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Re: Assistive Technologies / Screen Readers & Google Analytics

for

From: Karl Groves
Date: Feb 21, 2014 9:10AM

Greg,

I wrote a long response on the ins & outs of browser & feature detection
and deleted it mostly for one reason: detecting AT or AT-based features is
missing the point entirely.

In terms of sheer numbers there are more people who are Low Vision than
Blind. There are more people with motor impairments than visually impaired
& hard of hearing people combined.

There are more people with cognitive disorders than visually impaired, hard
of hearing, or motor impaired.

While there may be few cases where detecting software-based AT might be
useful, there are plenty of hardware-based AT that you'd be missing.

Looking at accessibility as a way to serve a specific population is missing
the point that accessibility is about inclusion of all people.


On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 10:34 AM, Greg Gamble < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> Well, how do they now a wheelchair can access it then? I'd think they
> (people with disabilities), would care less if they are tracked. So long
> as they are not singled out and the information is used correctly, why
> would they? And how would those who are trying to make things, "just work",
> do that if they didn't know what to make work or what did work?
>
> I'm not an expert on this, but I have an acquaintances that uses AT and
> she could care less on how things are made, so long as it works for her. So
> identifying and tracking those individuals makes sense to me ... so long as
> it's not used in a discriminatory way. IMO
>
> Greg
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: <EMAIL REMOVED> [mailto:
> <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Clark, Michelle -
> NRCS, Washington, DC
> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 6:01 AM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Assistive Technologies / Screen Readers & Google
> Analytics
>
> I agree. It is similar to making sure there is a wheelchair ramp and the
> door is whide enough for the chair to enter. The law says it should be that
> way and should be the end of it.
>
> Michelle
>
> Michelle
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: <EMAIL REMOVED> [mailto:
> <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Karl Groves
> Sent: Friday, February 21, 2014 8:52 AM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List
> Cc: <EMAIL REMOVED>
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Assistive Technologies / Screen Readers & Google
> Analytics
>
> This topic comes up occasionally and the general consensus is basically
> "why can't people just make their sites accessible?"
>
> Here's a post I wrote on the subject:
>
> http://www.karlgroves.com/2013/05/13/can-we-track-how-many-users-with-disabilities-access-our-site/in
> which I say:
>
> "Finally, there's the question of ethics surrounding detecting users with
> disabilities. Persons with disabilities are a protected class according to
> ADA and similar anti-discrimination laws worldwide. Users may be highly
> resistant to having their disabilities identified as they go throughout the
> web. Most persons with disabilities would really just rather that *the Web
> just work* for them. "
>
>
> On Fri, Feb 21, 2014 at 3:04 AM, Ravindra Kumar Jain
> < <EMAIL REMOVED> >wrote:
>
> > HI all,
> > I have gone through sites to search if their is a definite way to
> > track if the person using Assistive Technology like screen reader can
> > be tracked using Google Analytics or any other way. Also gone through
> > this previous discussion @ webaim
> >
> > http://webaim.org/discussion/mail_thread?threadR59
> > and Stackoverflow
> >
> >
> > http://stackoverflow.com/questions/18190572/using-javascript-how-can-y
> > ou-track-if-a-website-visitor-is-using-a-screen-reade
> >
> > But till now mostly the answer is negative , as said in the above
> > posts that assistive technology like Screen Reader is a totally
> > different program altogether.
> > My question is this
> >
> > "Can't Companies like Google (Analytics) and Screen Reader
> > manufacturers like Freedom Scientific (JAWS), Apple (voiceover),
> > nvaccess (nvda) and Accessibility Api's Specialist like Microsoft
> > (msaa), Linux (ATK) , and Apple ( Mac OS X Accessibility Protocol)
> > come up with a solution for tracking persons using screen readers with
> > analytics ? "
> > Is it so difficult ? Is their already some work going on in this
> > direction ?
> > Can't the Screen Reader manufacturers embed a code in the users system
> > for installing a plugin after running setup to track persons using
> > AT's like screen readers with google analytics?
> > I am sure this will definitely help a lot for everyone.
> >
> > Thanks ,
> >
> > Ravindra Kumar Jain
> > <EMAIL REMOVED>
> > > > > > list messages to <EMAIL REMOVED>
> >
>
>
>
> --
>
> Karl Groves
> www.karlgroves.com
> @karlgroves
> http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlgroves
> Phone: +1 410.541.6829
> > > messages to <EMAIL REMOVED>
>
>
>
>
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--

Karl Groves
www.karlgroves.com
@karlgroves
http://www.linkedin.com/in/karlgroves
Phone: +1 410.541.6829