Comments on Straight From the Horse's Mouth with Derek Featherstone

ux 09 — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 20:16:36 GMT

I am pleased that this and some other podcasts on this site are finally transcribed and more are in process of being transcribed. Thank you, Christina. I finally have an access to the interview on par with hearing readers.

The interview is great. However, as usual, there’s still a big emphasis there on users with visual or mobile barriers, and not even a word said about those users who have barriers to audio. It is important not only to have a clean code, but also have all audio components transcribed. It is actually part of accessibility checklist that many web specialists are not following.

Also, there’s a part of Derek Featherstone’s answers that got me disturbed:

“Having the ability to be somebody that’s, say, blind or is, say, confined to a wheelchair, they have the ability to shop online just like anybody else can.”

I am not a blind or a wheelchair user, but the definition of someone “confined to a wheelchair” is not appropriate as well as other definition of people with disabilities such as “suffering from hearing loss” or “handicapped” or such. It may sound like a little thing to able-bodied people, but we are pretty sensitive to those wordings because they create negative stereotypes about us. We do not “suffer” from disabilities – we suffer from the society who puts barriers on our abilities and from many able-bodied people who would not do anything to remove those barriers.

The descriptions are to be used based on “people-first language” and “social model of disability”. More of this can be explained on the following blog:
- http://www.doitmyselfblog.com/2008/what-is-in-a-word-the-…

Also, there’s info on “people-first language”:
- http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/People-first_language
- http://www.nad.org/issues/american-sign-language/communit…

We will appreciate that able-bodied people – especially web accessibility specialists – think about the language they use to describe us. I would suggest to ask professional organizations (such as AAPD, NAD, etc – that are not focusing on medicine) and individuals with disabilities themselves about how to use words properly before doing interviews or writing an article.

Thank you.

ux 09 — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 20:06:33 GMT

—Derek talks about the value in this work is knowing simply that he’s helping people with disabilities share in the same experiences as everyone else. “I don’t think I could even make an inaccessible web site, now!”

If that’s so, has he said anything in the interview about audio components that they should be transcribed?

ux 09 — Wed, 25 Nov 2009 03:20:49 GMT

Dear Christina Wodtke and Bill Wetherell,

Can you also ask AOL to sponsor transcripts for these podcasts?

“This interview is a must listen if you want to learn about this emergent part of our practice that started as a grassroots movement in developer communities.”

What about 37 million of Americans (and millions more abroad) with hearing loss who have no access to audio files? Especially when that interview is concerned about web “accessibility”. This is a serious issue to think about when there are numerous websites with an increasing number of videos, podcasts, webcasts without text alternatives.

Transcripts would benefit more people, too – foreigners, those learning to read, those in restrictive environments and having limited software/hardware. Practically everyone. Transcripts are easier to follow and give more flexibility than audio files. Unlike podcasts that Google cannot hear either and therefore cannot index, transcripts improve search engine optimization.

I wish I could listen to your podcats, but with profound hearing loss I have no access to any of them at all.