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From: Bourne, Sarah (ITD)
Date: Aug 21, 2012 3:05PM

State agencies often approach us about using Google Calendar as a way of listing and publicizing events, with types ranging from the official (public hearings, filing deadlines, etc.) to the interesting or useful (farmers markets, conferences, etc.) The last time we conducted a concerted evaluation, a few years ago, we found numerous accessibility errors that prevented meaningful use for keyboard-only users and screen reader users.

The question has come up again. I found that Google now has a VPAT for their Calendar - so that's an improvement! It states, however, that there are still lingering accessibility defects. We will be looking more closely at them, but I would love to have anecdotal information, too.

If you are a keyboard-only or AT user, are you able to use Google Calendar? Have you run into difficulties getting information from sites that post events? Or is it "good enough" to muddle through? Please let me know what operating system/browser/AT you are using. I've included links to Google's screen reader and keyboard help, but I would like to know you have to know all that to find out where the Comcast hearing is, for example. Here is an example of one of our agencies using it now (without my blessing, of course!): http://www.mass.gov/ocabr/utility/calendar-of-events.html

You may reply directly to me if you'd prefer confidentiality.

Thank you!
sb

Google Calendar VPAT: http://www.google.com/googlecalendar/accessibility.html
Google's "Using Google Calendar with screen readers": http://support.google.com/calendar/bin/answer.py?hl=en&;answer30828
and "Keyboard shortcuts": http://support.google.com/calendar/bin/answer.py?hl=en&;answer7034

Sarah E. Bourne
Director of Assistive Technology &
Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
Information Technology Division
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
617-626-4502
<EMAIL REMOVED> <mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> >
http://www.mass.gov/itd