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Re: Screen readers usage and support

for

From: Ryan Hemphill
Date: Mar 6, 2012 1:39PM

I'd also like to point out that many people coding out there do not realize
that ARIA only takes care of Screen Reader users. While this is not part
of 508 compliance at all, it has been a general trend in accessibility
focus with regard to online research and blogging.

Simply put, many supposedly accessible solutions are really not taking of
of anyone else except blind users. I'm just backing up Gary's point here.
It's very easy to find the accessibility rules for the blind, but it's
only a piece of the pie.

Ryan

On Tue, Mar 6, 2012 at 3:22 PM, Morin, Gary (NIH/OD) [E] <
<EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> 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?"
>
>