[NFBWATLK] complexities of access

[Mary ellen]

The experience with this document demonstrates how complex real access can be.  Clearly the creators of the document are committed to access and believed that they'd done sufficient work to make what they'd written readable by everyone.  Dean demonstrated that there are ways for blind consumers to solve this issue, but many of us don't know those methods.  Some, like me, have barely a clue what he was talking about!  At some future date, when once again faced with this problem, I'll work out his method.

So we have an organization fully committed to access having trouble making it work and consumers who have varying degrees of skill in massaging programs and systems.  Is it any wonder that people who create documents who are totally clueless that someone blind might want to read them keep sending us stuff we can't read?

I'm very pleased that the DAISY movement is working with the concept that everything born digital should also be born accessible.  Perhaps at some point we will be sufficiently taken into consideration for many of these problems to go away.  If people who develop software are taught from the very beginning that access for all is part of their job, we'll have less trouble.  I think we'll still have some difficulty, even with the best will in the world.

For several years Paul and I have talked to computer science classes at the university about how blind people access information.  The initial invitation came because the professor taught a unit on access and her students wrote things like, "This is silly. How could a blind person even use a computer?"
 The professor was appalled!  We were asked to speak to her class so that her students would understand at the gut level that building access into what they do will make a profound difference in someone's life, someone they may never meet.  I hope that lesson sticks with those students when they begin their professional lives and are faced with demanding assignments with short deadlines.  Let's hope they don't say to themselves, "Well, we can build that access stuff in later when we have more time."
-----Original Message-----
From: NFBWATLK [mailto:nfbwatlk-bounces at nfbnet.org] On Behalf Of Nightingale, Noel via NFBWATLK
Sent: Tuesday, October 17, 2017 8:28 AM
To: nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org
Cc: Nightingale, Noel
Subject: [NFBWATLK] Washington Assistive Technology Act Program Advisory Council Recruitment


From: Olson, Toby (ESD) [mailto:TOlson2 at ESD.WA.GOV]
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2017 9:31 AM
To: GCDE-INFO at LISTSERV.WA.GOV<mailto:GCDE-INFO at LISTSERV.WA.GOV>
Subject: FW: [Watap-ac] Advisory Council Recruitment


From: Alan J. Knue [mailto:aknue at uw.edu]
Sent: Monday, October 16, 2017 9:30 AM
To: Olson, Toby (ESD) <TOlson2 at ESD.WA.GOV<mailto:TOlson2 at ESD.WA.GOV>>
Subject: Re: [Watap-ac] Advisory Council Recruitment

Hello Toby,

Can you distribute this word document to your listserve? It appears the PDF had some problems when it was generated from the word document and even after I corrected what I thought was the issue, the PDF still had some minor problems.

Thanks, Alan

From: "Olson, Toby (ESD)" <TOlson2 at ESD.WA.GOV<mailto:TOlson2 at ESD.WA.GOV>>
Date: Thursday, October 12, 2017 at 1:37 PM
To: Alan Knue <aknue at uw.edu<mailto:aknue at uw.edu>>
Subject: RE: [Watap-ac] Advisory Council Recruitment

Hi Alan,
I sent this out to our list serv. Toby

From: Alan J. Knue [mailto:aknue at uw.edu]
Sent: Thursday, October 12, 2017 1:07 PM
To: Olson, Toby (ESD) <TOlson2 at ESD.WA.GOV<mailto:TOlson2 at ESD.WA.GOV>>
Subject: FW: [Watap-ac] Advisory Council Recruitment

Hello Toby,

I have attached a recruitment letter for the WATAP Advisory Council- would you be willing to share this with your networks, on social media, and with individuals you think might be interested in joining the council? The announcement is located on the WATAP website at:



http://watap.org/news/new-watap-recruiting-our-advisory-council

And a direct link to the letter on-line is at:

http://watap.org/sites/watap/files/files/WATAP%20Advisory%20Council%20Recruitment%202017.pdf

Thank much, Alan

Alan J. Knue
--
Director
Washington Assistive Technology Act Program University of Washington Center for Technology and Disability Studies Box 357920 Seattle, WA 98195-7920
206.685.6836


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