[Athen] FW: AT initiative (your attention please)

[Greg Kraus]

One solution would be to set up a Wiki where ATHEN
members, or maybe a select group of testers from
within ATHEN could review products for accessibility. 
You could come up with a template that rates various
areas of software accessibility (something like a
VPAT?).  That way an "accessibility tester" can add
comments to a particular area of the review as opposed
to doing a full-blown test of the software. 
Collectively you could build up quite a resource of
unbiased reviews of software.

Greg Kraus

LecShare, Inc.
www.lecshare.com


--- "Berkowitz, Daniel J" <djbrky at bu.edu> wrote:


> ATTENTION ATHEN MEMBERS: 

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Kenneth Sawicki [mailto:ksawicki at avc.edu] 

> Sent: Wednesday, March 28, 2007 10:45 AM

> To: Alternate Media

> Subject: RE: AT initiative

> 

> I wasn't here yesterday, but what Bob is saying hits

> the mark... I've

> been

> thinking of doing something like that, and perhaps I

> should quit

> thinking

> about doing something, and do it!!! I'm soooo tired

> of reading, or

> hearing,

> "this Assistive Technology is totally accessible, or

> is Section 508

> compliant", and I try to use it, and can't..., And I

> don't think it's my

> inability to use Assistive Technology.

> 

> -Ken

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: Ron Stewart

> [mailto:ron.stewart at dolphinusa.com] 

> Sent: Tuesday, March 27, 2007 8:58 AM

> To: Alternate Media

> Subject: RE: AT initiative

> 

> That conversation has come up repeatedly and was

> part of the discussion

> when

> Section 508 was on the horizon many moons ago. NIST

> refused to step up

> to

> the plate or was too expensive.  We really do need a

> form of UL labs for

> access.  Let the buyer beware, but I am really tired

> of back of the bus

> access!

> 

> One of my common policy recommendation to the

> collleges and universities

> that I have worked with in the last decade is that

> access be part of

> their

> own institutional branding of web spaces.

> 

> This needs to be an internal process because in

> order for it to work

> there

> has to be ownership.  I be!ieve AFB has a

> certification program, but it

> is

> VI centric, and does not deal effectively with

> cognitive precessing

> related

> disabiities.  

> 

> Ron

> 

> -----Original Message-----

> From: rmartinengo at gmail.com

> To: "Alternate Media"

> <altmedia at htclistserv.htctu.fhda.edu>

> Sent: 3/27/07 10:30 AM

> Subject: RE: AT initiative

> 

> Ron,

> 

> Sadly, it appears the main selling point for these

> programs is that they

> measure legal and technical compliance, rather than

> what is truly

> accessible

> and usable - quantatative versus qualitative

> analysis.

> 

> Wouldn't it be great if there was a 'good

> housekeeping' stamp of

> accessibility that was more than an automated list

> of check points?

> Perhaps

> a nonprofit group that would combine the benefits of

> technical

> compliance

> with real-world usability analysis. Someone should

> start this company!

> 

> Bob

> 

> 

> "And this does nothing to insure the accessibility

> of their sites,

> someone

> must be laffing all the way to the bank. We have

> discussed the use of

> automated evaluators on every disability list that I

> am one, and why the

> do

> not insure access. You can not just throw money and

> technology at the

> problem."

> 

> Ron Stewart

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