Thread Subject: Re: Final? draft of 1194.41a, b, and c (was discussion of who pays for alternate format)

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From: Whitney Quesenbery
Date: Mon, Mar 19 2007 2:40 PM

At 04:52 PM 3/19/2007, David Poehlman wrote:
>In other words, do away with alternate formats altogether
>and talk about compliant formats if you will.

So, if I posted a "file" in several formats and at least one of the formats
met each of the general functional performance requirements, I'd be in
compliance?

As I think about this, I do this all the time, even outside of disabilities
considerations. For example, if the information if the info is from an
application used by some (but not all) members of a project, I might send
it out in the native format, but also send an exported format such as text
or PDF or HTML. (Example: Microsoft Project, which will create a number of
formats to read a project plan.)

The next question is what is a "sufficient" format. Is it enough to have
formats that (taken as a group) conform to requirements? What else must be
taken into consideration:

-- The capabilities of the users' IT be taken into consideration? The
example above is one (from general use) in which the availability of the
"reader program" is a consideration.

-- User preferences? I can see how this might be determined through user
research in a specific case (easier or perhaps more targeted for employees
than for the public), but how would it be specified as a general requirement.

-- Availability (% adoption? cost? ease of acquisition/installation?) of
the AT or "reader program"?

What if I choose not to install a wildly popular and free plugin (e.g.
Acrobat, Flash)? Is that "my choice" but not "your responsibility"?




Whitney Quesenbery
Whitney Interactive Design
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