Author Archives: Robyn

by | August 23, 2010 · 5:23 pm

A for accessibility and attitude

When I reflect on the vast amount of excellent guidance and support available for anyone with the slightest inclination to make their web site and electronic information accessible I wonder why some people and organisations find it so difficult. The answer is of course that accessibility is all about attitude. Once that is sorted then everything else can fall into place.

So, for those who have the attitude for accessibility here is another very useful resource to add to your toolbox. The Round Table on Information Access for People with Print Disabilities has produced the latest of their accessibility publications, Guidelines for accessible E-text.

The guidelines are available for free download in a variety of accessible formats as you would expect. They take into account style guides and best practice from Australasia and around the world.

Anyone who is preparing electronic documents will find the publication useful as will those from specialist transcription agencies, government and public bodies, corporates and other organisations which understand the necessity of making their information accessible. People who are print disabled will also find them useful in advocating their need for accessible information.

And for those unreconstructed souls who can’t see the point of it all, we must make the case yet again.

It is also important that organisations take their accessibility attitude beyond the ad hoc and the operational and include accessibility in their strategic thinking and planning, into business as usual, by institutionalising the understanding that access to information is a human right for everyone. That way the tools available will be used to best advantage for everyone.

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Filed under Information Accessibility, Web Accessibility

by | August 9, 2010 · 9:56 am

Victory for People First

Last year TV one’s Breakfast presenter Paul Henry made remarks that were offensive to disabled people, but in particular to members of People First, people with learning disabilities.  The resulting complaints process has vindicated their concern. The text of the statement broadcast by TV One is not an apology, and it doesn’t mention Paul Henry’s name. But the decision made by the Broadcasting Standards Authority is significant and worth reading in full.

It recognises that the denigration of Susan Boyle, while not harming her, did harm others, which is significant.

Here is the minimalist statement from Television New Zealand. (Paul Henry’s name is included in brackets.)

“Last year during ‘What’s In The Mags’, Breakfast screened comments about the singer Susan Boyle. The comments were made by a Breakfast presenter [Paul Henry] and concerned Ms Boyle’s intellectual disability.

TVNZ upheld viewers’ complaints that the comments breached the broadcasting standard requiring Good Taste and Decency. The presenter [Paul Henry] also made a public statement saying he had not intended to cause offence.

Eleven complainants were not satisfied with the action taken by TVNZ, and referred their complaints to the Broadcasting Standards Authority.

The Authority agreed with the complainants, finding that TVNZ had taken insufficient action to remedy the breach of standards. It noted that no statement or apology had been made on the Breakfast programme, and that the presenter’s [Paul Henry's] public statement was inconsistent with his comments and behaviour in the item.

The Authority said that to mock and belittle a person on account of her intellectual disability was contrary to common decency and a clear breach of the Good Taste and Decency standard.

The Authority ordered Television New Zealand to broadcast this statement.”

Thanks to the Human Rights Commission for distributing the text of the statement in their disability newsletter Manahau. (Manahau is well worth the free subscription, particularly if you want to keep up to date on human rights and disability.)

Mediawatch on Radio NZ took the case seriously enough to discuss implications of the case in depth on its Sunday morning programme. (August 1)

The action taken by disabled people and their supporters using complaints tools to stand up for their rights is a practical example of rights in action. They have won, and in winning have made a difference for everyone.

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Filed under Disability Issues, Disability Rights, Media

by | July 5, 2010 · 5:07 pm

Twelve steps to an accessible web site. Hiring the right web company

For many organisations, especially small ones, building a new web site can be a daunting prospect. Hiring the right web company is critical. There are some things that can be done to get the best value out of the web development process

  1. At the outset you need a clear purpose for the site and an understanding of the site audience and why they will visit it. Will it engage the intended audience/s? This will help the web company work with you.
  2. Make sure you are clear about the standard of accessibility you want before hiring – is a web site that will be engaging and usable for all preferable to one that is “tick box” compliant. A standards compliant site can still be equally unusable for everyone.
  3. Build clear accessibility and usability requirements into your RFP
  4. Specifically ask for evidence of web accessibility and usability experience and check it out or ask an expert to check it out for you
  5. Ask the web company for accessibility examples of their work and testimonials from satisfied customers.
  6. Have they worked alongside independent accessibility experts and how successful was the project?
  7. Does the web company have values and a philosophy that embraces accessibility and usability? Is the site user more important than design, technology or the next round of web awards?
  8. Build the standard of accessibility you want into the contract and project milestone deliverables. It is too late to leave accessibility until later in the development process.
  9. Have a penalty clause if results are not delivered to an acceptable standard
  10. Make sure advice and technical testing by accessibility experts is included regularly throughout the project
  11. Build in user testing by disabled people just before the site goes live and allow time to fix any problems
  12. If, despite everyone’s best efforts your site does not meet the standard of accessibility you ideally want, have a strategy in place to help any visitors who face access barriers complete their task or find the information they need

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Filed under Information Accessibility, Web Accessibility

by | June 23, 2010 · 8:49 am

Disabled people, burden or benefit to the nation?

Two weeks ago I went to a two day forum run by the Welfare Working Group, and ever since I have been thinking about what I heard there and feeling a growing concern for the future of our welfare system.

Many of the presenters took a very statistical and quantitative approach to what they saw as the ‘problem’ of growing numbers of people on benefits. Taking such a “siloed” approach to the issue seems to me to be counter-productive. One of the reasons for the increase in numbers on benefits is the increasing economic and social inequality in New Zealand society. Without tackling that the problem will never be solved without draconian measures that will bring other side effects such as increasing crime, or the undermining of our precious democracy.

Since I am more familiar with disability issues I will write about disabled people. Disabled people face entrenched and widespread discrimination in education and employment, and particular groups of disabled people struggle to be recognised as valued and contributing members of society. Despite their best efforts they are often among the poorest people. The costs of living with disability, both the financial and opportunity costs are not understood well within the welfare system.

But most of all disabled people are often seen as a burden, a cost to be ‘carried’ by society, rather than a group of people with something to offer, on the asset side of the ledger. What is valued gets counted and invested in. What is not valued and invested in is discounted.

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Filed under Disability Issues, Disability Rights