[NFBCS] Accessibility for programmers

[Jack Heim]

I don't know what the NFBCS is other than an email list.



On 2/25/20 12:16 PM, Peter Donahue via NFBCS wrote:
> Hello everyone,
> 
> 	Isn't this supposed to be something the NFB in Computer Science is
> addressing?
> 
> Peter Donahue
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Tracy Carcione via NFBCS
> Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 10:08 AM
> To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Tracy Carcione <carcione at access.net>
> Subject: Re: [NFBCS] Accessibility for programmers
> 
> Jack, I agree with everything you said.  I'm willing to help as best I can.
> I should have more time soon, as I get backwatered.
> Tracy
> 
>> 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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>>
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