WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Browser version advice in accessibility statement

for

From: Bourne, Sarah (ITD)
Date: Nov 7, 2011 8:39AM

Kevin said, "There's no excuse or reason at all one should not be running the latest web browser and assistive technology, such as screen reader." I used to think that, too, until I started with working with actual users.

For instance, I recently was working to help a woman who was using and ancient operating system, and software to match. She is adamantly opposed to letting the IT support folks upgrade anything, because it all works for what she needs to do. She is just not interested in having to learn a whole lot of new things when her job itself hasn't changed. She also has a lot of custom JAWS scripting, and she is fearful that it will stop working correctly when things get upgraded. Fortunately, her employer is more interested in making sure she is a productive and happy worker than in making her upgrade to make their IT support work easier.

I suspect there are many home users with the same fears and concerns, but it's worse because they don't have IT staff for assistance.

sb

Sarah E. Bourne
Director of Assistive Technology &
Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
Information Technology Division
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
617-626-4502 fax 617-626-4516
http://twitter.com/sarahebourne
<EMAIL REMOVED>
http://www.mass.gov/itd