it's blog...blog...it's big, it's heavy, it's wood...
The accessibility topic has really got my mind working. I have not only been thinking about Web Accessibility but reflecting on my dealings with it.
Accessibility slapped me in the face yesterday when I fell in front of my bowling class. My teacher was trying to tell me something and I couldn't hear so I went in closer and tripped over the edge of a wheelchair ramp. It was pretty embarrassing but no major harm done b/c the teacher caught me before I could fall down.
I was also thinking about when I was in junior high I was part of this group called Odyssey of the Mind (OM). Many of you probably had this group in you school but if not-it is basically a group of students who have a problem and they think of creative ways to solve it, then they put on a skit showing the problem and how to solve it (but you have a budget for props and other things) then you go to different competitions. In summation- a club for nerds who instead of sleeping in and watching cartoons on Sat mornings got up and solved problems (wow that made it sound like we were super heroes!!) Anywho...my group had the problem of making an everyday product accessible for someone with a handicap. Our group made a fictional character that lost both of her arms (actually it was pretty grotesque how she lost them- we made her lose them after she got them caught in a train door- what morbid children!) We made a toothbrush for her. It cracks me up now thinking of the ginormous, archaic invention we built. haha. Not to mention what the girl would have to do in order to brush her teeth. We decided she lost her arms at the elbows and we made this big thing wrap around both of her arms, then to brush she would have to frantically move both her arms at the same time.... not that accessible if you ask me... Our group made it down to the state competition and came in 6 th place out of 7 groups.... but 2 teams tied for first place...so really....
Now with that out of the way
I think that web accessibility is an important issue that is largely overlooked. I don't have an answer as to why most people ignore it but it should stop. Our group today discussed adding accessibility standards to other standards for the web WIU already has. I wonder why that topic was never addressed. It seems to be an important issue elsewhere on campus-classrooms, syllabuses, buildings etc. why not on the web too?
Accessibility slapped me in the face yesterday when I fell in front of my bowling class. My teacher was trying to tell me something and I couldn't hear so I went in closer and tripped over the edge of a wheelchair ramp. It was pretty embarrassing but no major harm done b/c the teacher caught me before I could fall down.
I was also thinking about when I was in junior high I was part of this group called Odyssey of the Mind (OM). Many of you probably had this group in you school but if not-it is basically a group of students who have a problem and they think of creative ways to solve it, then they put on a skit showing the problem and how to solve it (but you have a budget for props and other things) then you go to different competitions. In summation- a club for nerds who instead of sleeping in and watching cartoons on Sat mornings got up and solved problems (wow that made it sound like we were super heroes!!) Anywho...my group had the problem of making an everyday product accessible for someone with a handicap. Our group made a fictional character that lost both of her arms (actually it was pretty grotesque how she lost them- we made her lose them after she got them caught in a train door- what morbid children!) We made a toothbrush for her. It cracks me up now thinking of the ginormous, archaic invention we built. haha. Not to mention what the girl would have to do in order to brush her teeth. We decided she lost her arms at the elbows and we made this big thing wrap around both of her arms, then to brush she would have to frantically move both her arms at the same time.... not that accessible if you ask me... Our group made it down to the state competition and came in 6 th place out of 7 groups.... but 2 teams tied for first place...so really....
Now with that out of the way
I think that web accessibility is an important issue that is largely overlooked. I don't have an answer as to why most people ignore it but it should stop. Our group today discussed adding accessibility standards to other standards for the web WIU already has. I wonder why that topic was never addressed. It seems to be an important issue elsewhere on campus-classrooms, syllabuses, buildings etc. why not on the web too?
posted by Chelsea @ 11:53 AM
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