And, at the risk of repeating myself, 508 was wrong to diagress from W3C's consensus standards in this regard. Now, we pay the price for this error. I know that several organizations strongly adivsed the Access Board not to diverge and fragment accessibility standards--but they didn't listen. Perhaps they may next time around. On Mon, 15 Jul 2002, David Poehlman wrote: > see, this is the problem with usps specifically, they are aiming at 508 > which in its letter does not aim high enough. I agree with you. > accessibility actually means good design which means that it can be used > by all. If It can be made usable with lynx, it should be not because it > is usable with lynx but because there are all sorts of platforms that > would benefit by a lynx capable site. Remember, it is the technology > including web sites that are disabled, not us. > > ----- Original Message ----- > From: <ddunfee@city-net.com> > To: "Darrell Shandrow" <nu7i@azboss.net> > Cc: <blinux-list@redhat.com> > Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 8:14 AM > Subject: USPS and web browsers. > > > This argument reminds me of wheelchair users. There are now chairs > which > can climb stairs and are very expensive. Should access advocates now > say > that ramps etc. are no longer required because such chairs are > available? > Should a public service say to just upgrade your chair and we no longer > should be required to provide access? Are non-climbing chairs obselete > and > the prblem is just with the choice of the user, regardless of price and > many other variables? Web sites need to be held to the same level of > access > as do chair users for the access to services. > > Someone thus scribed: > > >Hi Cheryl, > > > >I'll check this one out shortly, but I do not believe good web site > >accessibility absolutely requires that the site work with Lynx. The > Lynx > >browser is quite obsolete in comparison to current technology... If > the > >site uses Java Script, and Lynx can't do Java Script, then that's not > >necessarily an accessibility issue if a Java Script capable browser > with a > >screen reader can successfully render an accessible result. > > > >We must be careful here; what constitutes accessibility? > > > >Thanks. > > > >At 07:18 PM 7/12/2002 -0500, you wrote: > > > >>Hi everybody. > >>ray morgan, the 508 coordinator for the US postal Service, has been > >>corresponding with me re: the inaccessibility of the www.usps.com > site. I had > >>pointed out to him that when using lynx one gets a message about > enabling > >>javascript, and when using links-2.0 and above it is impossible to > check out > >>once you have placed something in your cart. He has been diligently > keeping me > >>posted regarding progress on the site. > >>Today he wrote and said that i should be able to purchase and check > out > >>now, but > >>he also indicated that javascript support is still needed. He also > indicated > >>that testers found the site works with jaws, though he said some more > work > >>needs > >>to be done. > >>I worte him back and thanked him for all his effort and diligence in > informing > >>me, but also reminded him that usability with jaws and accessibility > are not > >>necessarily the same thing. I pointed out that not everybody wants to > use Jaws > >>and that not everybody who even wants to do so can afford it. I told > him I > >>would > >>let him know what happened when I tried to use the site again. > >>Unfortunately, when I went to the site and again tried to buy stamps, > nothing > >>had changed for me. with links-2.1pre2 I was unable to go through > checkout and > >>with lynx I of course got the same old messages about enabling > javascript. > >>I wrote to ray and told him that i would post on this list and see if > somebdy > >>with more technical knowledge than I possess would like to try to help > track > >>down the problem. If anybody is interested in trying to help with > this, > >>Ray Morgan's email address is > >>RMORGAN1@email.usps.gov > >> > >>I think he really genuinely is trying to work on this problem. > >>Thanks. > >> > >>Cheryl > >> > >> > >> > >> > >> > >>_______________________________________________ > >> > >>Blinux-list@redhat.com > >>https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > >> > >> > >>--- > >>Incoming mail is certified Virus Free. > >>Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). > >>Version: 6.0.373 / Virus Database: 208 - Release Date: 7/1/2002 > > > >Best regards, > >Darrell Shandrow > >Access technology consulting / network and UNIX systems > administration. > >CompTIA A+ Certified Service Technician! > > > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Blinux-list@redhat.com > https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > > > > _______________________________________________ > > Blinux-list@redhat.com > https://listman.redhat.com/mailman/listinfo/blinux-list > -- Janina Sajka, Director Technology Research and Development Governmental Relations Group American Foundation for the Blind (AFB) Email: janina@afb.net Phone: (202) 408-8175 Chair, Accessibility SIG Open Electronic Book Forum (OEBF) http://www.openebook.org