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Thread: Webmail suggestions
Number of posts in this thread: 7 (In chronological order)
From: Michael D. Roush
Date: Fri, Mar 10 2006 1:10PM
Subject: Webmail suggestions
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My organization is looking into some new options for handling our e-mail
internally. One thing that we would like to do is offer a webmail
solution for our staff. I would like for this solution to meet or
exceed WAI-A standards, preferably even AA.
Does anyone have any recommendations for a webmail solution that
provides an accessible interface for users? It should be something that
does not require IMAP. Right now, I'm testing IlohaMail, and I think I
would be happy using this with some minor modifications, unless someone
knows of something different.
If I have to settle for implementing a strategy with the understanding
that within 6 months I will make the changes necessary to the code
(given an open source solution) to make it conform to a given level of
accessibility, I am willing to do that.
Thanks!
Michael Roush, Technology Coordinator
Hopewell SERRC
Hillsboro, OH, USA
From: Kynn Bartlett
Date: Fri, Mar 10 2006 1:50PM
Subject: Re: Webmail suggestions
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I'm not recommending, just googling:
Does anyone know about this?
http://www.accessiblemail.com/
--Kynn
On 3/10/06, Michael D. Roush < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
> My organization is looking into some new options for handling our e-mail
> internally. One thing that we would like to do is offer a webmail
> solution for our staff. I would like for this solution to meet or
> exceed WAI-A standards, preferably even AA.
>
From: Michael D. Roush
Date: Mon, Mar 13 2006 10:20AM
Subject: Re: Webmail suggestions
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Kynn Bartlett wrote:
> I'm not recommending, just googling:
>
> Does anyone know about this?
>
> http://www.accessiblemail.com/
Judging from the utter lack of any response, I'm supposing nobody does.
I had seen it but not really looked into it yet. And now, looking at
the price tag, I think I can safely suggest to the place where I work
that it would be more cost effective for us to use an open-source
package and make the necessary modifications for a lot less than one
year's worth of their service would be.
Still looking for any other suggestions though... isn't there *anyone*
who has had to deal with webmail for the staff of an organization that
necessarily or voluntarily meets various accessibility standards?
For instance, I followed the link on WebAIM's site to Utah State
University and found their WebMail portal, but the links for "WebMail
v3.62" on that page are dead, and I get redirected to the company's main
page, where I can find nothing about the product... has anyone used the
system USU uses with any success? Is it even still available?
Michael
From: Tim Beadle
Date: Mon, Mar 13 2006 12:00PM
Subject: Re: Webmail suggestions
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On 13/03/06, Jared Smith < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I just took a look at USU's WebMail system (which, by the way, WebAIM has
> no control over or affiliation with) and it is pretty typical - alt text
> and that's about it. I've yet to see a good, full-featured webmail system
> that has good accessibility, but there must be one or there is certainly
> some money to be made by building one.
>
> You might take a look at IMP - http://www.horde.org/imp/
The open source webmail projects with current buzz are Zimbra,
RoundCube and Hula
http://zimbra.com/
http://www.roundcube.net/
http://www.hula-project.org/
Perhaps someone could assess their accessibility (or lack thereof) and
offer advice/patches to improve them?
Tim
From: Jared Smith
Date: Mon, Mar 13 2006 12:10PM
Subject: Re: Webmail suggestions
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Michael D. Roush wrote:
> For instance, I followed the link on WebAIM's site to Utah State
> University and found their WebMail portal, but the links for "WebMail
> v3.62" on that page are dead, and I get redirected to the company's main
> page, where I can find nothing about the product... has anyone used the
> system USU uses with any success? Is it even still available?
I just took a look at USU's WebMail system (which, by the way, WebAIM has
no control over or affiliation with) and it is pretty typical - alt text
and that's about it. I've yet to see a good, full-featured webmail system
that has good accessibility, but there must be one or there is certainly
some money to be made by building one.
You might take a look at IMP - http://www.horde.org/imp/
Jared Smith
WebAIM.org
From: Kynn Bartlett
Date: Mon, Mar 13 2006 3:30PM
Subject: Re: Webmail suggestions
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On 3/13/06, Michael D. Roush < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
> Still looking for any other suggestions though... isn't there *anyone*
> who has had to deal with webmail for the staff of an organization that
> necessarily or voluntarily meets various accessibility standards?
>
I think that one of the reasons for poor response on this topic (not only on
the list, but from web mail developers as well) is that by and large, access
to email isn't that big of a problem because most email providers supply
alternate access means that allow users to bring their own solutions.
In other words, email programs -- non-web-based -- are pretty ubiquitous and
well-understood applications. Most email providers allow POP3 and/or IMAP
access, which means someone simply needs to hook up her email-ready
assistive technology and it works, without having to go through the extra
layer of a web-based interface and a browser interface which may not be as
accessible as simply using a BrailleNote with email client (or whatever).
That said, of course webmail needs to be accessible -- but for many cases,
simply allowing POP3 access may be at least as good, and often better, than
making an accessible email application.
(PS: There's a non-AJAX version of Googlemail, and a mobile devices version
as well. The latter seems the most accessible, but is simplified -- but it
does provide a good example of a reasonably accessible webmail interface.)
--Kynn
From: Sailesh Panchang
Date: Mon, Mar 13 2006 3:50PM
Subject: RE: Webmail suggestions
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>That said, of course webmail needs to be accessible -- but for many cases,
simply allowing POP3 access may be at least as good, and often better, than
making >an accessible email application.
Probably more than a year ago I could access my Hotmail account using
Outlook Express but now one has to pay for this if one needs to access
Hotmail using Outlook / Outlook Express etc. The MSN page poses numerous
challenges but once one is used to the layout one can use Hotmail directly
on the Web. Yahoo too is the same story. The chief barrier on Yahoo is that
a JAWS user cannot get to the email body area while composing a message
which is announced as a frame. But I can type content in Word or Notepad and
copy paste in that frame.
Just sharing my experience
Thanks,
Sailesh Panchang
Deque Systems Inc.