a question about deaf/hoh people with secondary disabilities

From what I understand, web designers are required to follow W3 (also called W3CAG) guidelines in order to make their websites accessible to the deaf, blind, visually impaired and physically disabled.

For more information about W3 and web accessibility visit:

About W3C

Web accessibility FAQ, accessible website design guidelines, W3C WCAG, UK

On this website:

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - home page

you'll notice the quote:

"WAI develops...
guidelines widely regarded as the international standard for Web accessibility"

Unfortunately, since the Internet is a free-for-all, it's difficult if not impossible to require web designers to make their websites accessible. The best we can do at this point is to educate them about the needs of disabled computer users and hope they decide to follow W3 guidelines.
 
Looks like we're turning this "deaf/HOH with secondary disabilities" thread into a topic about PDF and making web accessible for everyone. But if I may mention something...

There are web developers who are unaware of XHTML 1.0/1.1 for writing well-forned code when it comes to creating a website. Plus, it's also important to seperate formatting elements away from business logic. Imagine using h1 (header 1) for changing text size instead of CSS's (cascading style sheets) text-size element -- that's bad practice. For braille displays, you'd see that as h1 or h2 depending on how they use different headers when they use it as changing font size instead of using it for splitting it into different sections just to keep track of where you are at. But not all of them will put CSS into use properly.

Anyway, I'll end here.
 
GraysonPeddie said:
Looks like we're turning this "deaf/HOH with secondary disabilities" thread into a topic about PDF and making web accessible for everyone. But if I may mention something...

There are web developers who are unaware of XHTML 1.0/1.1 for writing well-forned code when it comes to creating a website. Plus, it's also important to seperate formatting elements away from business logic. Imagine using h1 (header 1) for changing text size instead of CSS's (cascading style sheets) text-size element -- that's bad practice. For braille displays, you'd see that as h1 or h2 depending on how they use different headers when they use it as changing font size instead of using it for splitting it into different sections just to keep track of where you are at. But not all of them will put CSS into use properly.
Anyway, I'll end here.
Click to expand...

That's what makes using a Braille display so difficult -- you can't easily distinguish between the content of one website vs. another because there is no standard practice. And then there is the issue of hidden links and graphics...

Furthermore, not all of us can afford the latest screen reader technology which means many of us are using outdated software that is 2-3 years behind the mainstream.

Anyways, that's all I'm going to say on the matter since this is way off-topic. :)

Sorry for diverting the thread...
 
deafdyke said:
pek, its not just Bible colleges that are crappy about providing services. Its also regular colleges as well! The gross majority of colleges out there really have no idear how to serve us.......grrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr
Click to expand...

Yes, I know. Employers do it, too. Everyone checks ADA to see if it's required, lest they get sued.

You know, deafdyke, this is one of many reasons that I am going to go to law school. I think, and I'm sure and the others here will agree, after nearly 18 years after passage, "education" as rjr suggests, has gotten old. It's time now to comply or get sued. No more playing around. Time is up! :rl:
 
I have few friends who has cp and hearing impaired, they are doing great. Not too long ago my husband tole me about this woman who is deaf and has severly cp. She lives in home for severly disabled and she has no friends or life. I should make an effort to go and visit her.
 
Dixie said:
EEK!! wait wait hold on - you misread me and misquoted me.

A former classmate of mine has an IQ that can easily get him in Mensa (club for geeks), and during his undergraduate years at AR Tech Univ he was a buisness and finance major with the prospect of one day running his dads buisness. Well when he was a senior - he married a woman who is quite religious and actually this same woman used to be my best friend until we had our own falling out. Right after he graduated from ATU - he got it in his head that he was being led by god to be a minister. So he and his wife packed his bags and moved to Dallas where he got his graduate degree in Theology and ministry, then after he graduates there he decides to enter in the to Doctoral of Theology program which is another 4 years of hardcore Bible thumping and dissecting. Whats going to happen is this - he's going to be a Theological Doctorate with an emphasis on ministry - he's gonna be preachin' at the big churches. Not bad but he's going to have to start at the smaller backwoods churches before he can get his foot planted at larger ministries. Plus there is always the possibility he could become a Professor of Theology as well. This kid is unbelieveably intelligent with an odd sense of humor.
Click to expand...

Dixie,

I reread what you wrote and I thought you were the one going or have gone to Bible college. My bad and apologize for the misunderstanding. I didn't see this comment by you until tonight, so please don't think I was shunning you. Thanks for the clarification!!
 
dreama said:
Oh I know that.

However before I went online I used to feel very isolated. I don't feel like this any more and I'm so much better informed then I used to be. Who cares about those unaccessable sites. As long as I can access things I want to with Zoomtext (and maybe one day with a braille display if I ever need one) then that is good enough for me.
Click to expand...

As a deafblind person, you -should- care. If you think you've seen inaccessible content using zoomtext, it's about 200 times worst using braille. If one day, God forbid, you did need it- you'd want to be able to visit the same websites you always have.
 
I was born with minor cerebral palsy (CP) but it was corrected.

However, I wasn't born deaf.

There were a lot of students at the residence deaf school in Tennessee where I attended as a day stiudent had disabilities.
 
Aleser said:
As a deafblind person, you -should- care. If you think you've seen inaccessible content using zoomtext, it's about 200 times worst using braille. If one day, God forbid, you did need it- you'd want to be able to visit the same websites you always have.
Click to expand...

I didn't mean it like that. Of course I think more sites should be accessable. What I meant was that I don't think that lack of accessability should put people off going online.
 
pek1 said:
Dixie,

I reread what you wrote and I thought you were the one going or have gone to Bible college. My bad and apologize for the misunderstanding. I didn't see this comment by you until tonight, so please don't think I was shunning you. Thanks for the clarification!!
Click to expand...

No offense taken mate,

Ive never been to a religious based college - but given the fact that private church based colleges tend to be smaller and receive very few public grants, funds compared to state colleges, some of these colleges do good just to meet the needs of their 'normal' students, let alone finding the money to accomodate a deaf/hoh/blind or otherwise handicapped student properly. But I do agree - ALL colleges and universities should set aside a certain percentage of their over all funds towards proper accomodations for students who require them.

With me returning to school hopefully in the fall - I will ask for whatever accomodation that I will find actually helpful and not just a feel good measurement given by the school.

As for secondary disabilities - does anyone here have seizures or other brain disorders that may or may not be related to their hearing (or the lack of it should I say?).
 
Hear Again said:
From what I understand, web designers are required to follow W3 (also called W3CAG) guidelines in order to make their websites accessible to the deaf, blind, visually impaired and physically disabled.

For more information about W3 and web accessibility visit:

About W3C

Web accessibility FAQ, accessible website design guidelines, W3C WCAG, UK

On this website:

Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) - home page

you'll notice the quote:

"WAI develops...
guidelines widely regarded as the international standard for Web accessibility"

Unfortunately, since the Internet is a free-for-all, it's difficult if not impossible to require web designers to make their websites accessible. The best we can do at this point is to educate them about the needs of disabled computer users and hope they decide to follow W3 guidelines.
Click to expand...

Wow! I didn't know aboutthose guidelines! Thanks!:ty:
 
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