HI George,
In part because there's so little momentum around this sort of thing and it's
going to be an uphill struggle to generate it. A training day on the topic is a
good idea if you can find enough people to deliver the training at the scale
that would be required, but even then people are creatures of habit and I
suspect lots of teachers only attend training days out of obligation and don't
take in what is being taught.
We also need to target the rest of the world, as the argument against them will
be that pupils don't need to know about headings because, in the real world, no
one uses them.
Templates are not hard to create, but nonetheless it is something that doesn't
sit comfortably in our short attention span culture, which is why I think
Microsoft needs to take its fair share of responsibility. As I say, at the
moment, sighted colleagues listen to me when I tell them they can produce a
heading in one click rather than five. Some of them even give it a go. But when
they don't look aesthetically pleasing, they go back to their old methods. If I
was to suggest that they take the time to create a template, and then remember
to use that template every time, it would be seen as too much work which only
benefits less than 1% of people, and I'm paid to deal with that less than 1% so
I should just get on with my job and stop moaning.
Maybe I should create a Word template for school and get the technician to put
it up in place of the default "normal" template. But if every school is having
to do something like this, I think it demonstrates that the "normal" template
is currently not fit for purpose.
Honestly, I think so few people know about headings at this juncture that
Microsoft could make an enormous difference by simply reworking the "normal"
template and, once it's released, blitzing the internet with Youtube videos
about how Word makes professional documents even easier to create than ever
before.
Matthew
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx [mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of ;
George Bell
Sent: 26 November 2018 11:29
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [access-uk] Re: braille labels
Hi Matthew,
I am 100% behind you here. Why does our education system nationally, not
include structured documentation and the proper use of software such as Word?
Changing Styles such as Headings in Word is not exactly rocket science, nor is
creating a Word Template, or Templates plural, to include all the modifications
a school or company wishes or requires.
At the end of the day, what are “Teacher Training Days” for, and what is wrong
with teaching teachers how to save time? (Bear in mind I have a daughter who
is head of English in a local school, so I have heard most of the rubbish
excuses!!)
George
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> On Behalf Of Matthew
Horspool
Sent: 26 November 2018 10:45
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [access-uk] Re: braille labels
Hi,
I think the answer is multi-facited. In the first instance we need to keep
educating people about the benefits of properly structured documents. These go
beyond accessibility – an automatically generated table of contents, for
example, is another significant one.
However, one of the biggest complaints I hear from sighted people when I try to
encourage them to use Word headings is that they look aweful! Admittedly, these
tend to be quite highly strung sighted people, so maybe aweful is a bit
excessive – but then again maybe it isn't? I only know a handful of
organisations that have developed a culture of accessible Word documents,
mostly blindness organisations, but all of them have custom Word templates
which make their headings look more conventional. On that basis, I think there
is room for a body with clout to approach Microsoft and suggest that some work
be done on the default heading styles so that sighted people don't feel
embarrassed to use them.
Matthew
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
[mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of CJ&AA MAY
Sent: 23 November 2018 17:03
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [access-uk] Re: braille labels
I don’t know what the answer is. But some companies do get it right. My bank
for example, send me statements in UEB but they are virtually clutterless.
Alison
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> On Behalf Of George
Bell
Sent: 23 November 2018 16:06
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [access-uk] Re: braille labels
(Sorry had to trim as the message was getting too long)
You are quite correct, Alison.
Much of the garbage which we see being produced and coming into Duxbury is
where the original has been prepared by staff who really have no proper clue
about using Word. Moreover, the transcriber is often up against time pressure.
One classic example I often use is application of Headings.
Instead of using either mouse or the keystroke Alt Ctrl 1, the will highlight
the text they wish to “look like” a heading, change the font size, underline
it, and perhaps make it bold as well.
The net result – aside from taking longer to do, is that what appears to be a
Heading in print, becomes a new paragraph in braille cluttered with underline
and bold signs.
Had it been a proper Word Heading, it would have been placed correctly in
braille, without the extra clutter, as per the UK’s braille formatting rules.
I’ll spare the benefits for both originator and transcriber for now. But they
are potentially significant.
George.
From: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
<access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>> On Behalf Of CJ&AA MAY
Sent: 23 November 2018 15:29
To: access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx<mailto:access-uk@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Subject: [access-uk] Re: braille labels
Helo Matthew
Everything you say is right. I don’t like it but do appreciate the reasons for
the introduction of UEB. My complaint, and it is much more than a niggle, is
that the producers of braille need to use their common sense and keep their
publications as clutterfree as possible and only use font indicators where it
is relevant.
Alison
