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From: Tim Harshbarger
Date: Sep 17, 2009 7:05AM

I am uncertain I understand this comment.

"Standards and guidelines *CANNOT* assure or guarantee accessibility.
They do not claim to do so. It is impossible for them to do so. Their
purpose is to help well-intended developers in learning about
accessibility and defining some measure (and admittedly a very minimal
measure) of accessibility."

If standards define a minimal level of accessibility, then I would assume a web site or application that conforms to that definition would be accessible--at least, at that minimal level. Or am I missing something? Which is always a definite possibility.

My viewpoint is that if you understand and conform to the standards, you should be able to create a *passable* user experience.

I think what differentiates accessibility experts from others is that they possess the knowledge and skill to create an accessible user interface that provides a *great* user experience. I think that is because they focus on the people more than the standards.

Tim