RE: Update on audio link to congressional hearing

["Barrett, Don" <Don_Barrett@ed.gov>]

Well, I don't know what "organic medium" is, but Conway's comments to me
seemed to beg for standardization, enforcement, ease of use criteria, and
all of the other things that accessible web design offers.  What astounded
me was the fact that the only hard data she presented concerned the number
of web sites and how hard they are as a group to use -- well, we agree, she
makes our point well.  She gave absolutely no hard reasoning for opposing
accessibility criteria, except for a vague indication of being overwhelmed
by the complexity of the net.  If that's the best the opposition can do,
hurray for us.  There's an old saying that if the facts are against you,
argue the law; if the law is against you, argue the facts; she did neither.
Am I missing something?

Don


-----Original Message-----
From: Waddell, Cynthia [mailto:cynthia.waddell@ci.sj.ca.us]
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 4:22 PM
To: 'uaccess-l@trace.wisc.edu'
Subject: RE: Update on audio link to congressional hearing


Good Point.  I am still absorbing the witness statements available online.
What does everyone think of the testimony entitled "The Unsuitability of the
ADA for an Organic Medium" by Susyn Conway.  I understand she used to work
as a Director for AOL.

Cynthia D. Waddell

---------------------------------------------------
Cynthia D. Waddell   
ADA Coordinator
City Manager Department
City of San Jose, CA USA
801 North First Street, Room 460
San Jose, CA  95110-1704
(408)277-4034
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(408)277-3885 FAX
http://www.rit.edu/~easi/webcast/cynthia.htm
http://www.aasa.dshs.wa.gov/access/waddell.htm 



-----Original Message-----
From: Neal Ewers [mailto:ewers@tracecenter.org]
Sent: Wednesday, February 09, 2000 12:55 PM
To: uaccess-l@trace.wisc.edu
Subject: Re: Update on audio link to congressional hearing


Well, it's interesting that it happened on this particular hearing.  It
really does amplify what the web is like to persons with disabilities who
can not access it.  To them, and to all of us today, there is absolutely
nothing there.  

At 11:46 AM 2/9/00 -0800, you wrote:
>Hi,
>
>I've been in contact with the technical person for the Judiciary Committee.
>She says the stream is ready, but they are not getting the audio from
>the hearing room.  She suspects that problem is in the audio box for
>the room and has paged the people responsible for the audio.
>No estimated time of problem resolution.
>
>She commented that this was the first time this problem has happened.
>Also, she mentioned that very few other committees have provide this
>type of service.
>
>The witness statements are now available at:
>
>     http://www.house.gov/judiciary/2.htm
>
>
>I also believe it might be appropriate to send messages to Congressman Hyde
>who is the chair of the Judiciary Committee.  Some points to include are:
>
>     1.  the poor impression that this problem has given of
>         the Judiciary Committee and of this hearing.  the hearing
>         is about the importance of the internet and yet one of the most
>         important committees in the House is unable to manage its
>         own internet needs.
>
>     2.  request that the audio recording of the hearing be made available
>         on the internet as means of compensating for this lapse of
service.
>
>     3.  request that the process of developing the transcript be expedited
>         and the transcript be made available on the web
>
>     4.  recommend that in the future the audio link to the internet
>         be checked at least a half an hour before the hearing
>
>
>Chairman Henry Hyde's contact info is:
>
>     House Office Bldg.
>     Washington, DC 20515
>     (202) 225-4561
>
>
>He doesn't seem to have an e-mail address.  He probably can be contacted by
>writing to him at the email address for the Judiciary Committee at:
>
>    judiciary@mail.house.gov
>
>
>Scott 


Neal Ewers
Trace Research and Development Center
5901 Research Park Blvd.
Madison, WI 53719
Phone: (608) 263-5485
FAX: (608) 262-8848
E-mail:  ewers@tracecenter.org
Web site: http://www.trace.wisc.edu