WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Foreign:Re: how to detect images having math expressions

for

From: Moore, Michael
Date: Jun 4, 2008 7:30AM


Steve Green wrote:

Of course pages should be created and maintained so that they are
accessible. I hope none of us would disagree with that. However, the
reality is that there are millions of websites that were not created or
maintained that way. As an independent testing company that does not
design or maintain websites, 100% of our clients have existing websites
that they wish to assess and improve. Few if any are in a position to do
a ground-up rebuild.

It is not helpful to say that an approach should not be considered just
because it is not 100% reliable. Nor is it helpful to state that sites
should be rebuilt or that every page should be tested. The question that
we and many other organisations face is how to make best use of the
available resources.

So I would be interested to know how you might approach the task of
assessing a 10,000 page website with a view to making the most
beneficial improvements within a budget and timescale that does not
allow all pages to be assessed. Or would you simply not undertake such a
task, and leave it to someone else to worry about.

Mike's response:

This is an issue that we are currently dealing with as well.

We attempt to prioritize things based upon the criticality of the page
or interface by asking ourselves a few questions.

1. Would someone be prevented from doing their job or from accessing
services if the page or application was not fully accessible?
2. Does an existing accessible process, or other accessible information
source exist?
3. How many potential consumers or staff members may be affected, and
what is the impact? For example, is this an application used by all
staff or only 3 people in one department? Is this information about a
program that serves thousands, or one that only serves a few? Is this
information about a program that specifically serves people with
disabilities?

After evaluating the page and finding compliance issues, we also
prioritize repairs based upon the severity of the failure and its impact
on users.

Mike