Provide a place for IT professionals to exchange knowledge of how to 
deal with accessibility issues. All of us know tricks to get around 
accessibility problems. I am sure that by now, many blind IT 
professionals have missed out on an opportunity when there was a 
workaround they didn't even know about.

4. Encourage young people to consider information technology and comp 
sci as a career. With the right education and tools, a person can earn a 
place in one of the most sought after and highly paid professions 
available to a blind person. Not to diss musician or massage therapist 
but IT pays better and there are more jobs.

On 2/25/20 9:10 AM, Tracy Carcione via NFBCS wrote:
> When I was complaining about 32	70 accessibility a couple weeks ago, some
> people seemed to say that it was because 3270 emulation is old and not
> used so much anymore.  I see that.  I know I'm a bit of a dinosaur.
> But this morning, I thought I saw an opportunity to start moving out of
> the old legacy system and into another system supported by my group.  I
> asked my boss about the possibilities, and he said that that would be
> fine, except that system has a lot of Citrix-hosted applications, and we
> know making Jaws and Citrix play together is a real pain.
> Citrix is common as dirt.  I think my whole IT department uses it a lot,
> but not me.  I know how to get Jaws to work with it, but it takes quite a
> bit of coordination, and, if that coordination is with outside vendors,
> it's even more complicated.
> 
> I think Jack is right.  We of NFBCS should be working on accessibility for
> programmers.  I don't know what that would entail, but I think we need to
> do it, or we'll have more and more problems.  The things we need access to
> are a lot more complicated than Granny getting her email.
> Now, please, tell me I'm all wet, and there are simple solutions to my
> problems.
> Tracy
> 
> 
> 
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