[Athen] Survey Monkey and Accessibility

[Burke, Dan (DSS)]

Thanks Melanie, I will.

Dan


Daniel J. Burke
Assistant Director/Coordinator
Disability Services for Students
Emma B. Lommasson 154
The University of Montana
Missoula, MT 59812

www.umt.edu/dss/

406.243.2243 voice/text
406.243.4424 direct line
406.243.5330 fax


-----Original Message-----
From: athen-bounces at athenpro.org [mailto:athen-bounces at athenpro.org] On
Behalf Of Melanie Thornton
Sent: Thursday, March 12, 2009 10:14 AM
To: Access Technology Higher Education Network
Subject: Re: [Athen] Survey Monkey and Accessibility

Thank you, Dan.  I've had concerns about this as well.  

I've found Survey Gizmo to still do a bit better...and to have more
flexibility in terms of inserting instructions to the user.  

But they each have their issues.

You might consider contacting Jim Thatcher
(http://www.jimthatcher.com/index.htm) as he was their consultant on
this and since his name is listed in their guide, I'm sure he'd be
interested in knowing the barriers that still exist.  He likely has
their ear.

Melanie



----- Original Message -----
From: "Burke, Dan (DSS)" <burke at mso.umt.edu>
Date: Thursday, March 12, 2009 10:56 am
Subject: [Athen] Survey Monkey and Accessibility
To: Access Technologists in Higher Education Network
<athen at athenpro.org>


> I am going to take this opportunity to whine about Survey Monkey's

> accessibility.  I've taken two surveys this week at Survey 

> Monkey, and

> the problem the site has interacting with a screen-reader remains.

> 

> Survey Monkey, despite their certification for accessibility, presents

> one ongoing problem for screen-readers.  Namely, the entire 

> question is

> echoed when I arrow over the first choice of the item - on every item.

> It is possible, therefore, on some of the more complex and long-worded

> items that the cacophony results in obscuring the first choice, 

> and that

> I may not make a choice I otherwise would have made.  I 

> tried to be

> aware of this, and even double-checked a couple of them to find 

> that I

> had made omissions.

> 

> I noted this problem last year, and tried to engage in a conversation

> with Survey Monkey.  But being the kind of enterprise that 

> they are,

> they don't do direct e-mail - and don't even think about phone calls.

> They use a back-end tracking system of their own for such messaging

> which, unfortunately, I found even more troublesome as far as

> accessibility goes.  As a result, I didn't tell them as 

> much as I have

> posted here about their problems with access.

> 

> Done whining.

> 

> Daniel J. Burke

> Assistant Director/Coordinator

> Disability Services for Students

> Emma B. Lommasson 154

> The University of Montana

> Missoula, MT 59812

> 

> www.umt.edu/dss/

> 

> 406.243.2243 voice/text

> 406.243.4424 direct line

> 406.243.5330 fax

> 

> 

> 

> _______________________________________________

> Athen mailing list

> Athen at athenpro.org

> http://athenpro.org/mailman/listinfo/athen_athenpro.org


Melanie Thornton
Project PACE
University of Arkansas at Little Rock
2801 S.  University Ave., DSC #117
Little Rock, AR  72204
(501) 569-8410 (voice)
(501) 650-2239 (cell)
(501) 569-3143 (tty)
(501) 569-8240 (fax)