The message forwarded below, was sent through this list last June. I have always tried to make my pages so that they are geared for everyone to view....more in the lines of compatibility for all computers. I looked at the email below at the time it was sent, and thought.....how nice.... Since then my thoughts have changed. On November 19, 2003 I ended up having to have a cornea transplant in my left eye. Scared? yes! worried? yes! I have what is a genetic disease of the cornea, and w/o transplant, I'd go blind.....thank goodness for modern medicine, and the work of those who saw a possibility, and worked through the roadblocks till the transplant is perfected as it is today. With my severe hearing loss, this eye problem hit me hard......and was hard for me to deal with. I've used my eyes since a child to supplement my hearing loss..... That said, I now am pursuing another hobby of mine....reading....through the State Library for the Blind here in IA. I can receive large print books, and books on tape for my use free of charge. They have a link on their site that gives tips for doing web sites so that they are useable for the visually impaired. http://www.blind.state.ia.us/access/access-tips.htm What's my point in all this? Keep ALL viewers in mind when doing your sites! I never realized how much I could miss by having the text too small on a web site I was wanting to view. Now I have to have my font set for a larger one to view most pages.....as many are using too small of a text for me to read w/o rubbing my nose on the monitor. I'm living proof that the old adage, "you don't miss it till you lose it"...rings too true! You never know who you may be helping!! It could even be yourself :) Mari Dane CC >From: "Ellen- (Genealogy)" <[email protected]> >Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2003 19:25:54 -0500 >Subject: [WIGEN-L] Visually Impaired Viewers >To: [email protected] > >Posted with permission: > >From: Joy Fisher <[email protected]> >Subject: [USGW-Discuss] Making sites friendly to the vision impaired >Date: Tue, 17 Jun 2003 08:19:24 -0700 (PDT) > > >One of my away-from-keyboard activities is to record >engineering books onto CDs for vision impaired >engineers and college students. > >While at the studio, I have met many people with >vision problems. The blind use screen reading software >to "see" your web sites. It is very annoying to try to >listen to the screen reader over the din of the music >you add to your web sites. > >If you are going to use music on your web site, can >you at least make it optional? Such as: >Click here for a really cool version of "I Love L. A." > >Adding a control panel to stop the music is less user >friendly to the visually handicapable. >Thanks for listening. > >On a related topic: > >If you are interested in more information on creating websites that are >Section 508 compliant. (Section 508 requires that Federal agencies' >electronic and information technology is accessible to people with >disabilities.) then use the following links: > >http://www.webaim.org/standards/508/checklist >http://bobby.watchfire.com/bobby/html/en/index.jsp > >Those are just a few. Feel free to email me privately if you have any >specific questions. I have created a few compliant websites and am >revising my Waukesha page to be complaint as well. > >Ellen- R. >Waukesha County >Candidate for Representative At Large USGenWeb