registration form on https://community.ussf2010.org is a mess for screen readers

[ussfaccess@…]

On the registration pages there are no statements regarding requests for alternative format or accommodations.

This is what has been requested of other committee publications to be compliant with ADA law.

All USSF materials are available in alternative formats upon request. If you need an accommodation to participate in an event, every effort will be made provide it. Email requests to: USSFaccess@… or call (248) 956-0354.

Alternatively, if not on the registration page, it could be prominently featured in the banner as a link to a new page.

Alternatively, there could be a check off box for people needing accommodations and their registration information would automatically be sent to the Disability Justice Committee at ussfaccess@….

This will provide more extensive ideas about what should appear on a registration page: ada.osu.edu/resources/accessiblemeetings.html

[https://id.mayfirst.org/jamie]

I think the best place for any extra text would be the  http://www.ussf2010.org/register page itself. That's the easiest to provide edit access to.

It also might be a good idea to have a page at  http://www.ussf2010.org/access that is the initial page for issues relating to accessibility (which other pages could link to). This page could include your email address and contact info.

As for the statement:

All USSF materials are available in alternative formats upon request.

Can you say more? What other formats are they available in?

jamie

[ussfaccess@…]

FYI - this is how the individual registration page reads to a person using a screen reader:

Page has one heading and fifteen linksUS Social Forum vertical bar community.ussftwo thousand ten .org dash Internet ExplorerList of seven itemsbulletLink MainbulletLink AboutbulletLink Get InvolvedbulletLink RegisterbulletLink DonatebulletLink Contact UsbulletLink Other ForumsList endLink HomeList of two itemsbulletLink EnglishbulletLink EspañolList endHeading level one US Social ForumLinkGraphicPrint this page. Registration Definition list of four itemsequals Please select the appropriate price level for registration. IndividualequalsTable with one column and seven rowsRadio buttonNot checked homeless slash youth dash dollars ten point zero zeroRadio buttonNot checked welfare slash unemployed slash international dash dollars twenty point zero zeroRadio buttonNot checked low dash income seniors slash college students slash partially employed dash dollars thirty point zero zeroRadio buttonNot checked lower wage working people dash dollars fifty point zero zeroRadio buttonNot checked medium wage slash blue collar working people dash dollars seventy-five point zero zeroRadio buttonNot checked higher wage working people slash professionals dash dollars one hundred point zero zeroTable end Helping Hand Donationequals dollars Edit equals I'd like to sponsor a low or no dash income participant with an additional donation to solidarity left paren not scholarship right paren funds, ensuring access to a broad range of participants.equalsDefinition list of one itemList endList endDefinition list of one item Registration ScholarshipequalsCheckboxNot checked I would like to apply for a registration scholarship.List endDefinition list of one item Pay By Check equalsCheckboxNot checked I would like to register now and mail in a check later.List endTable with zerocolumn and zerorowTable end USSF individual registrantTable with two columns and thirteen rows First Name star Edit Last Name star Edit Email Address star Edit CountryCombo box United States Street AddressEdit CityEdit State slash ProvinceCombo box dash select dash Postal Code star Edit PhoneEdit VolunteerCheckboxNot checked Yes, I would like to volunteer for the US Social Forum.Table with one column and two rowsTable endTable end USSF associated organizationTable with two columns and seven rows Organization NameEdit CountryCombo box United States Street AddressEdit CityEdit State slash ProvinceCombo box dash select dash Postal CodeEdit PhoneEdit Table end Credit Card Information Table with one column and two rows If you have a PayPal account, you can click the PayPal button to continue. Otherwise, fill in the credit card and billing information on this form and click Continue at the bottom of the page. Save time. Checkout securely. Pay without sharing your financial information. Table endTable with two columns and four rows Card TypeCombo box dash select dash Card NumberEdit Enter numbers only, no spaces or dashes. Security CodeEdit GraphicSecurity Code Location on Credit Card Usually the last three dash four digits in the signature area on the back of the card. Expiration DateCombo box dash month dash Combo box dash year dash Table end Billing Name and Address Table with one column and nine rows Enter the name as shown on your credit or debit card, and the billing address for this card. Billing First Name Edit Billing Middle NameEdit Billing Last NameEdit Street AddressEdit CityEdit CountryCombo box dash select dash State slash ProvinceCombo box dash select dash Postal CodeEdit Table endContinue >>buttonLink Log InLink Contact UsLink Online Principles and PoliciesThis page link The US Social Forum supports the use of free and open source software.

As you can well imagine this is impossible for a person to follow.
Susan

[ussfaccess@…]

Hi Jamie,

Upon request, a person can request any written documents in any alternative format they choose. They can request Braille, Large print (specifiying any size font they need - typically 14, 16, 18 or 22), a cassette tape, electronic format, - even to have someone call them and read the document to them outloud. The place that creates the original document can limit what formats they provide within reason. Typically large print and Braille are offered. In 11 years of working for a small city that regularly offers alternative format I have only been asked for Braille, electronic format, and large print (16), with one exception. One person requested a cassette tape and I convinced them to accept electronic format since they could get it quick.

As long as the need for Braille is rare, I can do Braille. Braille paper is costly and I use a machine and paper that is owned by a city and they would not look kindly upon me printing Braille for USSF.

Feel free to ask me anything regarding computer accessibility, if I don't know it, and I am really not an expert, I know people who are.

[ussfaccess@…]

Just want to confirm - there is no page  http://www.ussf2010.org/access at present? I clicked the link and no page exists. This is only a proposal at this point?

Susan

[alfredo@…]

Hi Susan,

I don't think anybody's done the page yet because the Committee would be the people who would do the page. So it ain't be done yet seems like.

I don't think you have to await a proposal or discussion or anything, Susan. This is needed right now so you can certainly start with some kind of "holder" text or basic text on the page with a url like Jamie described. Just go ahead and do it. Do you need help setting it up? Who from the Committee is going to do the content work on the web site? Would that be you? We're certainly here to work with you on that stuff.

In general, my feeling would be that we should use whatever sources of translation and access are available to provide site content accessibility. I don't think we should spend any time searching for FOSS alternatives, etc. on this one. Part of the politics of accessibility, on which the progressive movement has not been strong enough by a long shot, is that we offer what people are most accustomed to using and what activists most often use and recommend.

I also think, Susan, that you need to get a ussf2010 email account to conduct social forum business or, if you already have one, to use it. You are showing a google account and every time I see that I feel like I've just been slapped in the face. And I'm one of the more flexible techies about Google. Anyway, the ussf2010 domain is a great "advertiser" for the forum and...well...it's the right thing to do.

Alfredo

[ussfaccess@…]

Alfredo

I can add the content. I know what needs to be there and I will be the contact person for people with issues. I don't know how to add the page to the site, but once it is an editable page, I can get right on it.

What if at the top it said inside a bold lined box :

We are sorry we're using proprietary formats on this page, and understand the problems that proprietary formats create for progressive social movements, like USSF. Unfortunately, there are no good solutions for making open document formats such as ODF or RTF accessible, especially to those with visual disabilities who require Braille. We have no choice but to provide our documents in the DOC format, if we want these documents to be accessible to all, given the limits of today's technology.

Susan

[alfredo@…]

Hi Susan,

I'll tell you. That's a really great, ground-breaking solution because it gives the info and shows a lot of sensitivity to the issue and also educates about it and maybe even gives a little push to the tech among us to start doing something about this.

Also, if some techie knows that there *is* an alternative, that techie will most certainly pop up and start talking stuff to us and explaining alternatives, etc. Which would also be great. Although I am almost certain that, right now, there are now alternatives.

I really do think that techie culture isn't very sensitive to disability because when a techie becomes disabled in some way, he or she is finished and folks with disabilities have huge problems becoming techies. The tech culture is built up as a "young and physically fit" culture. I mean, I'm nearly 61 years old and it's very very tough for me to keep up with the pace and level of concentration of the techies in my Working Group.

Tech culture is exclusive; no question about this. And *that* is one of the priorities we'll be working on during the Progressive Techie Congress at the Social Forum.

For now, I think your text is excellent. Thanks. Post a ticket for the help you want on the page.

Alfredo

[access@…]

Note new address!!!

I posted a ticket. I noticed changed to the registration page yesterday, but not the ones I requested. How long should I expect before the changes take place? I have a Accommodation Request form all coded and ready to put on an accessibility page.

Susan

[https://id.mayfirst.org/jamie]

I just responded to some of the issues on this ticket on #385. Let's keep #385 focused on the text changes we need to make to  http://www.ussf2010.org/. And - let's keep this ticket focused on how awful the registration page on  https://community.ussf2010.org/ reads to a screen reader. That's really miserable.

I'm glad that, with Susan contribution, we will have downloadable files that can be filled out and mailed in for people.

However, I'd like us to do better and have an online registration page that really works for people who rely on screen readers.

jamie

[access@…]

I've joined a DUXBURY listserv in hopes of finding some folks on it committed to FOSS and access for some ideas. I posted a message an hour ago and awaiting the first response.
Susan