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Re: Text Transcoders

for

From: Sean Keegan
Date: Jan 18, 2007 4:00PM

John Foliot wrote:
> So, as a tool, it's a tool... It fills a need when it exists, but it is
not a "final
> solution". Rather, it is a quick means to address a real problem.

It is a tool and, if used appropriately, can be useful for
developers/content creators completely unfamiliar with accessibility when
developing Web apps. I walked into a situation where it was implemented and
I had to figure out what to actually do with it. It was/is helpful in
communicating the concept of how a page would be organized in terms of
reading order by a screen-reader/other assistive tech. applications. Vision
is such a dominant sense that it did make it easier for those not familiar
with screen-reader feedback (or without access to such technology) to get a
basic understanding as to what may be access limitations to the page
content; they could "see" the problem on the page without resorting to
running the latest screen-reader.

To echo John F. - is it *the* magical tool that fixes everything? No - but
it can be a tool in the toolbox. Usablenet claims it is not a testing or
evaluation tool, but that is the role in which I found it was useful. Most
of the developers I have worked with have moved on to using tools like the
Web Developer Toolbar (FF) or AIS Web Accessibility Toolbar (IE).

sean