[jaws-uk] Re: TROUBLE WITH WEIGHT WATCHERS' SITE

Hi Val,

You are welcome to use my comments.

If you manage to achieve any contact with the actual creator of the web 
site, you could point them in the direction of a couple of sites where they 
can get further information on making web sites more accessible.

http://www.w3c.org/wai/
is the site where the internationally recognised web accessibility standards 
can be found.

http://www.adobe.com/accessibility/
has some information on how to use flash in an accessible manner.

I am the ICT accessibility developer for Oxfordshire county council.  This 
is, essentially, an advisory role in that I rarely get the chance to write 
anything which the public will see but our web team is very open to making 
our site as accessible as possible given the restraints which are sometimes 
imposed upon us.  Occasionally, however, we hand work out to external 
developers and it is these who are the most difficult to reach with the 
accessibility message.  I find that it is better not to attack them 
breathing fire and brimstone but rather to take an educational approach. 
Once a web developer is shown a couple of examples of the difficulties which 
we suffer by the omission of simple things such as an alternative 
description on a graphic link, they soon realise that the adjustment isn't 
so impossible.

Many companies pay a great deal of cash to have their sites written for them 
and this may be the case with Weight watchers.  This makes the job of 
reaching the developer almost impossible and leads the company to think that 
it will cost them dear if they have to go back to the developer to ask for 
changes which they see no reason to implement.

I think that the constructive friendly approach works best when dealing with 
companies who don't necessarily know the technical details of their own 
site.

Regards,

Phil Medway

philmedway@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

tel: 01869 347639

mobile: 07980 519990

Skype: philmedway


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Val" <val17@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <jaws-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Wednesday, July 26, 2006 8:02 PM
Subject: [jaws-uk] Re: TROUBLE WITH WEIGHT WATCHERS' SITE


Hi Phil, thanks so much for your wonderful reply to my Weight Watchers site
query.  My daughter had an awful time with one of their 'Customer Service
Rep' (or that's what she called herself.  In the end because she wasn't
winning the round, the girl blamed the screen reader.  My daughter soon put
her right that JAWS worked perfectly with other sites but the girl just hung
up on her.  My Meeting Leader is now going to take the matter up with the UK
Programme Person so I'll forward your message to the Leader so she can pass
it on, if that's O.K.  Obviously I'll just cut and paste your message so no
names will be passed on.

Once again, thanks for trying and solving my problem - I don't feel so
stupid now.

Regards



Val.

-----Original Message-----
From: jaws-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:jaws-uk-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On
Behalf Of Phil Medway
Sent: 26 July 2006 12:56
To: jaws-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [jaws-uk] Re: TROUBLE WITH WEIGHT WATCHERS' SITE

Hi Val,

The site incorporates Flash.

Flash can be made accessible if written appropriately but in this case it is
pretty unworkable.

Since you have already tried the service desk, you might wish to contact the
web team at RNIB to see if they can apply some pressure.

Regards,

Phil Medway

philmedway@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

tel: 01869 347639

mobile: 07980 519990

Skype: philmedway


----- Original Message -----
From: "Val" <val17@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <jaws-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Tuesday, July 25, 2006 10:01 PM
Subject: [jaws-uk] TROUBLE WITH WEIGHT WATCHERS' SITE


Could someone try the Weight Watchers website for me.  The site I find is
not very VI, screen reader, friendly but the part I particularly want to
access and use properly is the area where points values are shown and a
daily Tracker log can be kept.

My daughter who is sighted and who is not stupid with computers has tried to
help me but even she finds it extremely difficult.  I have complained to WW
and have held the RNIB and Tesco up as sites particularly well designed for
VI' and screen readers, but, typically, the 'know it all from Customer
Services' would have none of it and concluded the conversation by saying
that it was obviously the fault of the screen reader (by her dismissive
attitude it was quite obvious that she had no idea what a screen reader did
nor wanted to).

I am using JAWS 7.10 and XP Home.

It was obvious from her patronising (typical Customer Services when they
don't understand the problem) attitude that she had had her cage rattled by
her Manager because, failing to get responses to two emails, I mentioned the
difficulty to my Meeting Leader.

I don't want to invoke the DDA but feel that I might have to to get some
action on this site so would appreciate any help anyone can give.  I am
quite willing to see sense if someone else can find the way to negotiate the
places I want to get to, but I have just given up.

Regards



Val.

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