[Accessibility] Re: Accessibility Q&As

Janina Sajka janina at rednote.net
Fri Jan 16 10:15:48 PST 2004


Hi, Doug:

As I read your post, I'm inclined to agree. I recall we had a similar
discussion some months back while deciding what content we wanted on our
web site. We decided then we would avoid the temptation (or perhaps the
trap) of veering towards becoming a portal for all things accessibility.
It seems this question pulls us that way.

On the other hand, I think I seel Laurie Anne's point. We do have to
answer the question of "Why do we need this WG?" Indeed, we answered
this question in Section A of our FSG102 in order to convince the Board
of FSG that our WG was needed. I think she's asking us to make the same
case more simply, for the ordinary reader/interviewer.

Doug Beattie writes:
> From: Doug Beattie <dbb at linkexplorer.com>
> 
> LaurieAnne:
> 
> Re:
> On Thu, Jan 15, 2004 at 04:24:58PM -0700, Doug Beattie wrote:
> > LaurieAnne:
> > 
> > See attached text file with eight (8) general questions and even more
> > answers.
> > 
> ...
> > 
> > Q2. How many developers are currently using Linux to make AT available
> > to the broader community today?
> > 
> > A. See the Linux Accessibility Resource Site (LARS) website
> > http://www.tracecenter.org/linux/ for a collection of AT projects, each
> > of which has probably 1 to 5 key developers (and many others making
> > smaller contributions).
> > 
> > Also see "Why Open Source Software / Free Software (OSS/FS)? Look at
> > the Numbers!" at http://www.dwheeler.com/oss_fs_why.html
> ...
> > 
> 
> I really don't like this question or the answer. I don't believe it
> helps us either way to know/guess how many developers are working in
> the open source community on AT at this time. If we have a lot then
> why would we need more? If we don't have many is it because it is
> not a priority? One could make as much negative of such a question
> as positive from it and as we don't have _good_ statistics with
> reasons to back them up I'd prefer we eliminate/avoid this area for
> now.
> 
> What do the rest of you think?
> 
> Doug
> -- 
> Doug Beattie
> dbb at freestandards.org

-- 
	
Janina Sajka
Email: janina at rednote.net		
Phone: (202) 408-8175

Director, Technology Research and Development
American Foundation for the Blind (AFB)
http://www.afb.org

Chair, Accessibility Work Group
Free Standards Group
http://accessibility.freestandards.org




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