[gui-talk] Fwd: Amazon press release Concerning Accessibility of Web Site

Sat Jan 5 11:00:07 CST 2008

Joel,

What you say is true -- and thank you for saying it.  Skills vary 
greatly, and accessibility and usability are often tied together, so 
while we can do something, it may be a tedious experience.  Many 
people here are to quick to judge, or use this as just another way to 
take a shot at the NFB.

Dave

At 04:16 PM 1/4/2008, you wrote:
>Dave, this is not addressed to you. it's a general statement after reading
>the past few messages.
>
>In some very reasonable bulletins I've seen discussing the need for better
>screen reader accessibility of Web sites, it's stressed that "accessible"
>doesn't necessarily equate to "fully usable." Let us not quarrel over whose
>jaws jockey skills seem better than someone else's, or whatever causes
>people to disregard each others' problems with something like Amazon. And
>that includes the possibility that something in the specifics of the way
>their computer is set up allow them to avoid the problem, even though its
>causes are not well understood outside of the amazon Web design department,
>where I'll bet they know just what's going on but are not dealing with it,
>for some reason.
>
>I'm a perfectly adequate jaws user, if not necessarily a big power user who
>loves to be challenged to discover and perform tricky workarounds of various
>sorts. And I'm not the only one, as I know from the JFW list, who has
>encountered over the past six months or more this problem of the product
>pages being nearly impossible to slog through with Jaws, either using tabs,
>arrow keys or single letter navigation tricks. Something is wrong on that
>part of the site, for more than just one or two poorly skilled Jaws users or
>whining complainers. Let's have a little mutual respect and not tell the
>people who are getting drenched that it isn't raining where you're standing.
>This isn't helpful, informative or supportive.
>
>thanks for the kind consideration.
>
>----- Original Message -----
>From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
>To: "NFBnet GUI Talk Mailing List" <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>
>Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 1:44 PM
>Subject: Re: [gui-talk] Fwd: Amazon press release Concerning Accessibility
>of Web Site
>
>
>No one said it was inaccessible, but it could be better or "more
>accessible" for blind persons.
>
>Dave
>
>At 02:59 PM 1/4/2008, you wrote:
> >Please excuse my ignorance on this one, but I've been successfully
> >shopping on amazon.com for years.  Just exactly what's supposed to
> >be not accessible?   I use the standard www.amazon.com for all my
> >purchases.
> >
> >I do use the search function of my screen reader to bypass a lot I
> >don't wish to see, but that's no big deal.
> >
> >Not meaning to be argumentative, just would really like to know.
> >
> >Don
> >
> >----- Original Message -----
> >From: "David Andrews" <dandrews at visi.com>
> >To: <blindtlk at nfbnet.org>; <nfb-talk at nfbnet.org>;
> ><nfb-announce at nfbnet.org>; <blindlaw at nfbnet.org>;
> ><nabs-l at nfbnet.org>; <nfb-web at nfbnet.org>; <nfb-db at nfbnet.org>;
> ><nosb at nfbnet.org>; <promotion-technology at nfbnet.org>;
> ><nfbcs at nfbnet.org>; <gui-talk at nfbnet.org>; <blparent at nfbnet.org>;
> ><blindkid at nfbnet.org>; <nfbwatlk at nfbnet.org>;
> ><nfb-science at nfbnet.org>
> >Sent: Friday, January 04, 2008 11:16 AM
> >Subject: [gui-talk] Fwd: Amazon press release Concerning
> >Accessibility ofWeb Site
> >
> >
> > >
> > >>
> > >>----------
> > >>Amazon.com Accessibility to be Completed June 30, 2008
> > >>
> > >>The National Federation of the Blind and online retailer Amazon,
> > >>Inc., have announced that work to make Amazon.com fully accessible
> > >>to blind computer users is to be completed by June 30, 2008.  In
> > >>March of 2007, Amazon entered into a technology development
> > >>agreement with the National Federation of the Blind pursuant to
> > >>which Amazon was to attempt to make Amazon.com fully accessible by
> > >>December 31, 2007.  Because of the complexity of the task, it was
> > >>recognized that this was an ambitious goal and that problems might
> > >>be encountered; accordingly, the agreement provided that Amazon
> > >>could have a six-month extension, if necessary, to complete work
> > >>on
> > >>making its Web site fully accessible to blind computer
> > >>users.  Amazon's Web site has improved; nonetheless, Amazon
> > >>recognizes that it is not yet fully accessible.  Amazon has
> > >>indicated that it will complete the task within the extended
> > >>period.
> > >>
> > >>Marc Maurer, President of the National Federation of the Blind,
> > >>said: "Full and equal access to the Internet is critical in order
> > >>for the blind to participate fully in today's society.  While
> > >>Amazon.com is not yet fully accessible, we are pleased with the
> > >>progress that has been made and we believe that the company
> > >>remains
> > >>committed to making the site fully accessible.  We will continue
> > >>to
> > >>work with Amazon.com to ensure that the blind can shop for books,
> > >>music, movies, and the myriad other products available at this
> > >>leading online retailer with the same ease and convenience as all
> > >>other shoppers."
> > >>
> > >>
> > >># # #
> > >>
> > >>
> > >
> > > David Andrews and white cane Harry.
> > >
> > >
> > > _______________________________________________
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> > > gui-talk at nfbnet.org
> > > http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk
> > >
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>David Andrews and white cane Harry.
>
>
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