Categories
"fixing alt" alt

Fixing Alt – Netflix Comic

The Oatmeal does it again! A great comic with no alternative text. This time, it’s a on the recent Netflix pricing fiasco. The comic is called Why Netflix is splitting itself in two. So once again, here is the text for those who cannot access the image content:

Title: Why Netflix is splitting itself in two.

Image: Store front with store name “Netwiches”. Sign in left window says “Now streaming sandwiches 24 hours!”. Sign in right window says “Instant yum”.

Cashier: Hello, welcome to Netwiches. What would you like?

Customer: Hmm…could I get a coconut gravy frosted Netwich with extra cheese?

Cashier: Sure thing. That’ll be $15.98.

Customer: What? You raised your prices by 60%!

Cashier: No sir! We lowered our prices. See, if you buy just the bun, it’s only $7.99!

Customer: Why would I only want the bun? Can I speak to your manager?

Manager: Hello sir! I understand you’re unhappy with our price change. How can I help?

Customer: How about giving me my sandwich at the old price?

Manager: Sorry sir, I can’t do that. We’ve received a lot of complaints about our recent price change, however, so we intend to fix it. Come back later and we’ll have it all sorted out.

Later…

Cashier: Welcome back to Netwiches! What would you like?

Customer: Could I get a coconut gravy frosted Netwich with extra cheese?

Cashier: Sure thing! We listened to your feedback and we only sell buns now. If you want meat and condiments you have to go across the parking lot to another restaurant!

Customer: Wait, what? How does that fix anyth-

Cashier: It’s like an adventure! You get to walk across the parking lot! Why just the other day I saw an adorable little chipmunk eating some stale nachos. It was like dinner and a show! A nacho chipmunk show, ha ha! And no extra cost!

Customer: Can’t I just get my sandwich at the old pri-

Cashier: And look! Food from this other restaurant comes in the same red bag you know and love! Yay a plastic bag! Weeeeee!

Customer: Seriously? I’m about as attached to that bag as I am to your food after it comes out of my butt.

Cashier: Hey, where are you going? I’ve save the best for last. This new restaurant has an incredible Web 2.0 name that’s sure to blow your Web 1.0 mind right out the god damn window!

Image: Second store front. Sign in right window says “grand opening”. Store name is “Qwichster: the Friendster of Sandwich Restaurants!”

Categories
google screenreader visual

Response to Accessibility in Google Docs

Read Write Web recently published the article Google Announces Sweeping Accessibility Improvements for Visually Challenged Users. On one hand, this is great news. But on the other hand, Google’s accessibility efforts have been inconsistent, and mostly within their own technologies; as we’ll discover below, not implemented for universal use.

The Google Docs updates have been tested by a screen reader user, Kevin Chao. With permission, the following is taken (and slightly edited) from his web post Google announced and took the wraps off what’s been dubbed “enhanced Accessibility in Google Docs”.

Google announced and took the wraps off what’s been dubbed “enhanced accessibility in Google Docs”

Applaud, Thank, and Appreciate

I certainly applaud, appreciate, and praise Google in their accessibility efforts, but there seems to be this level of accessibility, which includes efficiency, effectiveness, and equal access that Google is far from with all attempts, which Docs is no exception.

Dumbed Down Accesssibility limited UI/Look

Visiting Docs.Google.Com using Firefox and NVDA, either classic or new Look/UI, latter is much worse from an accessibility point, but all is relative, including “enhanced accessibility”. Google is always in in a race with itself, changing elements, such as looks/UI. Often there are different views to pick from, and it’s often the one that is “basic” or “classic” that is more accessible, which leaves screen readers with a dumb-downed experience than an equal experience Compared to the full “standard” or “new” UI/look that everyone else who does not need to use a screen has the luxury of using. There should not be more than one view, if there has to be an experimental/enhanced view, it should be accessible, and it’s very degrading that Google by only putting accessibility resources into the dumbed UI/Look implies that all blind screen reader users are unable to perceive, understand, and work with advance, complex, and rich UI/Looks.

Now, let’s move onto the main focus, which is the enhanced Accessibility in Google docs.

Using Firefox, NVDA, and looking at Docs.Google.com in classic view.

Main UI/Look
  • Navigating by form fields or line will reveal lots of unlabeled Controls, such as “button”, clickable, expanded, checkboxes, and clickable list. It’s bad enough from a user interface, experience, and accessibility standpoint that all these controls do not have proper labels, making them accessible, but there’s more.
  • Instructions indicate to get started, activate create new or upload button, but these are identified as clickable, which do not do anything when pressing ENTER. However, with enough attempts of everything under the sun such as NVDA+CTRL+SPACE, SPACE, mouse click, etc.; it will be possible to activate these buttons. It should not be this difficult, frustrating, and require all these work-around to activate buttons (no, no, they are not buttons, but clickable).
  • When navigating to the expand button, pressing ENTER, NVDA is silent. The new status, which is collapsed, is not conveyed from Docs via ARIA or any accessibility event. In addition, arrowing down does not show any additional content. ARIA Live-regions should be used to alert user of updated dynamic content.
  • Navigating to unlabeled button, pressing ENTER, reviewing contents on screen does not show that anything changed.
  • Lots of items are identified as menus and submenus, which when activated do not work as ARIA jQuery menus, but instead do not do anything, cannot track focus/read, and/or it’s not possible to exit menu/submenu.
  • Effective and efficient navigation is lacking greatly, which could Be improved by use of ARIA Landmarks and headings.
Creating/Editing Docs
  • Browse/upload process does not work by simply using arrows/TAB and ENTER/SPACE, but requires the same level of fighting, frustration, and work-around that was required to get into the upload page.
  • Creating a new doc/opening an uploaded one will open it in a new Tab, which is identified with: document title, app, JavaScript, file type, and editable”. While all this is great, arrowing in document reads absolutely nothing and same goes for tabbing around.

Conclusion

Google has optimized Google Chrome, ChromeVox, and Docs to work very well together. This locked-in and non-universal design towards accessibility should be avoided at all possible cause, which results in not as many people using it due to the need to use a different environment for particular task. One of the many benefits to a cloud solution, such as Docs is the anywhere access on anything, which ranges from desktops to mobiles, which Docs accessibility is far from.

Please, Google, there really needs to be real accessibility present, which includes effectiveness, efficiency, and equal level of access. No more of this Google accessibility, which is half-baked at best.

Categories
cms drupal wordpress

About CMS Accessibility

This article was written for Web Axe by our friend, John Siebert, a Tampa Web Designer who has an interest in creating accessible web sites.

Content management systems (CMS) are a good way to go for both personal and business use. An open source CMS can get a website up efficiently, but is it accessible? With about 25% of internet users needing accessibility, it is very encouraging to keep your site web accessible. This is for every “human user” disabled and non-disabled no matter what browsing technology they are using. CMS platforms can definitely help you with that. But which one is the most accessible friendly? We will look into WordPress, Drupal, Joomla, and Posterous and compare the level of web accessibility.

All users have equal access to information and functionality. It is the developer’s responsibility to correctly design and develop a site that everyone can view and understand. What effects accessibility includes layout, markup, images and media, and JavaScript. A good CMS platform can make sure that these issues are compliant.

WordPress

WordPress states that it is web accessibility compliant. Unfortunately if developers tweak or create templates, it is up to the developer how well or little they configure accessibly into the site. There are plenty of accessibility plugins that a developer can implement into their WordPress site.

Here is a very helpful link full of WordPress accessibility plugins. WordPress also provides plenty of information and guidelines for creators that cover all basic HTML topics. Also check out the comments in the Web Axe blog on accessible WordPress themes.

Drupal

Drupal has plenty of helpful links for tips and topics to input accessibility into their platform. A helpful Drupal tutorial goes over:

  • What are the common accessibility barriers that my website needs to overcome, and how?
  • What tools help me manage the accessibility of contributed content that is beyond my control?
  • What Drupal modules and 3rd party accessibility tools will help?

You may want to check out the Web Axe podcast on the Drupal 7 and accessibility from last October. And here are a few more links for Drupal accessibility:

Posterous

Posterous does not cover as much accessibility information as other CMS platforms. Which leads me to believe that Posertous would not have much support for developers using their platform. We think it’s time Posterous stepped up to the plate on this issue and have sent them an e-mail with our concerns.

Joomla

Joomla has their own accessibility statement that shares their promises of fulfilling a true web accessible environment. However, they state that it is up to the designers and template designers to follow rules and regulations. They also state that they understand that the Joomla site itself does not comply with many WCAG/508 requirements.

Conclusion

When choosing a CMS platform, find one that has the most web accessibility support. The best would be WordPress and Drupal out of the four compared. By using a CMS platform you will have more support to maintain a web accessible site. Most of the accessibility changes can be fixed once and to the entire site through these platforms, saving time and money.

The best way to understand accessibility is to get to know a user that benefits from the accessibility you put into code. Once you understand the reason why accessibility is important for your site, you can then comprehend the reason for a CMS platform like WordPress or Drupal as the base of your site.

If you have any feedback about CMS and accessibility, especially Posterous and Joomla, please leave a comment.