6/15/2005

Dittos

I'm just like the other podcasters. Also, my brush with fame, commentary on commentary, family reunions. cute firefighters, and advice to new podcasters..

posted by Shelly @ 11:28 AM 

4 Comments:

Blogger Scott S. said...

Hi Shelly,
Great podcasts here. I have a podcast too at http://scottspaulding.blogspot.com and the feed is at http://feeds.feedburner.com/scottspaulding.

11:05 PM  
Blogger Darrell said...

Hi Shelly,

First of all, let me say that I enjoy your podcasts. Keep up the great work!

I fear that, perhaps, I was a bit hard on you this morning on the blindcasting list. I am just a little concerned about the use of the term "accessibility". To me, that term means the technology is usable by as many people as possible, including those of us with disabilities. Accessibility for the partially sighted or visually impaired is, most certainly, not the end of the story. Even if a piece of software works with "reverse video" which I now realize is a configuration setting not a screen magnification application, that absolutely, most certainly does *NOT* mean that it is at all accessible. It just means you can change the program's display characteristics and use your magnification software to make the pictures and text bigger. It could still represent a nightmare for those of us whom happen to be really blind, depending on screen readers like JAWS, VoiceOver or Window-Eyes in order to use the software on our computers! That's all. I'm quite confident you understand exactly what I am talking about, but, I fear it doesn't come across clearly in your blog, mailing list messages or podcasts.

Again, for the benefit of all, the ability to "reverse video" or make the displayed screens bigger does *NOT* equal accessibility!!!

10:09 AM  
Blogger Shelly said...

I don't believe I *ever* excluded screen reading from my discussion of
accessibility. In fact, it was the primary topic of my commentary on
Adam Curry's show, and that was for a very specific reason. Screen
reader users represent both a larger fraction of the disabled
community, and one that is most easily understood by the people and
companies we're trying to influence toward greater accessibility.
Also, the high price of third-party screen readers on Windows
represents an opportunity for Apple to convert blind people into Mac
users (their business interest) and provides blind people with a
cost-effective alternative (our interest). I mention my own use of
reverse video because I feel that it is an overlooked accessibility
feature in iTunes specifically, and in other parts of Windows as well.
It also happens to be an area in which Windows and the Mac OS have
finally made great strides after many years of shoddy efforts. I talk
about what I know and what my experience tells me is an easy oversight
to correct.

In short, don't diminish the accessibility tools I need, and I won't
diminish the ones you need. We should all be working together.

-shelly

12:20 PM  
Blogger Shelly said...

Oh Soctt, you say the sweetest things. I'm glad to have you on board.

6:44 PM  

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