[Athen] Google tests web search for blind

Terri Hedgpeth terrih at asu.edu
Fri Aug 4 07:35:13 PDT 2006


I agree with Terry's message. Also, this is not a "website" in the same
sense that Amazon and Safeway grocery. This is simply a tool that offers
an alternative for finding the most accessible sites. Really, consider
what screen-readers such as JAWS and Window Eyes do to the visual
display with a video intercept. I now use both regular Google and the
Accessible search Google. I wish there was an equivalent for Google
Scholar.



Terri Hedgpeth
Academic Research Professional
Cubic, iCare box 87-8309
Arizona State University
Tempe, AZ 85287-8309
(480) 727-8133 (voice)

(480) 965-2751 (fax)

http://cubic.asu.edu

The positive thinker sees
the invisible, feels the intangible,
and achieves the impossible.

________________________________

From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On
Behalf Of Kestrell
Sent: Friday, August 04, 2006 6:28 AM
To: Access Technologists in Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Google tests web search for blind



I agree with feeling that tools such as the accessible Google one
present the unfortunate possibility of encouraging the scenario for a
"separate but (not-quite) equal" approach to Web site. design.

My best example at the moment is the Amazon accessible site, which
doesn't seem to allow me to actually use any of the tools I always use,
such as my wishlist.

Kes




----- Original Message -----

From: sean keegan <mailto:skeegan at htctu.net>

To: 'Access Technologists in Higher Education Network'
<mailto:athen at athenpro.org>

Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 8:28 PM

Subject: Re: [Athen] Google tests web search for blind



I have seen the new google accessible search and have some mixed
reactions
about it. From the user's perspective, it is much easier to use
with a
screen-reader and can be "reflowed" reasonably well. TV Raman
seems to be
the one who really put some work behind this (he is the blind
developer who
created Emacspeak), so it is not surprising that it is designed
for those
using screen-readers.

My concern about this, however, is how Web developers will
interpret this
new search function. There is a difference in search results
between the
accessible search and the regular google search - the accessible
search
relies on a different page ranking algorithm to identify Web
sites that are
"screen-reader friendly". There is a whole field of Web
"professionals"
dedicated to giving their company the highest ranking possible
for the
google search results. It would be unfortunate if we saw the
reappearance
of "text-only" sites in an attempt to get the ranking high on
both the
regular google search AND the accessible google search.

It will be interesting to see how this plays out...

Sean Keegan
Web Accessibility Instructor
High Tech Center Training Unit, California Community Colleges

-----Original Message-----
From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org
[mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On
Behalf Of James Bailey
Sent: Thursday, August 03, 2006 2:43 PM
To: Access Technologists in Higher Education Network
Subject: [Athen] Google tests web search for blind


Interesting article at:
http://www.stuff.co.nz/stuff/0,2106,3739435a28,00.html

Here's a teaser:
"TV Raman, a research scientist at Mountain View,
California-based Google,
said his project sorts search results based on the simplicity of
page
layout, the quality of design and the organization and labeling
of
information on each page."

James Bailey
Adaptive Technology Access Adviser, University of Oregon
1299 University of Oregon
Eugene, OR 97403-1299
Office: 541-346-1076
jbailey at darkwing.uoregon.edu


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