Toto, I’ve a feeling we’re not in Kansas anymore.
So, you say you don’t have any blind or deaf users. Or at least you don’t have enough to justify the cost of making your web site accessible. Well, let me tell you, you have an incredibly important blind user. Millions of people consult with this blind user every day, asking for his opinion and seeking his advice. This blind user’s name is…
When life is difficult and seems incredibly unfair, it is so easy to slip into a funk. But moping about doesn’t do a damn bit of good. I’d rather use my energy in positive ways. I want to see barriers as opportunities and challenges. Thank goodness I have friends who hug [...]
My university has decided to close the UT Accessibility Institute effective today. I have voiced my concern directly to the decision makers and provided data and context to explain why I believe it is critical to continue funding for academic research on accessibility at UT.
If you share my concern, I encourage you to sign the petition to Save the Accessibility Institute.
...continue reading Save the Accessibility Institute - Sign the Petition
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The National Federation of the Blind (NFB) and Target made accessibility history today when they announced a $6 million class action settlement. The lawsuit originated when the NFB sued Target alleging that target.com is not accessible to people with disabilities using screen-readers. Highlights of the settlement include
I encourage y’all to head over to A List Apart and participate in their 2nd Annual Survey for People Who Make Websites. Help ALA collect data that will allow them to draw the picture of the ways web design is practiced around the globe. And even better, by making this kind of data available we could have a positive effect on best practices and employment, and even enhance public understanding of, and respect for, our profession.
Who should take the survey? Designers, developers, information architects, project managers, writers, editors, marketers and everyone else who makes websites.
...continue reading The Survey for People Who Make Websites 2008
With all my heart, I want to see the web reach it’s full potential. To do that, I think we must stop wasting our time coding for different browsers and focus on developing with web standards. Yes, yes, that means that the browser vendors have to play by the same rules. Good news is, IE8 is coming out soon with the best standards mode ever released in a Microsoft Browser. I do believe that MS has seen the light!
So, while it may seem surreal that we no longer have to beg browser vendors to care about web standards…this opens up a whole new arena for web standards adoption. The arena is education. Have you dropped into your local high school or college web class to see what is being taught there? Is their curriculum up to date? Or (shudder) is it the same curriculum that the instructor has been using for 10 years?
Wouldn’t it be wonderful if the web community worked together to build a Web Standards Curriculum that was up to date? Well, close your eyes, make a wish and then head over to the Opera Web Standards Curriculum. And realize that this is only the beginning!
...continue reading Web Standards Curriculum: Coding in Harmony
I love the smell of a new version of a standards compliant browser freshly installed on my laptop. (inhale, sigh). Care to join me? Head on over to Spread Firefox.
And I’m curious, what is your browser of choice these days?
What is the best way to learn about social media?
Face-to-face!
Can’t I just read a book and hang out on Twitter and Facebook and figure out how to use social media to promote my business?
Sure, but if you really want to dive deep, step back from your keyboard and come out and play/learn at BizJam08 Seattle July 9-10.
