Thread Subject: Re: teitac-websoftware Digest, Vol 2, Issue 4

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From: Langum, Michael J
Date: Wed, Nov 01 2006 12:30 PM

I've been lurking in the woods following this thread.

You've all made a lot of good comments and suggestions. Here is my
brief contribution.

1. I think it might be useful to borrow the concept of "Authoring Tool."
This would mean any application (Word Processor, Spreadsheet, Flow-chart
app., etc.) used to create any content consumed by a human being. Of
course, the Authoring Tools themselves would need to be accessible as
well as their output.

2. This group (or some other standards group), needs to start putting
together guidelines for such tools, just as W3C has done. This will be
a long process, but it would be a good idea to start now, so that the
Application producers can begin to add needed functionality to their
tools.

3. MOST IMPORTANT! There will never be a substitute for training of
content creators on the "how-to" of creating accessible content. There
is not a purely technical "fix." Until clever Authoring Tools exist
that will do an "access check/repair," the only option will be old
fashioned training. Maybe each organization should provide at least
basic training on how to produce accessible content (e.g. correct use of
headers, tables, images, etc.)

WebAIM is an initiative of:
Center for Persons with Disabilities (CPD) Utah State University