reply to my message concerning the survey

[Linux for blind general discussion]

Thanks for that forward, Al. It's a pile of excrement, if you'll pardon
my bluntness.

The most glaring error is the assertion that web content developers need
to know the OS and screen readers used by a preponderance of end users.
That's not the proper way to apply accessibility principles to web
development. It won't get one conforming to U.S. Sec. 508 or to the
international ISO WCAG standard from the W3C/WAI.

Sorry, but it seems web aim missed again.

Janina

Linux for blind general discussion writes:
> Others probably got a message like this, but I send it on for others here to
> see.
> 
> Al
> 
> 
> 
> -------- Forwarded Message --------
> Subject: Re: Other
> Date: Wed, 11 Oct 2017 11:56:53 -0600
> From: Jared Smith <jared at webaim.org>
> To: Al Sten-Clanton <albert.e.sten_clanton at verizon.net>
> 
> Al -
> 
> Thank you for your comments. For ease of use, we do not list every
> possible screen reader or browser option for users to choose from.
> This simply would be too unwieldy. Historically with our surveys Linux
> users have constituted a very small percentage of respondents -
> typically less than 1%, with Orca users being notably less than that.
> Knowing if Orca represents .2% or .5% or respondents (for example)
> isn't particularly useful for those developing web content. This
> doesn't discredit this valuable tool, but it would not be useful for
> us to list it and every other possible technology available for use,
> so we focus on those that are most commonly used (and do list
> VoiceOver in our options).
> 
> Orca and others are captured in the "Other" response option that we provide.
> 
> Thanks,
> 
> Jared Smith
> WebAIM.org
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On Wed, Oct 11, 2017 at 11:32 AM, Al Sten-Clanton
> <albert.e.sten_clanton at verizon.net> wrote:
> > Sent from the WebAIM website at 11:32 AM, October 11th, 2017:
> > 
> > Greetings!
> > 
> > I just took your accessibility survey.  I doubt I'm the first person to let you know that your survey should have included the screen reader Orca, which runs on Linux.  I'm using it now.  I use Windows 10 and JAWS daily, since my wife and I share a computer, but I do much of my computer work (and have much of my computer fun) on this Linux machine.
> > 
> > Some accessibility issues are similar or identical on my Linux machine to those on the Windows box.  Some are different.  It would help a good number of us blind folks if you gathered Orca- and Linux-related data, so that developers and others can take it into account in considering how to ensure the fullest possible accessibility.
> > 
> > Incidentally, I do not think I saw anything concerning Voiceover on the survey, either.  I don't use it, but many blind people I know use it all the time.
> > 
> > Thanks for considering my comments.  I hope that future surveys will include more of the screen readers and operating systems that are or should be abailable to blind people.
> > 
> > Al
> 
> _______________________________________________
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-- 

Janina Sajka,	Phone:	+1.443.300.2200
			sip:janina at asterisk.rednote.net
		Email:	janina at rednote.net

Linux Foundation Fellow
Executive Chair, Accessibility Workgroup:	http://a11y.org

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
Chair, Accessible Platform Architectures	http://www.w3.org/wai/apa