[Web4lib] Libraries with accessible Web pages

[Norman, Melora]

Yes, but as I had a blind person point out to me last week, there are
varying degrees of access depending upon how up-to-date your software is and
how tech-savvy you are.

For instance, a not-so-tech-savvy blind or low-vision person who can't
afford the latest versions of JAWS and MS Office on an older computer who's
also on dial-up has a much different experience using technology than does
someone with all the latest and hottest software, hardware, broadband,
scanner, and who has taken computer classes.

Comparatively speaking we have pretty much the same digital divide going on
between people who are sighted--they are just less disadvantaged on the face
of it, as they don't have to buy $1,000 worth of screen readers and scanners
etc. in order to get access to what they need.  Training is another whole
huge issue, and pretty hard for a library to get a grip on.  I get fairly
frequent calls from people (either sighted or simply isolated--we serve more
than one kind of virtual population here) who obviously need tech help I
can't provide.  Sometimes the blind folk actually have better access to
resources through voc rehab than do some of the others.  And a blind person
in a metropolitan area might have affordable broadband, while an isolated
person in a rural area might very well not be able to take an online course
because all they can get or afford is dial-up.  

Melora


Melora Ranney Norman, outreach coordinator
Maine State Library
LMA Cultural Bldg., SHS 64
Augusta, ME 04333
melora.norman at maine.gov
(207) 287-5653
www.maine.gov/msl/outreach
You CAN get there from here . . . @your library

-----Original Message-----
From: web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org
[mailto:web4lib-bounces at webjunction.org] On Behalf Of steven perkins
Sent: Monday, February 20, 2006 1:08 PM
To: Stacey Kimmel
Cc: web4lib at webjunction.org
Subject: Re: [Web4lib] Libraries with accessible Web pages

Stacey:

Last spring I did a survey of all the US law library front pages. 
Four of 191 pages could pass the HTML/XHTML validator at
http://validator.w3.org/  All of those pages mentioned accessibility
standards.

I also did the same survey on the ACRL library front pages.  Around
20% of the 127 pages could pass the validator.  Several had text
versions of their web pages and a few actually mentioned either WAI or
Section 508.

Be sure to have your pages tested by patrons using accessible
technologies.  Also remember that you can have a standard compliant
page that is still inaccessible and vice-versa.

US states have web page accessibility standards and a reference is located
here:
http://www.w3.org/WAI/Policy/USA-States.html

US federal regulations are at this website:
http://www.section508.gov/

I have my presentation at CALI on Accessibility and Law Library
Webpages is at this address:

http://stevencperkins.com/presentations/CALI2005.ppt

Regards,

Steven C. Perkins
Coordinator of Reference Services
U of Houston MD Anderson Library


On 2/20/06, Stacey Kimmel <sek2 at lehigh.edu> wrote:
> Hi,
>
> I'm hoping there are folks on the list who can share some information
> about their institution's approach to making pages Web-accessible,
> including:
> -- examples of library and/or university Web pages that meet Web
> accessibility guidelines (e.g., W3C's Web Accessibility Initiative).
> -- strategies for implementing accessible pages.
> -- technical approaches, templates, stylesheets, static versus dynamic
> pages, alternate views of pages, etc.
> -- data/stats on time invested in evaluating, retrofitting, redesigning
> pages.
>
> Stacey Kimmel-Smith
> Library and Technology Services
> Lehigh University
>
> _______________________________________________
> Web4lib mailing list
> Web4lib at webjunction.org
> http://lists.webjunction.org/web4lib/
>


--
Steven C. Perkins       SCPerkins at gmail.com
http://stevencperkins.com/
http://intelligent-internet.info/
http://jgg-online.blogspot.com/
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