Over the years AccEase has assessed and surveyed hundreds of New Zealand Government web sites. We have found some common problems which create difficulties for users. Here are the top eight.

1. Text alternatives for images are missing or useless. Alt text is not a caption, but rather conveys the same meaning as the image. If the image is purely decorative then use a null or empty “” alt so it will be invisible to a screen reader. Screen reader users must really get sick of hearing “image” “image” “image” ad nauseam. Good alt text can be useful for sighted users too.
2. Essential public accountability and other important public documents on the site are in pdf only.  These are a real problem, and not just for blind people. They are large files, and often don’t re-size well. Pdfs are designed to be printed and often do not work at all well on the screen. I could go on.
3. Poor colour contrast means essential information might be unreadable for some users. This is often a problem with essential navigation.
4. Poor enlargement means a very tiring experience for many people, including those in poor light or who left their specs at home.
5. Failure to use access keys. Consistent use of access keys is important not only for blind users but for people who navigate the web without a mouse.
6. Small navigation points. These can easily be missed by the user and are really annoying for people with poor hand-eye co-ordination.
7. Accessibility statements focused on compliance rather than an understanding of an audience. That is quite insulting to the user. In other words, we don’t really care about how bad your experience is on our site, or if you can find what you are looking for. We just want to tick some boxes to get the SSC off our backs.
8. Overly busy home pages. Now where on earth in all this clutter can I find…

So-called ‘disabled toilets’ are often the cause of much anguish to those who have no choice but to use them. The term acquired a whole new meaning recently when Dougal Stevenson, that doyen of National Radio recounted a story of a southern gentleman, who, like the three old ladies in the song became locked in the lavatory. Yes you can find absolutely anything on the Net!

The story goes that this person was attending a luncheon at Carisbrook, the aptly named in this case, house of pain, or at least significant discomfort. It appeared that everyone needed to use the facilities at the same time, presumably because they had all imbibed a similar amount. The queues proved too long for this gent who, in increasing discomfort went to find an alternative.

After much desperate searching he finally discovered a toilet for ’the disabled’ in the bowels of the building along some far corridor, (aren’t they always.)  Ascertaining that there was no one else around he thankfully entered.

However he discovered that when it was time to exit the handle of the door would not turn. The toilet was indeed disabled, or should I say seriously impaired. The opportunity for this pun seemed lost on Dougal, but I couldn’t resist the temptation!

Fortunately for the trapped lunch guest rescue came before Monday to Saturday and after his rescuer in turn had to be rescued it was decided the door should be fixed before the game.

So all you crips who attended the infamous test match between the All Blacks and Springboks a week or so ago can thank this anonymous person for getting the probably sole accessible (?) loo in Carisbrook fixed! (I hope.)

The disability world has lost one of its finest minds and a stalwart friend. Chris Newell was an internationally noted bioethicist and a respected Anglican clergyman and teacher, a disability rights leader and someone unafraid to stand up, as it were, and be counted when it came to the crunch over a range of disability issues.

Although he is gone his work will remain as a tangible reminder of a man who inspired many with his passionate commitment to the human rights of disabled people, and to living life to the full.

But he was also a husband and father and a friend. He had a particular connection with Wellington and disabled people here as he chose to be a member of Wellington DPA, even though he lived in Tasmania.

He was loved and respected by many. I will remember the pleasure of his company, his generosity of spirit and his humour with gratitude. I am proud to call him a friend. He will be missed by many. I do hope that at such a terrible time for Jill and the girls and the rest of his family they can take some comfort from the many loving tributes to him paid in public, and the many more I am sure they will receive in private.

Farewell Chris. Rest in peace.

Last week I was desperately trying to open an account with Google Groups so I could participate in a particular project. All went well until I reached the dreaded captcha. Of course I couldn’t work out the word, so I clicked on the little wheelchair icon to find the supposedly accessible version. But no it wasn’t! To keep out the bots it was as aurally munged as the visual word was. I tried a pair of younger ears to see if age was a barrier, but he couldn’t hear it either. But at least he could read it so I could get in.

I therefore deduce that Google Groups only want people who can see and hear really really well, or who don’t mind not having independent access to be a part of the action. Shame on you Google!

Last week was Dyslexia week. Shame I couldn’t get this post finished in time for it as there wasn’t much publicity. That is a pity because dyslexia affects a surprising number of people, and it is only now gaining recognition in New Zealand educational circles.

As a web accessibility issue dyslexia has a low profile, although the barriers are recognised and assistive technology is available. However many people in the web community still think that web accessibility is all about blindness and screen readers. Sure blind people face significant and continuing barriers to web site access. But other groups of disabled people do too, and often the barriers are quite different for them than for blind people.

But it is interesting to note that some of the accessibility issues for people with dyslexia are quite similar to those for people with low vision, including me. It seems that quite a lot of the things I hate about web sites are also not enjoyed by people who have dyslexia either.

Many of the problems they, and I, face with web sites revolve around the way information is presented on the screen. Funnily enough the dyslexia week site exhibits the same problems.

I will list just a few.

Unbroken text stretching right across your screen is a pain in the neck. As the eyes try to scan across, it is really difficult to follow on to the next line. If it goes off to the side and you have to scroll across, it makes it even worse! The point of vision gets lost in a morass of text. Text in a relatively narrow column is easier to read.

Right justified text is another pain where the words are spaced out so that both the left and the right sides of each column of text are straight lines. Unjustified text - like the text on this page - leaves a ragged edge down the right hand side.

For a dyslexic reader, justified text, with its uneven spaces between words, creates visual patterns of white space which are hard to ignore. They distract the reader, who loses the place.
Bright text on a white background is another problem for people with dyslexia, (less so for me if the text is strong and black.) Words can appear to move and blur. An off white background may help. Text on a patterned background is really unhelpful and difficult and distracting to read.

Dyslexic readers, like me, find moving images distracting and like the plain uncluttered nature of a type face like arial. We hate italics, and we love print of a decent size.

Like almost everyone else people with dyslexia like plain English – see the new Plain English Power web site.

It just shows that providing good web accessibility does not create barriers for others.

Where does the time go? I have slipped up rather badly, with pressure of work etc.

The debate on National Radio NZ’s Media watch programme about whether television NZ should play charter programmes at more popular times has set me thinking about disability in the broadcast media, and disability media.

Attitude, the disability programme funded by NZ On Air screens at 9.30 on Sunday mornings when there is no advertising, and few viewers. If it were to screen at a more popular viewing time I shudder to think about what advertising would accompany it. The mind boggles at the thought of New Age crank cures, rest homes, or maybe the public service road safety ads about intersections with an spoke on the wheel reading disability - fate worse than death!

The only other programmes about disability on the box are usually ‘disease of the month’ or thinly disguised freak shows. Even Shortland Street which in the past has starred Philip Patston as a hetero character who happened to be disabled, has blotted its copybook by featuring a mad bad and dangerous mentally ill man as a plot device, and we haven’t seen the resident bloke with Tourette syndrome, can’t remember his name, for a while.

Well now you know I watch Shortland Street! Seriously though, I have pretty much given up on the mainstream media to begin to cover our issues in any meaningful way on a regular basis. Even National Radio’s One in Five doesn’t hit the spot for me these days. It seems to be on an entirely different tack.

Nothing About Us without Us is pretty much lost on the mainstream media. I’m not sure that having so called ‘minority’ NZ On Air funded programmes in more commercial time slots would make any difference. In fact it could be a backwards step with TV MZ possibly attempting to influence content. Keep reading the blogs I say!

This week is truly celebratory!

It began with the Disability Rights Convention CRPD, continuing with the presentation in New York of the FDR Award to New Zealand.

On Saturday DPA cut a celebratory cake for the Convention, and there are a few other celebrations planned for both events.

It is fitting that yesterday marked the launch of our second National Sign Language week.  It was moving to experience the national anthem sung and signed in English and Maori at parliament, along with one of my favourite Hirini Melbourne song The Butterfly. (If someone can post the Maori title please do.) The Deaf community sure can party.

The theme this year is freedom of expression, which of course is a basic human right spelled out in the CRPD. The site has a calendar which is full of great events. Check it out. The butterfly sign logo for the week is a potent symbol of that freedom. It is interesting to note that butterflies are deaf. They negotiate their way through the world by using their antennae.

I have a personal celebration as well. We have both our daughters at home as our younger daughter is 21 this week. It’s odd how this quaint celebration custom still exists even though there is no longer any legal significance about reaching this age. You can drink at eighteen, serve in the armed forces at eighteen and vote at eighteen. Most people have the key of the door much younger these days, and may already be burdened with student debt by the age of 21. I guess it is just a good excuse for a party paid for by parents in return for their being allowed to tell embarrassing childhood stories.

Happy Birthday Alice!

Celebrations all round! Just in case you haven’t caught up with the media fanfare (not!) the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities now has twenty ratifications. This means it is now international law and the mechanisms to bring it into force, such as the international monitoring committee, can now be established.

New Zealand has not yet ratified, see Disability Rights Convention one year on, but this is huge for disabled people worldwide. Congratulations to those countries which have ratified. Disabled people there will now have a voice in monitoring the implementation of the Convention.

Each step in the development of this Convention has been a vindication of our struggle to make disability rights part of the human rights agenda. In New Zealand it gives further weight to the Disability Strategy, and a platform for progress in achieving our rights alongside non-disabled people..

To find out what is happening here go to the Office for Disability Issues and the Human Rights Commission.

Nothing about us without us!

It is always a privilege to be able to hear disabled people share their stories. Last week I heard young disabled Samoan women take, for some of them, their first steps towards empowerment. It was sometimes sad and always moving but we managed to have a few laughs together as well.

As I said in my last blog the stories are similar the world over, I can identify with the pain and marginalisation expressed in each personal story. I also said in my last blog the differences are usually local and cultural angles, and of degree.

These young women told of being cared for by their families, but not being allowed out on their own, and being denied opportunities, such as going to school or having a job and being able to contribute to their families in the ways they wanted. Some cried as they told of painful instances of being cruelly treated by others in their communities.

Happily not all stories were sad. One young woman said she was not ashamed of being disabled, and that she had been able to achieve success in her life, and we celebrated that with her.

They all had dreams, the same dreams you would expect many young women to have. They wanted to be able to work, to party, to have boyfriends and ultimately have a family of their own. One expressed a longing to go to school.
I have just returned from Samoa, where I attended two disability conferences, the first a women’s forum. Never having visited before, I found Samoa to be laid back, hot and very clean and tidy. I don’t think I saw a scrap of rubbish anywhere, and the beautiful gardens were lush and colourful. Coming in from the airport when I got home I thought Wellington looked messy by comparison.

One meeting was held in one of the beautiful open fales, which allowed the air to circulate and a fairly comfortable temperature, while the other was held in a rather inadequately air-conditioned room.

Physical access in Samoa is minimal, as there are few footpaths and most buildings especially the churches I saw had lots of steps. There is still much to do also in terms of education, and support services. Sadly disabled people seem to be the last in line when it comes to inclusion in mainstream development aid, but I am pleased to see that NZAID has a good reputation and is funding small practical grassroots projects to help disabled people’s organisations.

Despite the, heat, the long hours of work, the usual tummy troubles, and almost being caught up in a near riot between warring schools, (over rugby) it was a great trip. We were there to help build capacity in Pacific disability organisations. We met some stunning people, and I hope we were of use to them.

Next week I will be in Samoa for two conferences, the Pacific Disability Forum and an associated women’s meeting We will be focusing on human rights and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

It will be good to have some sunshine to prolong our wonderful summer, but I am really looking forward to meeting disabled people from around the Pacific and talking to them about their issues. I am sure accessible information will be part of the picture. I am interested to know how inclusive development projects in general and information technology projects are, and how we can work together to make sure disabled people can increasingly participate in, and benefit from the development action.

I am also looking forward to talking to disabled women about their issues. I suspect they won’t be much different to ours, just a different angle.

It’s surprising how much work you have to do before going away for even a few days so this blog is very short. More on my return.