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Re: Question regarding Canadian ODA

for

From: julian.rickards@ndm.gov.on.ca
Date: Sep 21, 2004 7:03AM








Sorry
for the delay in responding: I was at the TOevolt (<A
href="http://toevolt.org">http://toevolt.org) conference this weekend and
took yesterday off.
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<FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Regarding Priority level: I know we were expected to shoot for Priority 2
but I wasn't certain if that was the standard for the Gov't. However, at the
conference, I met the person in charge of setting priority levels for the gov't
and it is 2.
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<FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Jules
<FONT face=Georgia
color=#0000ff>-----------------------------------------------
Julian Rickards <FONT
face=Georgia color=#0000ff>A/Digital Publications Distribution
Coordinator Publication Services
Section, Ministry of Northern
Development and Mines, Vox:
705-670-5608 / Fax: 705-670-5960

<FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----From: glenda
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]Sent: Thursday, September 16, 2004
6:54 PMTo: WebAIM Discussion ListSubject: Re: [WebAIM]
Question regarding Canadian ODA
<FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#800080>Hi Jules,
<FONT face="Comic Sans MS"
color=#800080>I understand your frustration. It is as if the
governments write these policies so that they can say "look what we're doing
for people with disabilities", but then they don't implement their own
policy. Its like what is the point? From my understanding, the BC
Government is doing the same thing. We need a big legal case on Web
accessibility, not that the Human Rights Code has much bite.
Anyway, assuming the ODA is followed, do you know how "Web
accessibility" is define, ie Priority 1 and 2 or whatever?? For
this course I am developing, I am looking for Canadian examples of what IS
being done, hoping to create a need to follow what others ARE doing. May
be easier said than done. Glenda

<FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----From: julian.rickards
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]Sent: Thursday, September
16, 2004 7:53 AMTo: WebAIM Discussion ListSubject: Re:
[WebAIM] Question regarding Canadian ODA
It
is my understanding that intranets are supposed to be ODA compliant but our
Management Board has not yet required this.
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<FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Off The Record: There are projects funded by our government for web
sites developed by outside contractors. If the work was done internally, ODA
and French Language translation would be required but if the work is for an
external web site, the government department that is hiring the contractor
does not need to enforce either. This escape clause pisses me off (sorry for
the language).
<FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
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As
to the ODA email address, the ODA Committee web site was developed by an
outside contractor, perhaps contact her.
<FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
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<FONT face=Arial color=#0000ff
size=2>Jules
<FONT face=Georgia
color=#0000ff>-----------------------------------------------
Julian Rickards <FONT
face=Georgia color=#0000ff>A/Digital Publications Distribution
Coordinator Publication Services
Section, Ministry of Northern
Development and Mines, Vox:
705-670-5608 / Fax: 705-670-5960

<FONT face=Tahoma
size=2>-----Original Message-----From: glenda
[mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ]Sent: Wednesday, September 15,
2004 6:36 PMTo: WebAIM Discussion ListSubject:
[WebAIM] Question regarding Canadian ODA
I sent the following
to the email provided on the ODA site and it bounced back. I'm
hoping someone here knows:

I am preparing a
course on Web accessibility and am including a section on the status of
Web accessibility in Canada. I will include the
ODA's clause:


Government internet
sites
6. The
Government of Ontario shall provide its internet sites in a format that is
accessible to persons with disabilities, unless it is not technically
feasible to do so.
I am
wondering if any guidelines or standards have been adopted that specific
how to make websites accessible, as this clause seems rather
vague. Does this clause also cover Government Intranet sites?
Thanks,
Glenda
Watson Hyatt
Soaring
Eagle Communications
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face=Arial>