(from the accessibility_sig mailing list)

As part of a TCDD funded project called AccessWorks, Knowbility has been able to hire interns with disabilities to perform web site accessibility assessment, to research employment and disability related topics on the web, and to blog about their experiences. While our interns have found a great deal of documentation out there about barriers to accessing information online, much less is available about how people with disabilities are producing content and successfully posting to the web. Expect to hear from them about that and other related topics.
Check it out at www.universallydesigned.net

One excerpt, posted by Desiree: “This is my first experience with blogging, although I have read lots of other people’s stuff. I am totally blind, using jaws and have experienced a few slight barriers. First off, I hope I am putting this text in the correct area, because jaws doesn’t tell me much about where I am. I also found that when viewing posts, I have to scroll past all of the top text to see the post’s content.”

Graduation is scheduled for May 11, 2008.. now I just have to complete my capstone project and I’ll be the proud holder of a Masters of Computer Science degree.

Up until last trimester, the capstone was like a thesis: the student selected a topic, found an advisor and did self-directed study. They recently changed the format to a more traditional class with an instructor and weekly assignments. I was fortunate enough to be allowed to be grandfathered into the old format.

I’m excited about this because it will afford me the opportunity to do some really indepth research into a topic of my choosing. The challenge? The selection of a topic! From what I understand, this was part of the rationale for the format change: students were having trouble finding a topic. My problem is the opposite: there are several topics I would want to write on!

I’ve mentioned in this blog for quite a while that I wanted to write my capstone on “usability-supporting architectural patterns”. I then started thinking about Accessibility in RIAs. I briefly considered doing some research on the Adobe AIR platform, which would have likely meant porting some existing web applications over to the platform to access their differences. Now, however, the term has started and Accessibility/RIAs it is!

The program chair will be overseeing my work, and while I have the general topic in mind, I’m not entirely sure yet what direction it will go in. I fear 12 weeks will simply not be enough to really touch on everything I want to look into. I suppose this is why academics work in the same field for years and years — one can’t really hope to condense everything into a matter of weeks (or a single document).

Some of my thoughts to incorporate into the scope of the project include:
– definitions of: WCAG, Section 508, ADA, RIA, AJAX
– if/how the guidelines apply to non-traditional web apps
– how to make RIAs accessible
– overview of existing testing tools for web accessibility
– ROI/rationale for caring about accessibility

Possibly: how SEO/Accessibility complement/contrast with each other

When I attended Access U last Spring, one of my key interests was in how to sell accessibility to an organization, and who was responsible for it. At the time, the development team I was working on was well informed in best practices wrt accessibility and compliance testing. However, now that I’ve started to fall into a realm of more rich interactive online experiences, there seems to less knowledge of what it means to be accessible, and in fact, the extent to which it is even possible. Obviously I want to sell it to my organization, but I first need to become informed myself as to what that means.

My long term organizational goal would be to sell accessibility to my company, so my capstone will help me to clarify what accessibility means in this new interactive online space. Once we know the “what” and “where” (and hopefully the “how”), we can identify the “who” (and the “how much”)?

The webmaster of Knowbility asked me if I would be interested in submitting a short article on Access U for the Knowbility newsletter. This is what I just sent off…

I stumbled upon Access U and Knowbility in early 2007 when searching online for accessibility training or conferences. Being from Ohio, I had never heard of the organization before, but the breadth of the courses (from coding best practices to advice on how to effect organizational change) really impressed me. I signed up, and the biggest challenge was narrowing down which sessions I would attend! In the end, I selected

• Enterprise Accessibility Compliance Concepts
• How we Use the Web
• Accessible Forms
• Accessibility- What NOT to do.
• Designing for Accessibility: Beauty Secrets of the CSS Masters
• Moving Large Organizations Towards Accessibility and Standards
• Testing for Web Accessibility

As the time towards the conference drew nearer, I got increasingly excited, particularly with the communication from Teenya Franklin. Even before I set foot on the St. Edwards campus, I felt like I was ‘part’ of the conference. This feeling of community and shared knowledge and passion for the field continued through the next several days. The information I gained from the sessions themselves was equally as important to me as the opportunity to meet some real experts and advocates in the field of accessibility. It was wonderful to ask their thoughts on specific issues that had been plaguing me, and I am thankful I made those connections, as I have continued to engage with them since returning home.

My only regret? That as an Ohio resident, I may never have the opportunity to again attend Access U and participate in what was so engaging and enjoyable an experience. But I suppose that is just one more reason why it is so important to develop an accessible online environment - to continue to foster such community!

After the conference several of us descended on a local establishment for beer and conversation. I’ll admit, several of the folks were talking up South by Southwest pretty well! It was a really great chat: Jim Thatcher mentioned his connection with Sarah Swierenga (who used to work where I do, and with whom I’ve been talking with over the past few months). Pat Ramsey (who I’d chatted with at lunch) was talking about his thoughts on how to unite a room full of geeks at a conference, isolated at their individual laptops at a conference about social networking. Debbie (Who Glenda had asked at lunch about me) and I had a great talk about livejournal versus other blogging sites.

Glenda was talking about South by Southwest, and how the real meat of the conference took place at the pub, not in the sessions. It’s really so true. I felt so fortunate to sit and BS with all these folks at the end of it all. I didn’t have any formal data, but my sense is that most of the folks around the table were the presenters at this event, and I loved sitting with them and shooting the shit.

As I have told the organizers of Access U at any chance I got, I am very glad I attended. Yes, some sessions did not exactly meet my specific needs, and I hope I did not offend with any of the comments I have posted in this blog regarding the sessions. One of the biggest benefits was the sense of community. While I was a bit of a bird of another color at the conference being from a corporate environment, I loved being immersed in the environment. It is one thing to read online resources about accessibility and another to speak with others working on the same issues you are. I am fortunate enough working in a team environment at work, but as I was telling Kathy Keller, often I feel like my mass emails on accessibility tips and tricks go unread. It was wonderful to bask in the shared geekiness and enthusiasm for the area.

The one drawback of attending Access U is the distance from the majority of the participants. While many of them have participated in past years and will continue to participate in the future, I can’t say that I will be back to participate again. At least I will be able to continue to communicate with the folks I have met virtually… once again showcasing the power of the web and the need for universal access!

Notes here: http://www.afhill.com/blog/testing-for-web-accessibility-access-u/

This session has been great; it refers to the 8 steps to introducing accessibility to your organization, but it really focusses on how to introduce it from a QA perspective. I think that’s a good way to rationalize the costs..

Notes here: http://www.afhill.com/blog/moving-large-organizations-towards-accessibility-and-standards-access-u/

Edit: I heard later (at the end of the conference) that one of the presenters told the organizers “the girl from Ohio said our session was worth her entire registration!” This is indeed true. Thanks!

This session was held by Marla Erwin, who was one of the co-presenters of the accessible forms session yesterday.

Notes here: http://www.afhill.com/blog/designing-for-accessibility-beauty-secrets-of-the-css-masters-access-u/

I wasn’t sure how excited I was about this session, but it was actually pretty good! She showed examples, how trends were changing, and was open to discussion.
Notes here: http://www.afhill.com/blog/accessibility-what-not-to-do-access-u/