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Re: The cost of accessibility

for

From: Bevi Chagnon | PubCom
Date: Oct 5, 2010 9:42PM

I often wonder if a two-pronged approached to accessibility might give the
best results for all stakeholders, both A.T. users and those of us who
develop information technology products (websites, office documents, PDFs,
multimedia, etc.).

First prong is, of course, what we discuss here: making our websites and
other information accessible to A.T. users.

But what if government grants or other funding could go directly to A.T.
users to subsidize their technologies?

As a teacher and developer with many clients, family members, and friends
with various disabilities, I run into 2 situations that undermine my best
efforts to make my products accessible:

1) Most of the disabled people I know do not have the money to keep their
software and hardware A.T. up to date, and therefore, don't have the best
tools for their needs.

2) Most of them also haven't had sufficient training in how to use the A.T.
that they do have, so they end up stumbling through a website that actually
is accessible.

Here in the U.S., for example, our Medicare program subsidizes wheelchairs
and motorized scooters for our disabled citizens.

Why can't we have a similar program of subsidies for computer A.T. too? That
sure would make my developer life a lot easier! <grin>

--Bevi Chagnon

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Bevi Chagnon | PubCom | <EMAIL REMOVED> | 301-585-8805
Government publishing specialists, trainers, consultants | print, press,
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Online at the blog: It's 2010. Where's your career heading?
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