[Chapter-delegates] Once again: accessibility and ISOC's website [was: Happy new year!]

Sun Jan 11 16:22:08 PST 2015

Thank you, Kathy for your positive response. The Australian Chapter 
joins with the Disability and Special Needs Chapter in welcoming this 
interaction and offering assistance.

It's good to hear that Lia Kiessling will be the main point of contact. 
I had some good discussions with Lia a few years ago about making 
disability awareness videos. Maybe ISOC can develop some videos relevant 
for different regions?

As we know, Internet accessibility goes beyond web accessibility. ISOC 
may also wish to consider setting up an Accessibility Action Plan with 
key focus areas, responsibilities and timeframes.

Accessibility for people with disability has become a mainstream issue 
with companies such as Google 
(http://www.google.com/accessibility/index.html), Apple 
(http://www.apple.com/accessibility/resources/) and Microsoft 
(http://www.microsoft.com/enable/) to just name three that have 
dedicated resources on accessibility with most of them embedding 
accessibility into their products to a greater or lesser extent. There's 
still a way to go though.

The UK-based Business Technology Taskforce also provides resources for 
business on accessibility: http://technologytaskforce.org/  Companies 
such as Cisco are members. There is an Accessibility Maturity Model for 
use as a self-assessment tool designed for business but it could also be 
a useful indicator for ISOC as well.

Thanks to Christian for highlighting the annual eAccess conference in 
the UK.

Another excellent conference close to one of ISOC's head offices is 
mEnabling held annually in Washington DC: http://www.m-enabling.com/ 
This year it's on 1-2 June.
I suggested a few years that an ISOC staff member participate in this 
but unfortunately the timing wasn't right. Maybe this year...

There is plenty of information and guidance out there. Now it's a matter 
of harnessing it in a way that will be suitable for ISOC moving forwards 
on the Internet is for Everyone.

I remain hopeful...

Gunela
Director, Internet Society of Australia

Christian de Larrinaga said the following on 10/01/15 02:52 :
> ditto -- Kathy's response is a welcome breath of fresh air.
>
> It may be worth pointing out that everybody has a challenge with
> accessibility. Even with the best will in the world and tons of
> experience it takes thought,effort and keeping all the many dependencies
> in a row.
>
> A long time supporter of open web Dan Jellinek of Headstar
> coincidentally wrote to me today about another of his eAccess events
> coming up in February.
>
> " Are you excluding disabled people from websites, apps and other
> digital services?
>
> Could you improve your accessibility and usability?
>
> eAccess 15: UK’s top event on access to digital services by disabled people
>
> 24 February, Government Conference Centre, Westminster
> www.eaccess-event.com
>
> In the digital age all public, private and third sector bodies must
> ensure their websites, apps and other digital services are accessible to
> disabled and older people for cost, efficiency, ethical and legal
> reasons. eAccess 15 is the UK’s leading event on this topic.
>
> If there are any UK based contractors to ISOC web services this might be
> a useful and timely resource.
>
> best
>
>
> Christian
>
> Klaus Birkenbihl wrote:
>> Kathy,
>>
>> thanks for your answer and for providing me with a surprise, and
>> apologies for the sarcasm in my mail - which I know is annoying but
>> also expresses frustration and annoyance over endless, fruitless
>> discussions. The surprise is: as reply to a concrete complain about an
>> issue the issue was addressed and a concrete action was taken
>> immediately - instead of the usual "we have big plans that will solve
>> everything. Go away with your tiny issue, come back next year."
>> (Plans, that cost time and money - and mostly produced more issues
>> than solved.)
>>
>> So I'm inclined share Gunela's hope for improvements. We have these
>> technologies developed and standardized by IETF and W3C, there are the
>> tools that the community developed on base of these standards for
>> supporting communication and work on the net. While the world picks
>> them up, we should not be shy and also make best use of them. Would be
>> better than installing expensive products that violate the standards
>> and hardly do the job.
>>
>> Thanks for triggering the change,
>> Klaus
>>
>> .
>> Kathy Brown schrieb am 09.01.2015 um 13:00:
>>> Klaus and all,
>>>
>>> We did, indeed, pick up your message --I meant to reply yesterday but the day got away from me. We take time, though, to talk through your very helpful intervention and to make some immediate improvements as per your recommendations.
>>>
>>> As you rightly point out, we need to bake accessibility into our design and initial planning for all communication. I agree that it is a quality issue. It is also a "principle" issue. If we say that the Internet is for everyone, we better mean everyone.
>>>
>>> We are about to begin an upgrade for the ISOC site. Now is the time to set the design and quality standards for all aspects of our communications. The BY THE NUMBERs piece was an attempt to make data alive--something I think that is very important. Help us think through and perfect how to make these type of design experiments work for everyone.
>>>
>>> Lia Kiessling will be point on this for Staff. Expert input is key to the process so I asked her to reach out to you. There's also the Disability and Special Needs Chapter that both you and Lia can coordinate with.  I believe you have Lia's Skype details so I'll leave it with the two of you to start this needed process.
>>>
>>> Thank you, again, for your quick, thorough and helpful contribution. We all, together, need to continue to build the Internet and the Internet Society for everyone.
>>> Kathy Brown
>>>
>>
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-- 
Gunela Astbrink
GSA InfoComm
PO Box 600
Ballina NSW 2478
Australia
Mobile: +61 417 715738
Email: g.astbrink at gsa.com.au
www.gsa.com.au