[Chapter-delegates] on the importance of accessibility was: Map of Chapters

[Dan Graham]

Hi all,

Accessibility is a top priority for us. We ran two audits last year and are now in the process of implementing changes to the site. I'll be able to provide Chapters and staff with a plan that outlines the key milestones and timing by the end of February. 

Best regards,

Dan



On Feb 15, 2013, at 1:13 PM, Narelle Clark wrote:

> Hi Klaus
> 
> believe me, I understand the need for accessibility of our web site.
> 
> Indeed I ran a checker over www.isoc.org a month or so ago, and it showed
> quite a few issues. Missing alt tags, urls with 'click here' rather than
> something informative... I used a demo version of http://www.accessiq.org/
> but I haven't got the report back from them unfortunately.
> 
> It does add some extra time to make a site accessible, but it pays off!
> 
> I believe we can put this as a policy directive from the board - it is a
> strategic issue.
> 
> The next board meeting is on April 11. I'll get it onto the agenda.
> 
> 
> Regards
> 
> 
> Narelle
> 
> 
> -- 
> 
> 
> Narelle Clark
> President
> Internet Society of Australia
> ph: 0412 297 043
> int ph: +61 412 297 043
> president at isoc-au.org.au
> www.isoc-au.org.au
> 
> On Fri, February 15, 2013 10:50 pm, Klaus Birkenbihl wrote:
>> Narelle,
>> 
>> I'm copying a few people from staff with whom I discussed the issue
>> before. I think the problem deserves much more attention from the
>> organization. It is pending now for more than a year and there is
>> not much hope of improvement without an escalation. So if you and
>> Rudi please could bring it to the attention of the board? Topic
>> is accessibility of ISOC's Web page - here illustrated at the example
>> of http://www.internetsociety.org/find-chapter.
>> 
>> Narelle Clark wrote on 2013-02-15 03:58:
>>> My memory of this is that the map was thought to be the most attractive
>>> way of showing the strength of our chapters - the number and spread
>>> across
>>> the world.
>> 
>> Nothing against a map. But it should be implemented *accessible*. ISOC
>> tries to educate the world on the importance of accessibility while
>> obviously not providing it when it comes to its own side. E.g. we are
>> hiding the information on this page completely from blind people!
>> 39 Million in the world don't get any information from this page:
>> We give them  æ— , nothing, rien, ничего, nada! Not a single name!
>> This is probably not "the most attractive way of showing the strength
>> of our chapters". (Other ISOC pages hide part of their content.)
>> 
>> Nearly nothing happened for more than a year now. The "find a
>> chapter" page was updated btw. Shininess improved (tons of code,
>> playing with fancy technologies, open layers, jquery extensions,
>> ... you name it). But no progress wrt accessibility. It would be
>> so easy to make the information accessible. You simply would have
>> to provide a text version. Every student could do it. Shiny+accessible
>> might require a bit more effort and knowledge depending on
>> what you'd like to have - but a reasonable design will never
>> conflict with accessibility.
>> 
>> Which leads to the question "why?". From many discussions with Dan
>> Graham about this I learned: "we would like to increase accessibility
>> but the agency ..." , "we have a new agency now which will care ...",
>> ...
>> 
>> A quote from
>> 
>> http://www.internetsociety.org/doc/internet-accessibility-internet-use-persons-disabilities-moving-forward:
>> "This paper offers policymakers guidance on both why and how to
>> increase use of the Internet by persons with disabilities." Do
>> we read what we write? Did ISOC provide the info to their Web
>> agency? Is it part of the contract?
>> 
>> Call it "lip prayers", "preaching water and drinking wine" ... at
>> the bottom line it affects our credibility. (You might remember
>> that we had the credibility discussion also in the context of
>> bylaws.)
>> 
>> I'm boring you? I said it before? There are more important (urgent,
>> promising ...) topics on the agenda?
>> 
>> Did anybody notice that our Website advertises 3 "Internet
>> Issues Spotlights"? One of them "Online Accessibility". Are we
>> rather part of the problem than part of the solution?
>> 
>> ISOC being financially healthy is in a good position to promote
>> the message of an Internet for all. ISOC gets attention when it
>> speaks-up on an issue. But -beside money and human resources-
>> credibility is one of our most important assets. So we should
>> take care to maintain it. A very basic thing like providing an
>> accessible Website is (also according to our own teaching the
>> world) important, easy to do and affordable. It is not a matter
>> of money, or resources. It is matter of priorities, management
>> attention and the way of thinking.
>> 
>> Best, Klaus
>> 
>> --
>> Klaus Birkenbihl
>> Treasurer and Board member
>> Internet Society German Chapter e.V. (ISOC.DE)
>> c/o ict-Media GmbH
>> http://www.isoc.de/
> 
> 
> 

Dan Graham
Internet Society

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