WebAIM - Web Accessibility In Mind

E-mail List Archives

Re: Screen readers usage and support

for

From: Morin, Gary (NIH/OD) [E]
Date: Mar 6, 2012 1:21PM

Keep in mind the following
1. EIT products conform to Section 508
2. Federal agencies comply (or not) with Section 508
3. JAWS or any screen reader-compatible software does not equal Section 508 conformant nor does it equal accessible to oh so many other people with other disabilities.
4. Accessible does not always equal Section 508-conformant
5. Section 508-conformant does not always equal accessible (except when the Functional Performance Criteria are taken seriously)
6. Accessible for a (fill in the blank) does not necessarily mean Accessible for any other (fill in the blank) - using either disabilities for each blank or assistive technologies for each blank.
Is your Assistive Technology testing being done by real-life users of that AT or by non-disabled users who really aren't fluent in the AT?
Is your Assistive Technology testing being done in addition to manual testing based on the formal Section 508 standards from the US Access Board?
What company are you with?
Gary M. Morin, Program Analyst

WHAT IF THE FIRST QUESTION WE ASKED WAS, "WHAT IS SO UNIQUE ABOUT THIS SITUATION THAT IT JUSTIFIES EXCLUSION? INSTEAD OF, "HOW MUCH DOES IT COST TO MAKE IT ACCESSIBLE?"