[real-eyes] Blackboard&Web CT

"Reginald George" <sgeorge@xxxxxxxxx> · Fri, 8 Sep 2006 10:04:13 -0500

Absolutely.  One must keep an open mind and try one's best.  I have also 
trained folks to use Web CT.  Those companies have actually been pretty 
pro-active and many instructors let you submit discussion posts by E-mail 
instead of dealing with those boards.
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robert Beach" <rbeach@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 8 September 2006 Friday 8:49 AM
Subject: [real-eyes] Re: Target Web Site and Accessibility

Hmmm, I guess it was already modified before I tried using it.  If you had =
trouble with it, I certainly wouldn't have been able to figure it out.

On a similar note, I've had so many people complain to me about online =
courseware such as WebCT and Black Board not being accessible to the =
blind.  I've even been in conference sessions where a blind person would =
be presenting and claim that these two products were not accessible and =
telling college personnel that they are violating blind students' rights =
by using these products.  I've personally taken online classes with both =
products using JAWS.  A couple of times, I've asked individuals making =
those claims if they had tried using the software and they said no.  I =
asked how they knew it was not accessible and they replied that they had =
been told that.  We had a blind student come here and simply refused to =
take any online classes because he had been told he would not be able to =
do it.  When I told him I had taken classes online with the software, he =
wouldn't believe me because an "expert" had told him it wasn't possible.

I could give more examples, but you get the idea.  My point is be =
skeptible when you hear that something is not possible or is not accessible=
 for the blind.  Try it yourself before you give up on any idea, like =
cooking on a gas stove or taking online classes.  It just might work for =
you.

Robert Lee Beach
Assistive Technology Specialist
Kansas City Kansas Community College
7250 State Avenue
Kansas City, KS  66112
Phone:  (913) 288-7671
Fax: (913) 288-7678
E-mail:  rbeach@xxxxxxxxx

>>> sgeorge@xxxxxxxxx 9/8/2006 8:29 AM >>>
You already did.  Once I brought up fairs on Southwest it was nearly=20
impossible, even using table reading commands, to tell which flights =
had=20
availability and which price points.  I think it's gotten a little =
better=20
but, it was pretty darn hard to read.
----- Original Message -----=20
From: "Robert Beach" <rbeach@xxxxxxxxx>
To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: 8 September 2006 Friday 7:58 AM
Subject: [real-eyes] Re: Target Web Site and Accessibility

I remember a few years ago a visually impaired person complained that =3D
SouthWest Airline's web site was not accessible, but I've not had any =3D
trouble using it.  However, maybe the individuals who are complaining are =
=3D
not as screen reader experienced as some others and that can make a =3D
difference.  And on that note, should individuals be required to be =3D
intermediate or advanced users of screen readers in order to use the =3D
features of the internet?  Hmmm, I don't think I'll go there. <grin>

Robert Lee Beach
Assistive Technology Specialist
Kansas City Kansas Community College
7250 State Avenue
Kansas City, KS  66112
Phone:  (913) 288-7671
Fax: (913) 288-7678
E-mail:  rbeach@xxxxxxxxx=20

>>> ruthieville@xxxxxxxxx 9/7/2006 10:43 PM >>>
You know, I have to say that I have never had trouble navigating =3D
Target's=3D20
website.  To me, it is already accessible.  Now purina's cat food =3D
section?=3D20
That's another matter.

Ruthie and the Pumpkin Patch.

  If the #2 pencil is the most popular, why is it still #2?

Visit www.ruthieville.com today for your daily dose of me.

----- Original Message -----=3D20
From: "Jim Fettgather" <jim@xxxxxxxxxxxxxx>
To: <real-eyes@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
Sent: Thursday, September 07, 2006 10:26 PM
Subject: [real-eyes] Target Web Site and Accessibility

> >PR Newswire
>>Thursday, September 07, 2006
>>
>>Legal Precedent Set for Web Accessibility
>
>>By SOURCE National Federation of the Blind
>
>>Federal Judge Sustains Discrimination Claims Against Target; Precedent
>>Establishes That Retailers Must Make Their Websites Accessible to =
the=3D20
>>Blind
>>Under the ADA
>>
>>     BERKELEY, Calif., Sept. 7 /PRNewswire/ -- A federal district court
>>judge ruled yesterday that a retailer may be sued if its website is
>>inaccessible to the blind. The ruling was issued in a case brought by =
=3D
the
>>National Federation of the Blind against Target Corp. (Northern =3D
District=3D20
>>of
>>California Case No. C 06-01802 MHP) The suit charges that Target's =3D
website
>>(
> http://www.target.com )
> is inaccessible to the blind, and therefore
>>violates the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the California Unruh
>>Civil Rights Act, and the California Disabled Persons Act. Target =3D
asked=3D20
>>the
>>court to dismiss the action by arguing that no law requires Target to =
=3D
make
>>its website accessible. The Court denied Target's motion to dismiss and
>>held that the federal and state civil rights laws do apply to a website
>>such as target.com.
>>     The suit, NFB v. Target, was filed as a class action on behalf of =
=3D
all
>>blind Americans who are being denied access to target.com. The named
>>plaintiffs are the NFB, the NFB of California, and a blind college=3D20
>>student,
>>Bruce "BJ" Sexton.
>>     The plaintiffs are represented by Disability Rights Advocates (
>>http://www.dralegal.org ), a Berkeley-based non-profit law firm that
>>specializes in high-impact cases on behalf of people with disabilities;
>>Brown, Goldstein & Levy (
> http://www.browngold.com ),
> a leading civil
>>rights law firm in Baltimore, Maryland; and Schneider & Wallace (
>>http://www.schneiderwallace.com ), a national plaintiff's class action =
=3D
and
>>civil rights law firm based in San Francisco, CA.
>>     The court held: "the 'ordinary meaning' of the ADA's prohibition
>>against discrimination in the enjoyment of goods, services, facilities =
=3D
or
>>privileges, is that whatever goods or services the place provides, it
>>cannot discriminate on the basis of disability in providing enjoyment of
>>those goods and services." The court thus rejected Target's argument =3D
that
>>only its physical store locations were covered by the civil rights laws,
>>ruling instead that all services provided by Target, including its Web
>>site, must be accessible to persons with disabilities.
>>     "This ruling is a great victory for blind people throughout the
>>country," said NFB President Dr. Marc Maurer. "We are pleased that the
>>court recognized that the blind are entitled to equal access to retail
>>websites."
>>     Dr. Maurer explained that blind persons access websites by using
>>keyboards in conjunction with screen-reading software, which vocalizes
>>visual information on a computer screen.
>>     Target's website contains significant access barriers that prevent
>>blind customers from browsing among and purchasing products online, =3D
as=3D20
>>well
>>as from finding important corporate information such as employment
>>opportunities, investor news, and company policies.
>>     The plaintiffs charge that target.com fails to meet the minimum
>>standard of web accessibility. It lacks compliant alt-text, an invisible
>>code embedded beneath graphic images that allows screen readers to =3D
detect
>>and vocalize a description of the image to a blind computer user. It =3D
also
>>contains inaccessible image maps and other graphical features, preventing=
=3D

>>blind users from navigating and making use of all of the functions of =
=3D
the
>>website. And because the website requires the use of a mouse to complete =
=3D
a
>>transaction, blind Target customers are unable to make purchases on
>>target.com independently.
>>     The plaintiffs originally filed the complaint in Alameda superior=3D=
20=3D

>> court
>>on February 7, 2006. The case was removed to federal district court and
>>assigned to Judge Marilyn Hall Patel. Target responded to the suit by
>>filing a motion to dismiss the case, which argued in part that no civil
>>rights laws apply to the Internet.
>>     "We tried to convince Target that it should do the right thing =3D
and=3D20
>> make
>>its website accessible through negotiations," said Dr. Maurer. "It is
>>unfortunate that Target took the position that it does not have to =3D
take=3D20
>>the
>>rights of the blind into account. The ruling in this case puts Target =
=3D
and
>>other companies on notice that the blind cannot be treated like second
>>class citizens on the Internet or in any other sphere."
>>     Explaining the ramification of the ruling, Mazen M. Basrawi, Equal
>>Justice Works Fellow at Disability Rights Advocates, noted that: =
"the=3D20
>>court
>>clarified that the law requires that any place of public accommodation =
=3D
is
>>required to ensure that it does not discriminate when it uses the =3D
internet
>>as a means to enhance the services it offers at a physical location."
>>     "I hope that I can soon shop online at Target.com just like anyone
>>else," said UC Berkeley student BJ Sexton, who is a named plaintiff in =
=3D
the
>>lawsuit. "I believe that millions of blind people like me can use the
>>Internet just as easily as do the sighted, if websites are accessible."
>>     About the National Federation of the Blind
>>     With more than 50,000 members, the National Federation of the =3D
Blind=3D20
>> is
>>the largest and most influential membership organization of blind =3D
people=3D20
>>in
>>the United States. The NFB improves blind people's lives through =3D
advocacy,
>>education, research, technology, and programs encouraging independence =
=3D
and
>>self-confidence. It is the leading force in the blindness field today =
=3D
and
>>the voice of the nation's blind. In January 2004 the NFB opened the
>>National Federation of the Blind Jernigan Institute, the first =3D
research=3D20
>>and
>>training center in the United States for the blind led by the blind.
>>
>>SOURCE National Federation of the Blind
>
> Regards Steve
> Email:
> srp@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx=3D20=20
> Skype:  steve1963
> MSN Messenger:
> internetuser383@xxxxxxxxxxx=3D20=20
>
> _______________________________________________
> gui-talk mailing list
> gui-talk@xxxxxxxxxx=3D20=20
> http://www.nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/gui-talk=3D20=20
>
>
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