[access-uk] Facebook - how to make it more accessible
- From: "Damon" <damon.rose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Wed, 27 Jun 2007 04:24:22 +0100
Hi!
Bit of progress here.
I was banging on about facebook.com the other week. It's the big social
networking site that everyone is talking and writing about. It's good in order
to network, keep in touch with friends and business acquaintances. You can also
find like-minded people there and all sorts. It seems that if you're not on
facebook, you're not a proper human being if you are to believe The Guardian.
The main barrier to using it is the verification graphic that you need to copy
into a box at registration. Once beyond this point, you can use many of the
features but some features have a further verification graphic that you need to
get past in order to be able to add contacts, do email etc.
I can now report, however, that after an email to the support team, they have
taken away verification graphics for my account. What this now means is that I
can use all of facebook's services. But at this stage it still means you need
to be able to read verification graphics at the point of registration. Luckily
though it's a once only thing now and they are working on an audio captcha
idea.
In order to get the graphics removed, go to the bottom of the page, click on
help and find the help section about problems with registration. Get past all
the FAQ stuff, you're looking for a form to fill in and send to the team.
Within about 24 hours your internal verification graphics will be gone for good.
I've started a really informal chat with one of the people there who is
enthusiastic about accessibility too. She tells me she is now in contact with a
few jaws users and they are really keen to move their product on.
They have recently made their Gift Shop accessible. It works well.
Go and give it a go. I urge you. Since being on facebook I have collected up
around 21 friends and almost on a daily basis I am getting people who know me
or have known me suddnly seeing I'm there and adding me to their friends list.
I realise that talking about it in the abstract is just that, rather abstract,
so go and give it a go. It would be awesome to create a blind network on there.
And then offshoots can come out of, or feed into, that network and it could be
really positive and interesting.
And we can also help them hone the look and feel of their page, which isn't too
bad usability wise, but the point is they are listening and keen to improve.
Great news from a site with real egalitarian ambition.
...Damon
damon.rose@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
skype: damonrose
London, England.
Other related posts:
