Spring12T2 Web 2.0 Access Barriers

This article discusses the need for accessibility for the disabled when using internet resources, particularly government resources and forms. Since such ones may have disabilities and may be older and potentially less familiar with the internet, extra effort must be given to ensure their access. While modifications to meet these needs are important, I was struck by the responsibility to ensure human support to such ones.

This video is in a collection of four videos from City University London. This specific video is an interview with an accessibility expert at AbilityNet. She discusses common problems with individuals with disabilities, social networking and how they are excluded from social networking. All four videos are very interesting.

This video made me think about accessibility from a different perspective. Before, I always thought of accessiblity on the web as dealing with screen readers and maybe adaptive devices so a disabled person could use a keyboard. Not having acces to social networking is a new thought to me. As the lady said, the Ajax program (used by google apps) and facebook are not accessible to the disabled. If the most popular social networking site and google are not worried about accessibilty issues how will change come for the disabled. It seems that web design outpaces web accessibilty technology so the diabled will always be behind. Sad.

Like Laurie, this video made me think about accessibility from a different perspective. Before, I always thought of accessiblity on the web as dealing with screen readers and maybe adaptive devices so a disabled person could use a keyboard. Not having acces to social networking is a new thought to me. As the lady said, the Ajax program (used by google apps) and facebook are not accessible to the disabled. If the most popular social networking site and google are not worried about accessibilty issues how will change come for the disabled. It seems that web design outpaces web accessibilty technology so the diabled will always be behind. Sad.

I chose this site because it gives stories and scenarios on how people with different disabilities use the web. It gives the barriers they face, and most importantly, ways to make the web more accessible for each disability. Rather than just tell us "what" or "why", this site actually tells us "how".