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Re: ATAG & specified technologies

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From: Peter Krantz
Date: Nov 7, 2007 7:00AM

On Nov 7, 2007 10:41 AM, Alastair Campbell < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
>
> Does requiring a particular platform make something inaccessible?
> (Specifically for a browser-based web application.)

It depends of course on what the required platform is. If it is the
"mainstream" platform, AT is likely to be available for it.

>
> Should someone procuring a CMS insist that it works with other
> platforms even when they don't have any other platform?!
>

If you consider a longer perspective it is never good to lock yourself
to a specific platform. Let's say that a year from now the
IT-department finds a business case for switching to Linux. If tools
rely on a specific browser this may make the transition a lot more
difficult. Although that is not an accessibility issue.

>From a user/usability perspective I would guess that a likely scenario
is that a user with special needs has learned to operate a specific
assistive device. If that device is tied to browser A and the CMS to
browser B I guess there would be problems.

The Swedish government also did an evaluation of CMS:es inspired by
ATAG (1) but the platform independence was of less importance than
other criteria.

(1): http://verva.se/verksamhetsstod/webb/matningar/pubverktyg/ - only
in swedish but send me a mail and I'll translate smaller passages of
interest.

Regards,

Peter