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Re: Question regarding accessible badgesor widgetsforFacebook and Twitter

for

From: Mackenzie, Hamish
Date: Feb 25, 2009 4:40PM


Hi Randi

I am totally blind as well but am a Jaws user on windows and whilst the
Facebook site can be a bit daunting to start with it is far easier to
use the mobile Facebook site as it is much more simplified, and then in
stages if you wish you can move onto the much more complex full site.
The url for the mobile site is

Http://m.facebook.com

I have only tinkered with the Mac so am not sure how it will all work in
Safari but good luck.

Cheers

Hamish

-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Debra Cerda
Sent: Thursday, 26 February 2009 10:23 AM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Question regarding accessible badgesor
widgetsforFacebook and Twitter

Hi, Randi!
I would recommend that you read Desiree's post about her experience with
Facebook at this blogpost
http://universallydesigned.net/uncategorized/facebook-the-good-bad-and-t
he-ugly/

As a sighted user who's also had some usability issues with Facebook, I
would recommend your friend set it up and show you how to ignore
applications requests that are difficult to manage.

Sincerely,
Debra

>>> Randi < <EMAIL REMOVED> > 2/25/2009 4:11 PM >>>
Hi all,

I just joined this list and the forum at webaim after stumbling across
webaim and emailing the webmaster. I'm in no way a web develper
yet...I've been blind for ten months now; it was hugely unexpected. I
was an avid web user before and am teaching myself VoiceOver and Apple,
having been a PC user before. I've just been lurking here, not
understanding much LOL.

The Facebook thing caught my attention however. I didn't use Facebook
before and actually have a friend coming over Monday to set me up there.
Am I hearing correctly that Facebook is not accessible? Or is it simply
the widgets and the so called follow me thing? I'm going to be
disappointed if I can't use it since I'm hoping to get back in touch
with friends.

I don't know if a newly blind chic is welcome to post and ask questions
here. I'm very interested in web advocacy since I have experience in the
web both sited and blind. I also am interested in starting a forum for
the blind and visually impaired since I haven't found any cool ones.

If this list is just for experienced web developers, let me know and
I'll go back to lurking until I start my own site.

Sincerely,

Randi O.

On 2/25/09, Debra Cerda < <EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:
> Hi,
> Thank you everyone for your responses, my apologies for not being more

> clear. I appreciate the additional information on the accessible
> twitter and FB. However, I'm on the content side of it, wanting to
> include a "Follow me on twitter" badge or link. Or a "Tweet the Facts"

> much like on the bottom of
> Charity: Water's http://www.charitywater.org/twestival/index.html ,
> which appears to fail accessibility testing. Friend Feed was also
> recommended if we wanted to aggregate the non-profits FB and Twitter
> to their front page, but I also don't know how well that would meet
accessibility requirements.
> Again, we want to help the non profit use social media tools to
> promote their mission, but need the content on their website to be
accessible.
>
> Sincerely,
> Debra
>
>>>> "John E. Brandt" < <EMAIL REMOVED> > 2/19/2009 1:26 PM >>>
> I see someone already beat me to the answer regarding Accessible
> Twitter and Accessible Facebook. I've put the info on my blog
> http://www.jebswebs.net/blog/ - the Accessible Facebook appears to be
> a work in progress and I still can't find an actual application that
can be used.
> The Twitter link is: http://www.accessibletwitter.com/ and though
> usable now is still being developed. BTW, one comment on Twitter from
> an screen reader user questioned why the need as apparently the plain
> ole Twitter site was pretty accessible.
>
> All that said, this is still a great question. We might broaden it to
> include all social networking systems including ones that you "build"
> yourself like NING and KickApps. My testing of both of these leaves me

> wondering if there are any out there that are accessible.
>
> BTW, I am experimenting with NING right now and it's accessibility
> problems do not seem as severe as KickApps. So, I will work with NING
for now.
>
> I also have to mention at this point the caveat that you can create
> the most accessible web application in the world and it only takes one

> user to add inaccessible content to create an accessibility problem.
>
> Lastly, it is my understanding that JavaScript and Flash and even AIR
> can be made accessible, but that needs to be done early in the
development cycle.
> We need to get our message to the developer community.
>
> ~j
>
> John E. Brandt
> Web Design, Development, Consultation
> Augusta, Maine USA
> www.jebswebs.com
> <EMAIL REMOVED>
> 207-622-7937
>
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
> [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Debra Cerda
> Sent: Thursday, February 19, 2009 11:14 AM
> To: Discussion list for web and software accessibilityissues; WebAIM
> Discussion List < <EMAIL REMOVED>
> Subject: [WebAIM] Question regarding accessible badges or widgets for
> Facebook and Twitter
>
> Hi,
> Several of our agency staff are volunteering their time with the 2009
> Accessible Internet Rally (AIR) Interactive. Our team ("Ctrl Alt
Delete or
> C.A.D.") is working with a wonderful local non-profit Anthropos Arts
to
> improve the usability and accessibility of their web site. We've
identified
> the goals of their web site are simply awareness, advocacy, and
support. The
> objective of their web site is to share information about their
organization
> and its programs with the community, and get people excited enough
about
> their work support through donations. The challenge is that currently
it's
> the executive director and founder who are the primary workhorses
within
> this organization. We are encouraging them to use social media
strategies to
> help them meet these goals.
>
> It would be greatly appreciated if we could get some input and
> recommendations from members of the accessibility community on
Facebook
> widgets, Twitter badges (follow me on...), and ease/difficulty of
Paypal
> donate button, regarding their placement on a web page. Please email
me
> directly at dcerda I am aware of the inherent accessibility issues
with
> Facebook and Twitter themselves, especially after reading posts on
these
> topics on Knowbility blogs at http://universallydesigned.net/
>
> Anthropos Arts http://www.anthropos.org provides opportunities for
> educational, social, and personal growth to East Austin's under-served
> middle and high school students through free music education programs
taught
> by professional musician-mentors from diverse genres.
>
> Thank you for your time and support!
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
> Debra Cerda
> Drinking Water Quality
> Public Drinking Water Section
> Texas Commission on Environmental Quality
>
> (512) 239-6045
>
> PPlease consider whether it is necessary to print this e-mail
>
>
>