Note to screen reader users

The option to post comments on each post is accessible but somewhat confusing in first time use. Activating the "# comments" link will get you to a text box to leave your comment. After the comment box you'll navigate to the Choose an identity section. If you don't have a blogger account your can use the radio button to select "Other" or "Anonymous". You'll still have to navigate past the fields used when you login or use the "other" option which asks for your name and your web page. Finally you'll get to the bottom of the page and have the option for publishing your comment.

Feel free to play with the comment section and I'll periodically delete any test posts.

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Structure is Guidance part II

One of the problems I see with the Electronic and Information Technology Accessibility Standards (Section 508) is how they are presented to the reader and the inherent priority presented the reader. Consider the current Access Board web page (http://www.access-board.gov/sec508/standards.htm) offers the following view:

Subpart A -- General
Subpart B -- Technical Standards
Subpart C -- Functional Performance Criteria
Subpart D -- Information, Documentation, and Support
Related Document: Preamble (published discussion of the standards).

The problem with this is that we start off talking about general exceptions, go into technical standards, eventually move into the purpose or functions the technical standards should perform, specify our administrative requirements for documentation, and then finally end with a discussion of the standards.
A new approach:

To help readers understand and hopefully make it easier to interpret and implement the accessibility standards, I suggest a change. Note that I've left the current subpart references (I didn't relabel them in order of A, B, C, D, as would be needed). I suggest the following order is more appropriate to interpreting the standards:

Subpart A – General
1194.1 Purpose.
1194.2 Application.
1194.4 Definitions.
1194.5 Equivalent facilitation.

Subpart C -- Functional Performance Criteria
1194.31 Functional performance criteria.

Subpart B -- Technical Standards
(the various technical standards here; note I also suggest changes to the organization of the technical standards so won't expound upon them here).

Subpart D -- Information, Documentation, and Support
Related Document: Preamble (published discussion of the standards).

Subpart E – General Requirements
1194.3 General exceptions.
119X.X Contract language.

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