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Re: Example of poor website colors for accessibility

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From: Jablonski, James (LNI)
Date: Apr 5, 2012 10:45AM

Hey Tim,
As a sited support guy, I was told by one of my blind customers that I
had a visual impairment and that was the reason I was having some
difficulty providing that session's customer support. She walked me
through the problem with a screen reader and only then powered on the
monitor so I could see what I needed to perceive. She referred to the
monitor as an assistive technology that some people need. It was a
delightful and most excellent lesson for me! I think these perceptual
reversals are a good and healthy thing.


-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Tim
Harshbarger
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 12:10 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Example of poor website colors for accessibility

This type of thing always reminds me of the time I was asked to submit a
request for a large order of software. I was supposed to include the
business case along with all the other pertinent information. I wrote
(to me) what seemed to be a masterpiece and proof-read it to perfection.
Then I submitted it for approval to a director.

What I did not realize (since I was using a screen reader) is that the
foreground and background colour of the text and document was white. I
received back a note "WTH, Harshbarger? What is this?" I responded "An
example of an inaccessible document?"

The lesson learned.... Just because you can read it doesn't mean
everyone else can.

I have determined that the only reason I make mistakes is so that others
can learn from them. At least, that is the story I am going to stick
with. Now, back to creating more learning opportunities for others.

-----Original Message-----
From: <EMAIL REMOVED>
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Angela French
Sent: Wednesday, April 04, 2012 11:12 AM
To: 'WebAIM Discussion List'
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Example of poor website colors for accessibility

I am always flabbergasted when I see standard color blue links on black
backgrounds - which I occasionally do even on newer sites.
Angela French


>I'm fully sighted and can barely read the small body text in light
green.
>
>http://www.nextgov.com/nextgov/ng_20120403_2451.php
>
>And to think: this commercial website is a news service to the U.S.
Federal
>government. I wonder if their webmasters have heard about Section 508
yet
><grin>.
>
>
>
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>
>PubCom - Trainers, consultants, designers, and developers
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>Print, Web, Acrobat, XML, eBooks, and Federal Section 508
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