Jenny Levine: Accessibility

Deaf go mobile phone crazy "Over the last few years, the mobile phone has emerged as a popular device for what at first may seem an unlikely user group: the deaf and other people who are hard of hearing. Using the Short Messaging Service (SMS) functions on mobiles, people with hearing difficulties can communicate by typing messages into their phones.... By setting their mobile phones to vibrate, they can be alerted when a message comes in. This usage shows how a group of people can take up a technology that was not initially designed or marketed to them, and adapt it to suit their own needs and purposes." [at BBC Sci/Tech, via Meryl]

Another excellent example that illustrates why mobile, wireless access will be pervasive and ubiquitous in the future. Meryl notes that this doesn't really help her right now because her cell phone can't send messages, but that will change.

Is your library prepared to serve deaf users via SMS or IM? You'd better be in the future.

Creating the Usable Web, One Site at a Time "Although [Lift Onsite] tries to explain everything, understanding and fixing usability violations requires familiarity with both W3C recommendations and current conventional wisdom about usability and accessibility. Also, Lift Onsite can check only static Web sites housed in a hard drive. People who create dynamically generated Web sites must supplement Lift Onsite with a subscription to UsableNet's Web-based service, Lift Online. For professional Web-site developers who need section 508 compliance, this tool is invaluable. For Web developers who also act as their own quality assurance department, Lift Onsite is a handy way to check flaws and learn best-practice guidelines. However, for recreational Web heads, this might be overkill." [via ia/] [at MacWorld]

I wonder if the Illinois State Library can cut a deal with the Lift folks so that all Illinois libraries can test their sites using this service? Even without the subscription, the free 5-page demo of Lift should be in your accessibility toolbox along with Bobby and Wave. BTW, Lift now has software that integrates with Dreamweaver.

Excellent! Jon sent me an email highlighting the Web site behind his online course related to designing accessible Web resources for people with disabilities. The Illinois Center for Instructional Technology Accessibility provides information about Accessible Design Techniques, accessibility features available in various WWW Technologies, how to us different Authoring Tools to create accessible pages, and more. Those needing background on this topic can check out Presentations Jon has given around the State.

I'm especially glad to see this site because it maintains a current version of what I was trying to do with SLS' Is Your Web Site ADA-compliant? site. I haven't had time to maintain that resource, so I gladly point you to this new one.

The draft of the WAI's Selecting and Using Authoring Tools for Web Accessibility document is coming along nicely. They now include strategies for Working around Limitations of Existing Authoring Tools and Authoring Tool Conformance Reviews. Way to go WAI, and congratulations to the group for getting Audrey Gorman in on the project!

Forms accessiblity. This is more for site developers than IA's, but HTMLSource has a little tutorial covering methods to guide your users through web forms. Covers TABINDEX, FIELDSET, ACCESSKEY, and LABEL -- all available to browsers supporting HTML 4. thanks webgraphics [ia/ - news for information architects]

Excellent! This is one area I definitely need to read up on.

Accessbility and Usability Blog. Anitra Pavka takes a look at the newly overhauled Official Section 508 Web site. [via meryl's notes]

I hadn't read Mr. Z in a while, but now that I'm catching up on blogs in my spiffy Radio News Aggregator (worth the $40 alone), I notice that he's also pointing to A List Apart's Standards-compliant Style Sheet Switcher (details here). Very cool, and very free. Hopefully I'll be able to incorporate this (as well as color background changes) into the new SLS portal. We'll see though, as I still have my doubts about making Oracle Portal do what I want.

Note to all public librarians: Mr. Z is speaking at PLA on March 12 about "How to Write so Your Audiences Will Read What You're Saying." In fact, the whole program for that day, called "Click Here First: Make Your Library Web Site the Stickiest Spot in Town" looks incredibly awesome! (Shout out to Frances - you go girl!)

I will be in Phoenix during that time, although I won't be at PLA (my organization doesn't send me to this conference, although I do usually get to go to Internet Librarian), and d'oh - it's a preconference event. If you go, I'd love to hear about it. Sigh. :-(

Hey, did you know that the W3C is keeping track of State Policies Relating to Web Accessibility? Depressingly, neither did I. But now I do, thanks to Mr. Zeldman. However, here's the real kicker. Illinois now has a tutorial on the subject (even though it's not listed at the W3C site), but as Mr. Z points out, "Unfortunately, the tutorial is in PDF format, making it inaccessible." Ugh.

I know this blog is not fully accessible, but I need to modify the templates before I take that on.