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Re: Facebook accessibility

for

From: Payne,Susan N (DARS)
Date: Oct 31, 2012 12:41PM


I just did a few quick checks and found some problems.

Clicking through to our agency's page without being logged into my account launched a pop-up window asking me to sign in or register. Using the keyboard only, I was unable to bring focus to that window so couldn't close it or enter anything. The focus remained on the FB page I was trying to get to and I could see myself tabbing through fields and links but most of the page was blocked from view by that pop-up.

On the page itself every status had the name of our agency (being the poster of the status) as an H5. If I was trying to navigate via headings in a screen reader, hearing "DARS-Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services" 33 times would not be helpful.

The font size could not be enlarged via browser settings and the color contrast ratio was insufficient in several spots.

Susan Payne
Accessibility Specialist
DARS - Center for Policy and External Relations
<EMAIL REMOVED> 512-377-0366

-----Original Message-----
From: Morin, Gary (NIH/OD) [E] [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 2:03 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Facebook accessibility

Accessible to who (whom?)? Is it for the real-life diversity of disabilities, functional limitations and assistive technologies? Or, just to screen readers and persons with sight impairments, which is the usual reality for most "accessibility" efforts?
From: Len Burns [ <EMAIL REMOVED> ]
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 01:40 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Facebook accessibility

I applaud the direction, and deeply hope that it becomes their standard practice. Historically it has been three steps forward and two back with FB. For now I will hold to the belief that this time will be different.

-Len

On 10/30/2012 8:13 AM, Bourne, Sarah (ITD) wrote:
> While I was on Twitter yesterday (OK, I was obsessively following storm reports. I'm better now.) James Teh, screen reader user and so-lead developer of NVDA, sent out a tweet that took me completely by surprise: "Oh wow! The main Facebook site became accessible! I am quite impressed."
>
> Wow, indeed. A few friends have confirmed that Facebook has made significant improvements. There are still some snags here and there, but apparently more annoyances than barriers. Another friend mentioned that he has found the (new-ish) accessibility team to be very responsive to problem reports.
>
> You can report issues specific to accessibility and assistive
> technology at
> https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/?id9372943117927
>
> Sb
>
> 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
>
> > > list messages to <EMAIL REMOVED>
>