E-mail List Archives
Thread: Facebook accessibility
Number of posts in this thread: 8 (In chronological order)
From: Bourne, Sarah (ITD)
Date: Tue, Oct 30 2012 9:13AM
Subject: Facebook accessibility
No previous message | Next message →
While I was on Twitter yesterday (OK, I was obsessively following storm reports. I'm better now.) James Teh, screen reader user and so-lead developer of NVDA, sent out a tweet that took me completely by surprise: "Oh wow! The main Facebook site became accessible! I am quite impressed."
Wow, indeed. A few friends have confirmed that Facebook has made significant improvements. There are still some snags here and there, but apparently more annoyances than barriers. Another friend mentioned that he has found the (new-ish) accessibility team to be very responsive to problem reports.
You can report issues specific to accessibility and assistive technology at https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/?id9372943117927
Sb
Sarah E. Bourne
Director of Assistive Technology &
Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
Information Technology Division
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
617-626-4502
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
http://www.mass.gov/itd
From: Len Burns
Date: Tue, Oct 30 2012 11:40AM
Subject: Re: Facebook accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →
I applaud the direction, and deeply hope that it becomes their standard
practice. Historically it has been three steps forward and two back
with FB. For now I will hold to the belief that this time will be
different.
-Len
On 10/30/2012 8:13 AM, Bourne, Sarah (ITD) wrote:
> While I was on Twitter yesterday (OK, I was obsessively following storm reports. I'm better now.) James Teh, screen reader user and so-lead developer of NVDA, sent out a tweet that took me completely by surprise: "Oh wow! The main Facebook site became accessible! I am quite impressed."
>
> Wow, indeed. A few friends have confirmed that Facebook has made significant improvements. There are still some snags here and there, but apparently more annoyances than barriers. Another friend mentioned that he has found the (new-ish) accessibility team to be very responsive to problem reports.
>
> You can report issues specific to accessibility and assistive technology at https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/?id9372943117927
>
> Sb
>
> Sarah E. Bourne
> Director of Assistive Technology &
> Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
> Information Technology Division
> Commonwealth of Massachusetts
> 1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
> 617-626-4502
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> http://www.mass.gov/itd
>
> > > >
From: Morin, Gary (NIH/OD) [E]
Date: Tue, Oct 30 2012 1:02PM
Subject: Re: Facebook accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →
Accessible to who (whom?)? Is it for the real-life diversity of disabilities, functional limitations and assistive technologies? Or, just to screen readers and persons with sight impairments, which is the usual reality for most "accessibility" efforts?
From: Len Burns [ = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 01:40 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Facebook accessibility
I applaud the direction, and deeply hope that it becomes their standard
practice. Historically it has been three steps forward and two back
with FB. For now I will hold to the belief that this time will be
different.
-Len
On 10/30/2012 8:13 AM, Bourne, Sarah (ITD) wrote:
> While I was on Twitter yesterday (OK, I was obsessively following storm reports. I'm better now.) James Teh, screen reader user and so-lead developer of NVDA, sent out a tweet that took me completely by surprise: "Oh wow! The main Facebook site became accessible! I am quite impressed."
>
> Wow, indeed. A few friends have confirmed that Facebook has made significant improvements. There are still some snags here and there, but apparently more annoyances than barriers. Another friend mentioned that he has found the (new-ish) accessibility team to be very responsive to problem reports.
>
> You can report issues specific to accessibility and assistive technology at https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/?id9372943117927
>
> Sb
>
> Sarah E. Bourne
> Director of Assistive Technology &
> Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
> Information Technology Division
> Commonwealth of Massachusetts
> 1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
> 617-626-4502
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> http://www.mass.gov/itd
>
> > > >
From: Bourne, Sarah (ITD)
Date: Tue, Oct 30 2012 1:11PM
Subject: Re: Facebook accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →
> Accessible to who (whom?)?
Good question, Gary. I haven't had a chance to do any follow-up investigation myself. Let us know if you do any?
sb
Sarah E. Bourne
Director of Assistive Technology &
Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
Information Technology Division
Commonwealth of Massachusetts
1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
617-626-4502
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
http://www.mass.gov/itd
From: D. Hubbard
Date: Tue, Oct 30 2012 2:22PM
Subject: Re: Facebook accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →
I rarely post on this list but do read posts. Because I am one who is
blind, I'd like to know what sort of things need to happen to make FB or
anything more accessible for people with other challenges. This is a
sincere quesytion and yes I plead ignorance.
----- Original Message -----
From: "Morin, Gary (NIH/OD) [E]" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
To: "WebAIM Discussion List" < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 3:02 PM
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Facebook accessibility
> Accessible to who (whom?)? Is it for the real-life diversity of
> disabilities, functional limitations and assistive technologies? Or, just
> to screen readers and persons with sight impairments, which is the usual
> reality for most "accessibility" efforts?
> > From: Len Burns [ = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 01:40 PM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Facebook accessibility
>
> I applaud the direction, and deeply hope that it becomes their standard
> practice. Historically it has been three steps forward and two back
> with FB. For now I will hold to the belief that this time will be
> different.
>
> -Len
>
> On 10/30/2012 8:13 AM, Bourne, Sarah (ITD) wrote:
>> While I was on Twitter yesterday (OK, I was obsessively following storm
>> reports. I'm better now.) James Teh, screen reader user and so-lead
>> developer of NVDA, sent out a tweet that took me completely by surprise:
>> "Oh wow! The main Facebook site became accessible! I am quite impressed."
>>
>> Wow, indeed. A few friends have confirmed that Facebook has made
>> significant improvements. There are still some snags here and there, but
>> apparently more annoyances than barriers. Another friend mentioned that
>> he has found the (new-ish) accessibility team to be very responsive to
>> problem reports.
>>
>> You can report issues specific to accessibility and assistive technology
>> at https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/?id9372943117927
>>
>> Sb
>>
>> Sarah E. Bourne
>> Director of Assistive Technology &
>> Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
>> Information Technology Division
>> Commonwealth of Massachusetts
>> 1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
>> 617-626-4502
>> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>> http://www.mass.gov/itd
>>
>> >> >> >>
>
> > > >
From: Payne,Susan N (DARS)
Date: Wed, Oct 31 2012 12:41PM
Subject: Re: Facebook accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →
I just did a few quick checks and found some problems.
Clicking through to our agency's page without being logged into my account launched a pop-up window asking me to sign in or register. Using the keyboard only, I was unable to bring focus to that window so couldn't close it or enter anything. The focus remained on the FB page I was trying to get to and I could see myself tabbing through fields and links but most of the page was blocked from view by that pop-up.
On the page itself every status had the name of our agency (being the poster of the status) as an H5. If I was trying to navigate via headings in a screen reader, hearing "DARS-Texas Department of Assistive and Rehabilitative Services" 33 times would not be helpful.
The font size could not be enlarged via browser settings and the color contrast ratio was insufficient in several spots.
Susan Payne
Accessibility Specialist
DARS - Center for Policy and External Relations
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = 512-377-0366
-----Original Message-----
From: Morin, Gary (NIH/OD) [E] [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 2:03 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Facebook accessibility
Accessible to who (whom?)? Is it for the real-life diversity of disabilities, functional limitations and assistive technologies? Or, just to screen readers and persons with sight impairments, which is the usual reality for most "accessibility" efforts?
From: Len Burns [ = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 01:40 PM
To: WebAIM Discussion List
Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Facebook accessibility
I applaud the direction, and deeply hope that it becomes their standard practice. Historically it has been three steps forward and two back with FB. For now I will hold to the belief that this time will be different.
-Len
On 10/30/2012 8:13 AM, Bourne, Sarah (ITD) wrote:
> While I was on Twitter yesterday (OK, I was obsessively following storm reports. I'm better now.) James Teh, screen reader user and so-lead developer of NVDA, sent out a tweet that took me completely by surprise: "Oh wow! The main Facebook site became accessible! I am quite impressed."
>
> Wow, indeed. A few friends have confirmed that Facebook has made significant improvements. There are still some snags here and there, but apparently more annoyances than barriers. Another friend mentioned that he has found the (new-ish) accessibility team to be very responsive to problem reports.
>
> You can report issues specific to accessibility and assistive
> technology at
> https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/?id9372943117927
>
> Sb
>
> Sarah E. Bourne
> Director of Assistive Technology &
> Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
> Information Technology Division
> Commonwealth of Massachusetts
> 1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
> 617-626-4502
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> http://www.mass.gov/itd
>
> > > list messages to = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>
From: Srinivasu Chakravarthula
Date: Thu, Nov 01 2012 1:44AM
Subject: Re: Facebook accessibility
← Previous message | Next message →
Hi All,
I did some off-line conversation with the accessibility team at Facebook
and they are pretty responsive and in fact, carefully looking at the issues
reproduced. I just forwarded them the below feedback too.
I'm certainly hopeful, they do their best to make FB accessible to all
users and not just to a set of users such as screen reader users. I think,
since now, there is a good team in place, it would be good to send the
feedback on their way.
Best wishes,
-Vasu
On Thu, Nov 1, 2012 at 12:11 AM, Payne,Susan N (DARS) <
= EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> I just did a few quick checks and found some problems.
>
> Clicking through to our agency's page without being logged into my account
> launched a pop-up window asking me to sign in or register. Using the
> keyboard only, I was unable to bring focus to that window so couldn't close
> it or enter anything. The focus remained on the FB page I was trying to get
> to and I could see myself tabbing through fields and links but most of the
> page was blocked from view by that pop-up.
>
> On the page itself every status had the name of our agency (being the
> poster of the status) as an H5. If I was trying to navigate via headings in
> a screen reader, hearing "DARS-Texas Department of Assistive and
> Rehabilitative Services" 33 times would not be helpful.
>
> The font size could not be enlarged via browser settings and the color
> contrast ratio was insufficient in several spots.
>
> Susan Payne
> Accessibility Specialist
> DARS - Center for Policy and External Relations
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = 512-377-0366
>
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Morin, Gary (NIH/OD) [E] [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 2:03 PM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Facebook accessibility
>
> Accessible to who (whom?)? Is it for the real-life diversity of
> disabilities, functional limitations and assistive technologies? Or, just
> to screen readers and persons with sight impairments, which is the usual
> reality for most "accessibility" efforts?
> > From: Len Burns [ = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 01:40 PM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Facebook accessibility
>
> I applaud the direction, and deeply hope that it becomes their standard
> practice. Historically it has been three steps forward and two back with
> FB. For now I will hold to the belief that this time will be different.
>
> -Len
>
> On 10/30/2012 8:13 AM, Bourne, Sarah (ITD) wrote:
> > While I was on Twitter yesterday (OK, I was obsessively following storm
> reports. I'm better now.) James Teh, screen reader user and so-lead
> developer of NVDA, sent out a tweet that took me completely by surprise:
> "Oh wow! The main Facebook site became accessible! I am quite impressed."
> >
> > Wow, indeed. A few friends have confirmed that Facebook has made
> significant improvements. There are still some snags here and there, but
> apparently more annoyances than barriers. Another friend mentioned that he
> has found the (new-ish) accessibility team to be very responsive to problem
> reports.
> >
> > You can report issues specific to accessibility and assistive
> > technology at
> > https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/?id9372943117927
> >
> > Sb
> >
> > Sarah E. Bourne
> > Director of Assistive Technology &
> > Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
> > Information Technology Division
> > Commonwealth of Massachusetts
> > 1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
> > 617-626-4502
> > = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
> > http://www.mass.gov/itd
> >
> > > > > > list messages to = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
> >
>
>
>
> > > >
--
Regards,
Srinivasu Chakravarthula - Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/VasuTweets
Website: http://www.srinivasu.org | http://www.learnaccessibility.org
Let's create an inclusive web!
From: ramya sethuraman
Date: Thu, Nov 01 2012 6:27PM
Subject: Re: Facebook accessibility
← Previous message | No next message
We are definitely considering other real-life disabilities besides visual impairment. The headings (h5) problem is an interesting one to solve. It would not make sense to announce the whole status update as a heading but at the same time if we just announce the visible 'heading' (which is usually the person that posted the update), there is obviously repetition and the screen reader user would have to down arrow (if using Jaws) to read the actual update to get more context.
Thanks for bringing up these issues, we are certainly listening.
Ramya
On Nov 1, 2012, at 3:44 AM, Srinivasu Chakravarthula < = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
> Hi All,
> I did some off-line conversation with the accessibility team at Facebook
> and they are pretty responsive and in fact, carefully looking at the issues
> reproduced. I just forwarded them the below feedback too.
>
> I'm certainly hopeful, they do their best to make FB accessible to all
> users and not just to a set of users such as screen reader users. I think,
> since now, there is a good team in place, it would be good to send the
> feedback on their way.
>
> Best wishes,
> -Vasu
>
> On Thu, Nov 1, 2012 at 12:11 AM, Payne,Susan N (DARS) <
> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = > wrote:
>
>> I just did a few quick checks and found some problems.
>>
>> Clicking through to our agency's page without being logged into my account
>> launched a pop-up window asking me to sign in or register. Using the
>> keyboard only, I was unable to bring focus to that window so couldn't close
>> it or enter anything. The focus remained on the FB page I was trying to get
>> to and I could see myself tabbing through fields and links but most of the
>> page was blocked from view by that pop-up.
>>
>> On the page itself every status had the name of our agency (being the
>> poster of the status) as an H5. If I was trying to navigate via headings in
>> a screen reader, hearing "DARS-Texas Department of Assistive and
>> Rehabilitative Services" 33 times would not be helpful.
>>
>> The font size could not be enlarged via browser settings and the color
>> contrast ratio was insufficient in several spots.
>>
>> Susan Payne
>> Accessibility Specialist
>> DARS - Center for Policy and External Relations
>> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = 512-377-0366
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: Morin, Gary (NIH/OD) [E] [mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 2:03 PM
>> To: WebAIM Discussion List
>> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Facebook accessibility
>>
>> Accessible to who (whom?)? Is it for the real-life diversity of
>> disabilities, functional limitations and assistive technologies? Or, just
>> to screen readers and persons with sight impairments, which is the usual
>> reality for most "accessibility" efforts?
>> >> From: Len Burns [ = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = ]
>> Sent: Tuesday, October 30, 2012 01:40 PM
>> To: WebAIM Discussion List
>> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Facebook accessibility
>>
>> I applaud the direction, and deeply hope that it becomes their standard
>> practice. Historically it has been three steps forward and two back with
>> FB. For now I will hold to the belief that this time will be different.
>>
>> -Len
>>
>> On 10/30/2012 8:13 AM, Bourne, Sarah (ITD) wrote:
>>> While I was on Twitter yesterday (OK, I was obsessively following storm
>> reports. I'm better now.) James Teh, screen reader user and so-lead
>> developer of NVDA, sent out a tweet that took me completely by surprise:
>> "Oh wow! The main Facebook site became accessible! I am quite impressed."
>>>
>>> Wow, indeed. A few friends have confirmed that Facebook has made
>> significant improvements. There are still some snags here and there, but
>> apparently more annoyances than barriers. Another friend mentioned that he
>> has found the (new-ish) accessibility team to be very responsive to problem
>> reports.
>>>
>>> You can report issues specific to accessibility and assistive
>>> technology at
>>> https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/?id9372943117927
>>>
>>> Sb
>>>
>>> Sarah E. Bourne
>>> Director of Assistive Technology &
>>> Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
>>> Information Technology Division
>>> Commonwealth of Massachusetts
>>> 1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
>>> 617-626-4502
>>> = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = <mailto: = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED = >
>>> http://www.mass.gov/itd
>>>
>>> >>> >>> list messages to = EMAIL ADDRESS REMOVED =
>>>
>>
>>
>>
>> >> >> >>
>
>
>
> --
> Regards,
>
> Srinivasu Chakravarthula - Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/VasuTweets
> Website: http://www.srinivasu.org | http://www.learnaccessibility.org
>
> Let's create an inclusive web!
> > >