[gui-talk] Fwd: Article: Disabled Deprived of Access to ManyTop Web Sites

Thu Dec 7 14:42:45 CST 2006

Innocent question, you guys:  How big a percentage of blind computer users are not using Windows and a Windows screen reader these days?  If this hadn't come up, I wouldn't know anyone was still using Lynx (the cat, as Laura says), or anything to do with DOS.  Just out of the loop about that.  I happen by chance (fortunate chance, as he's a great guy) to know one person who's on this list and another I'm subscribed to who has mentioned to me over the years  that he has a computer set up in a way that sounds like the configuration mentioned below (Unix, DOS, Lynx, etc.) but I just assumed this must be a dramatic rarity these days.

Can anyone give me an approximate idea of how many blind computer people aren't on the Windows train?

thanks.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: Doug Lee 
To: NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List 
Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 12:24 PM
Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Fwd: Article: Disabled Deprived of Access to ManyTop Web Sites

What text-mode browser now supports JavaScript?  I see no reference to
this capability in man pages for Lynx the cat or Links the chain.

On Thu, Dec 07, 2006 at 02:53:39PM -0500, Laura Eaves wrote:
Back when I was still using the lynx browser (lynx the cat, not links the 
newer browser) on a unix system, it was true that javascript was 
inaccessible, but now even text based browsers on unix/linux are able to use 
javascript.  I used to make the same complaint about websites using 
javascript; now I write it myself as most all the browsers, with the 
exception of lynx which is still around but falling in popularity,  do 
handle javascript.

So either the author needs to be informed of this, or the author is implying 
that somewhere there are still people using lynx who haven't heard of much 
better solutions.
Javascript is just a client side scripting language.  As long as it is used 
for graphics only, it is not accessible, but it can be made accessible and 
indeed has many more uses than simply putting up eye-candy on a website.

Cheers.
--le

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Steve Pattison" <srp at internode.on.net>
To: "GUI Talk" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>; "Access-L" <access-l at access-l.com>
Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 8:34 AM
Subject: [gui-talk] Fwd: Article: Disabled Deprived of Access to Many Top 
Web Sites

>From: Susan Thompson susan at sthompson.net
>To: VIP-L vip-l at softspeak.com.au
>
>Disabled deprived of access to many top Web sites By Irwin Arieff
>
>Wed Dec 6, 4:05 AM ET
>
>Many Web sites around the world are beyond the reach of disabled persons 
>but
>could easily be improved to meet international accessibility standards, a
>survey commissioned by the United Nations found on Tuesday.
>
>The study, conducted for the world body by British technology firm Nomensa,
>looked at 100 popular sites in 20 countries and found the vast majority
>failed to meet international standards of accessibility.
>
>"We've clearly got some obstacles to overcome," Nomensa's Leonie Watson, 
>who
>is blind, told a news conference at U.N. headquarters.
>
>While many sites have taken steps toward wider accessibility, they need to
>do more to become fully available to people who cannot use a computer 
>mouse,
>have low-vision disabilities or are blind, she said.
>
>Among the most common problems encountered in the survey were the use of a
>common scripting language called JavaScript and of graphics unaccompanied 
>by
>explanatory text, she said.
>
>A heavy reliance on JavaScript makes it impossible for about 10 percent of
>Internet users to access key information because they lack the needed
>software to do so, she said.
>
>Textual descriptions of graphics enable individuals who are blind to "see"
>them by using screen reader software that converts the text into electronic
>speech, she said.
>
>Another problem turned up by the survey was the use of poorly contrasting
>color combinations, making Web pages difficult to read for people with mild
>visual impairment like color blindness.
>
>The survey looked at popular travel, finance, media, government and retail
>sites in countries with relatively well-developed Internet infrastructure.
>
>The study found that three of the 100 sites evaluated met the basic
>accessibility criteria -- those of the German chancellor
>(http://www.bundeskanzlerin.de), the Spanish government
>(http://www.la-moncloa.es/default.htm) and the British prime minister
>(http://www.primeminister.gov.uk).

Regards Steve
Email:  srp at internode.on.net
Skype:  steve1963
MSN Messenger:  internetuser383 at hotmail.com
_______________________________________________
gui-talk mailing list
gui-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk 

_______________________________________________
gui-talk mailing list
gui-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk

-- 
Doug Lee                 dgl at dlee.org        
SSB + BART Group         doug.lee at ssbbartgroup.com   http://www.ssbbartgroup.com
"It is not the mountain in the distance which makes you want to stop
walking; but the grain of sand in your shoe."  --Anon
_______________________________________________
gui-talk mailing list
gui-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk

-- 
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.15/579 - Release Date: 12/7/2006 1:31 PM

-------------- next part --------------
Innocent question, you guys:  How big a percentage of blind computer users are not using Windows and a Windows screen reader these days?  If this hadn't come up, I wouldn't know anyone was still using Lynx (the cat, as Laura says), or anything to do with DOS.  Just out of the loop about that.  I happen by chance (fortunate chance, as he's a great guy) to know one person who's on this list and another I'm subscribed to who has mentioned to me over the years  that he has a computer set up in a way that sounds like the configuration mentioned below (Unix, DOS, Lynx, etc.) but I just assumed this must be a dramatic rarity these days.

Can anyone give me an approximate idea of how many blind computer people aren't on the Windows train?

thanks.
----- Original Message -----
From:
mailto:dgl at dlee.org Doug Lee
To:
mailto:gui-talk at nfbnet.org NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List
Sent:
Thursday, December 07, 2006 12:24 PM
Subject:
Re: [gui-talk] Fwd: Article: Disabled Deprived of Access to ManyTop Web Sites
What text-mode browser now supports JavaScript?  I see no reference to
this capability in man pages for Lynx the cat or Links the chain.
On Thu, Dec 07, 2006 at 02:53:39PM -0500, Laura Eaves wrote:
Back when I was still using the lynx browser (lynx the cat, not links the
newer browser) on a unix system, it was true that javascript was
inaccessible, but now even text based browsers on unix/linux are able to use
javascript.  I used to make the same complaint about websites using
javascript; now I write it myself as most all the browsers, with the
exception of lynx which is still around but falling in popularity,  do
handle javascript.
So either the author needs to be informed of this, or the author is implying
that somewhere there are still people using lynx who haven't heard of much
better solutions.
Javascript is just a client side scripting language.  As long as it is used
for graphics only, it is not accessible, but it can be made accessible and
indeed has many more uses than simply putting up eye-candy on a website.
Cheers.
--le
----- Original Message -----
From: "Steve Pattison" < mailto:srp at internode.on.net srp at internode.on.net
>
To: "GUI Talk" < mailto:gui-talk at nfbnet.org gui-talk at nfbnet.org
>; "Access-L" < mailto:access-l at access-l.com access-l at access-l.com
>
Sent: Thursday, December 07, 2006 8:34 AM
Subject: [gui-talk] Fwd: Article: Disabled Deprived of Access to Many Top
Web Sites
>From: Susan Thompson mailto:susan at sthompson.net susan at sthompson.net
>To: VIP-L mailto:vip-l at softspeak.com.au vip-l at softspeak.com.au
>
>Disabled deprived of access to many top Web sites By Irwin Arieff
>
>Wed Dec 6, 4:05 AM ET
>
>Many Web sites around the world are beyond the reach of disabled persons
>but
>could easily be improved to meet international accessibility standards, a
>survey commissioned by the United Nations found on Tuesday.
>
>The study, conducted for the world body by British technology firm Nomensa,
>looked at 100 popular sites in 20 countries and found the vast majority
>failed to meet international standards of accessibility.
>
>"We've clearly got some obstacles to overcome," Nomensa's Leonie Watson,
>who
>is blind, told a news conference at U.N. headquarters.
>
>While many sites have taken steps toward wider accessibility, they need to
>do more to become fully available to people who cannot use a computer
>mouse,
>have low-vision disabilities or are blind, she said.
>
>Among the most common problems encountered in the survey were the use of a
>common scripting language called JavaScript and of graphics unaccompanied
>by
>explanatory text, she said.
>
>A heavy reliance on JavaScript makes it impossible for about 10 percent of
>Internet users to access key information because they lack the needed
>software to do so, she said.
>
>Textual descriptions of graphics enable individuals who are blind to "see"
>them by using screen reader software that converts the text into electronic
>speech, she said.
>
>Another problem turned up by the survey was the use of poorly contrasting
>color combinations, making Web pages difficult to read for people with mild
>visual impairment like color blindness.
>
>The survey looked at popular travel, finance, media, government and retail
>sites in countries with relatively well-developed Internet infrastructure.
>
>The study found that three of the 100 sites evaluated met the basic
>accessibility criteria -- those of the German chancellor
>( http://www.bundeskanzlerin.de http://www.bundeskanzlerin.de
), the Spanish government
>( http://www.la-moncloa.es/default.htm http://www.la-moncloa.es/default.htm
) and the British prime minister
>( http://www.primeminister.gov.uk http://www.primeminister.gov.uk
).
Regards Steve
Email:  mailto:srp at internode.on.net srp at internode.on.net
Skype:  steve1963
MSN Messenger:  mailto:internetuser383 at hotmail.com internetuser383 at hotmail.com
_______________________________________________
gui-talk mailing list
mailto:gui-talk at nfbnet.org gui-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk
_______________________________________________
gui-talk mailing list
mailto:gui-talk at nfbnet.org gui-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk
--
Doug Lee                 mailto:dgl at dlee.org dgl at dlee.org

SSB + BART Group         mailto:doug.lee at ssbbartgroup.com doug.lee at ssbbartgroup.com
   http://www.ssbbartgroup.com http://www.ssbbartgroup.com
"It is not the mountain in the distance which makes you want to stop
walking; but the grain of sand in your shoe."  --Anon
_______________________________________________
gui-talk mailing list
mailto:gui-talk at nfbnet.org gui-talk at nfbnet.org
http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk
--
No virus found in this incoming message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.15.15/579 - Release Date: 12/7/2006 1:31 PM