[NFBCS] Accessibility for programmers

Tue Feb 25 22:28:49 UTC 2020

How shall we mobilize?

On 2/25/2020 5:06 PM, Bryan Schulz via NFBCS wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I offered the suggestion that it would be nice if the cs division could
> address/fix the problem of Microsoft exams through certiport and a cisco
> networking program called packet tracer not being accessible and there was
> NO interest!
> So yes, I agree the group isn't much more than an email list!
> Bryan
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Rasmussen, Lloyd via
> NFBCS
> Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 2:54 PM
> To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Rasmussen, Lloyd <lras at loc.gov>
> Subject: Re: [NFBCS] Accessibility for programmers
>
> Speaking as a former board member:
> The NFB in Computer Science is a division of the national organization. When
> it was formed, probably in 1976, its primary emphasis and membership was for
> programmers of all types. As the years went by, more and more
> non-programmers needed to use computers, and the focus drifted somewhat away
> from programming and toward user interface problems.
> The NFBCS has one meeting per year, as part of the NFB national convention.
> About a hundred people show up.
> Curtis Willoughby was president of NFBCS for many years. In more recent
> years, Curtis Chong was the president. The president now is Jim Barbour, who
> sometimes posts to this listserv.
> The NFBCS listserv is a primary communication vehicle between conventions.
> Programming and access to programming tools continues to be a major emphasis
> at NFBCS meetings, and the officers are always looking for suggestions.
> I hope this clarifies things even a little.
>
> Lloyd Rasmussen, Senior Staff Engineer
> National Library Service for the Blind and Print Disabled Library of
> Congress, Washington, DC 20542
> 202-707-0535     https://nls.loc.gov
> The preceding opinions are my own and not necessarily those of the Library
> of Congress, NLS.
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jack Heim via NFBCS
> Sent: Tuesday, February 25, 2020 3:35 PM
> To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Jack Heim <john at johnheim.com>
> Subject: Re: [NFBCS] Accessibility for programmers
>
> 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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>>>> m
>>>>
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>>> et
>>>
>>
>>
>>
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