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Re: Question regarding accessible badges or widgetsfor Facebook and Twitter

for

From: Debra Cerda
Date: Feb 25, 2009 2:15PM

Hi,
Thank you everyone for your responses, my apologies for not being more clear. I appreciate the additional information on the accessible twitter and FB. However, I'm on the content side of it, wanting to include a "Follow me on twitter" badge or link. Or a "Tweet the Facts" much like on the bottom of Charity: Water's http://www.charitywater.org/twestival/index.html , which appears to fail accessibility testing. Friend Feed was also recommended if we wanted to aggregate the non-profits FB and Twitter to their front page, but I also don't know how well that would meet accessibility requirements. Again, we want to help the non profit use social media tools to promote their mission, but need the content on their website to be accessible.

Sincerely,
Debra

>>> "John E. Brandt" < <EMAIL REMOVED> > 2/19/2009 1:26 PM >>>
I see someone already beat me to the answer regarding Accessible Twitter and
Accessible Facebook. I've put the info on my blog
http://www.jebswebs.net/blog/ - the Accessible Facebook appears to be a work
in progress and I still can't find an actual application that can be used.
The Twitter link is: http://www.accessibletwitter.com/ and though usable now
is still being developed. BTW, one comment on Twitter from an screen reader
user questioned why the need as apparently the plain ole Twitter site was
pretty accessible.

All that said, this is still a great question. We might broaden it to
include all social networking systems including ones that you "build"
yourself like NING and KickApps. My testing of both of these leaves me
wondering if there are any out there that are accessible.

BTW, I am experimenting with NING right now and it's accessibility problems
do not seem as severe as KickApps. So, I will work with NING for now.

I also have to mention at this point the caveat that you can create the most
accessible web application in the world and it only takes one user to add
inaccessible content to create an accessibility problem.

Lastly, it is my understanding that JavaScript and Flash and even AIR can be
made accessible, but that needs to be done early in the development cycle.
We need to get our message to the developer community.

~j

John E. Brandt
Web Design, Development, Consultation
Augusta, Maine USA
www.jebswebs.com
<EMAIL REMOVED>
207-622-7937


-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Debra Cerda
Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 11:14 AM
To: Discussion list for web and software accessibilityissues; WebAIM
Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: [WebAIM] Question regarding accessible badges or widgets for
Facebook and Twitter

Hi,
Several of our agency staff are volunteering their time with the 2009
Accessible Internet Rally (AIR) Interactive. Our team ("Ctrl Alt Delete or
C.A.D.") is working with a wonderful local non-profit Anthropos Arts to
improve the usability and accessibility of their web site. We've identified
the goals of their web site are simply awareness, advocacy, and support. The
objective of their web site is to share information about their organization
and its programs with the community, and get people excited enough about
their work support through donations. The challenge is that currently it's
the executive director and founder who are the primary workhorses within
this organization. We are encouraging them to use social media strategies to
help them meet these goals.

It would be greatly appreciated if we could get some input and
recommendations from members of the accessibility community on Facebook
widgets, Twitter badges (follow me on...), and ease/difficulty of Paypal
donate button, regarding their placement on a web page. Please email me
directly at dcerda I am aware of the inherent accessibility issues with
Facebook and Twitter themselves, especially after reading posts on these
topics on Knowbility blogs at http://universallydesigned.net/

Anthropos Arts http://www.anthropos.org provides opportunities for
educational, social, and personal growth to East Austin's under-served
middle and high school students through free music education programs taught
by professional musician-mentors from diverse genres.

Thank you for your time and support!

Sincerely,


Debra Cerda
Drinking Water Quality
Public Drinking Water Section
Texas Commission on Environmental Quality

(512) 239-6045

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