[Nfbf-l] On line menus

[Bill Outman]

Let me share some of those experience about menus.  

 

I looked about a week or so ago at the Oyster Pub site as it's where we are
having our chapter meetings.  Access was pretty good; I could tell what the
links were and read the selections.

 

Then the other day I looked at the site for Pantheon's Pizza, a local place
near the O&A center many of us in the blind community in Daytona know and
enjoy as there service in the restaurant is very good.  I wanted to look at
the menu in case I wanted something different than what I would usually get.
The links were not labeled correctly and I had to guess where I was going.
I eventually guessed where the menu was and the section links were a little
better, but no menu showed up.  It could have been a picture, and the
printable PDF was unreadable as well.  The comment form was actually pretty
good and I noted to the management these accessibility problems and
mentioned it when I was at dinner.

 

Then last night I checked out Crispers where there will be a Meet Up group I
am part of tonight.  It would usually be at Panera but the group moved it
due to the race traffic.  The links were well labeled there but again no
text menu that I could find.  The comment form was a little worse.  I could
fill in every field just fine but it required a graphical input to submit it
in addition to activating the submit button.  There wasn't even an
accessible alternative.  I have not as of yet called the phone number that
was available.  

 

So in spite of having a very current system, Jaws 11 and Windows 7, I'm
finding this inconsistency of access.  It's what often makes me dread trying
new things on the Internet, for fear of running into brick walls even when
another blind or visually impaired computer user indicates that some site is
accessible and usable.  

 

I thought you might appreciate why I feel a bit frustrated sometimes when I
can't conquer what I should be able to conquer.  

 

Wishing to be "William the Conqueror" in a good way.  

 

Bill outman