Target Website- Discriminating Against The Blind!!!!!!

[Dougie Brootal]

HHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHWHAT THE FUCK?:wacko:


check (http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20071003/bs_nm/target_blind_dc;_ylt=AucfSuQgZtY6ORWFoyBoTyGs0NUE)

[Zorro]

Another scam where the "victims" will get a few bucks and the lawyers millions

[King Hippos Bandaid]

Welcome
You've got Braille

:king:

[Death Metal Moe]

OK, I'll ask the dumb question. How are websites acessible to the blind? Is there some sort of text reader program that Target's site won't work with? Or is there some other kind of blind web software that won't work on Target's site?

Because I'm kinda lost here. The web is very visual, I don't know what the blind can hope to do on it.

But yea, in the end this does sound like some sort of fucking scam for the lawyer's sake.

[Dougie Brootal]

Welcome
You've got Braille

:king:






HAHAHA! NICE!

[Dougie Brootal]

OK, I'll ask the dumb question. How are websites acessible to the blind? Is there some sort of text reader program that Target's site won't work with? Or is there some other kind of blind web software that won't work on Target's site?

Because I'm kinda lost here. The web is very visual, I don't know what the blind can hope to do on it.

But yea, in the end this does sound like some sort of fucking scam for the lawyer's sake.

maybe there is some kind of audio thing where it speaks out whatever is written and all you have to do is talk back and it translates it into text and...nahhh, it all sounds like bullshit to me. give it up blindy, the internetz are not for you!

[cupcakelove]

OK, I'll ask the dumb question. How are websites acessible to the blind? Is there some sort of text reader program that Target's site won't work with? Or is there some other kind of blind web software that won't work on Target's site?

Because I'm kinda lost here. The web is very visual, I don't know what the blind can hope to do on it.

But yea, in the end this does sound like some sort of fucking scam for the lawyer's sake.

There are readers out there for the blind, and there are people that use them. I know because I used to do web development for some Navy projects, and because its part of the Federal government, they had to be accessible to people with disabilities, including blindness. It took a little bit of extra work to make sure they were compatible with whatever readers they use, but I've never seen anyone use one, so I don't know exactly how it works.

[badmonkey]

The way blind people view websites is basically a text reader. It doesn't just read the text that you read when you look at a website. It reads the "alt text" for hyperlinks and images, which describe the images and what the links are linking to and lets the blind have a better description of what's on the page.


For example, this is what the ronfez.net front page looks like to blind people:

Ron & Fez DOT NET!, the ultimate site for Fans of Ron & Fez, the creator


[watermark.php?file=3157]

Ron And Fez - Now on XM Big Ass 202

Click here to enter RonFez.Net



That's how it used to work anyway. Hope that makes some sense. Looking at the target site, there's some image maps that don't have a description, but I'm not sure how they discriminate against the blind.

Here's a link to an example of software that blind people use and how it works. http://www.webbie.org.uk/index.htm

They have a section with tips on website design for the blind.
http://www.webbie.org.uk/webbiefordesigners.htm

Grab the software and try the target website and see what it sounds like. That will give you a better idea of what they're complaining about.

Most companies are probably not aware that their webdev dept is or is not catering to the blind. They want a visually stimulating website and that often conflicts with accessibility for the blind. The best thing would be to have a stripped down version for the blind that a text reader can easily navigate for them as well as the visually stimulating version for you. That, of course, costs money.... and you have to know that there is a way to build sites for the blind and encourage your web team to do that. I don't think most designers even know that there is a way to make their sites more accessible. I didn't know about it for a long time and even now that I do know, I don't always think about it when I'm working on stuff.

Badmonkey

[cupcakelove]

The way blind people view websites is basically a text reader. It doesn't just read the text that you read when you look at a website. It reads the "alt text" for hyperlinks and images, which describe the images and what the links are linking to and lets the blind have a better description of what's on the page.


For example, this is what the ronfez.net front page looks like to blind people:





That's how it used to work anyway. Hope that makes some sense. Looking at the target site, there's some image maps that don't have a description, but I'm not sure how they discriminate against the blind.

Here's a link to an example of software that blind people use and how it works. http://www.webbie.org.uk/index.htm

They have a section with tips on website design for the blind.
http://www.webbie.org.uk/webbiefordesigners.htm

Grab the software and try the target website and see what it sounds like. That will give you a better idea of what they're complaining about.

Most companies are probably not aware that their webdev dept is or is not catering to the blind. They want a visually stimulating website and that often conflicts with accessibility for the blind. The best thing would be to have a stripped down version for the blind that a text reader can easily navigate for them as well as the visually stimulating version for you. That, of course, costs money.... and you have to know that there is a way to build sites for the blind and encourage your web team to do that. I don't think most designers even know that there is a way to make their sites more accessible. I didn't know about it for a long time and even now that I do know, I don't always think about it when I'm working on stuff.

Badmonkey

Image maps are probably completely incompatible with the readers. I know you have to include the alt tags to make it work with them, so they probably just read the alt for the image, and completely skip over the image map.

[mikeyboy]

Here's a bit of trivia for you -- anyone remember Blind Courtney, occasional in-studio guest during the WJFK days? Her job involved testing websites to make sure they were properly accessible to the blind. I think she was testing government websites for the government, but I'm not 100% sure of that.

[Snacks]

"All e-commerce businesses should take note of this decision and immediately take steps to open their doors to the blind," Maurer said.

Thats bullshit. I understand that we should have equality for all but in some cases its not viable. Every ecommerce website can not change their web site or modify it to be accessible to the blind. These things cost money and if I had a website I wouldnt do it either. From a business perspective why would you? There is no way that making these changes to help a few possible customers is worth the costs.

[cupcakelove]

"All e-commerce businesses should take note of this decision and immediately take steps to open their doors to the blind," Maurer said.

Thats bullshit. I understand that we should have equality for all but in some cases its not viable. Every ecommerce website can not change their web site or modify it to be accessible to the blind. These things cost money and if I had a website I wouldnt do it either. From a business perspective why would you? There is no way that making these changes to help a few possible customers is worth the costs.

Well, your spending power does determine your worth as a human being. Equality for those with money!!!

[badmonkey]

Image maps are probably completely incompatible with the readers. I know you have to include the alt tags to make it work with them, so they probably just read the alt for the image, and completely skip over the image map.

Yeah, image mapping is probably incompatible. Slicing the images into a table seems to work if the image design allows for that. The last time I dealt with it at all was years ago and I had triangles in an image map and finally just decided to screw the blind people over rather than change my cool design.

Badmonkey

[Devo37]

next up on the totally-scrupulous-and-not-at-all-out-to-make-dirty-money lawyers' list: iTunes is discriminating against the deaf. :wallbash:

[OGC]

Invite them into the store, set up a waffle iron display and tell them to read it. :furious:

[Bill From Yorktown]

Invite them into the store, set up a waffle iron display and tell them to read it. :furious:

plugged in and turned on ? Just kidding...

[TooLowBrow]

if i was blind the last thing id want to do is shop at target. all id want to do is drink and kill myself.

[OGC]

plugged in and turned on ? Just kidding...


Of course.

[Crispy123]

The last time I dealt with it at all was years ago and I had triangles in an image map and finally just decided to screw the blind people over rather than change my cool design.

You are a very bad monkey.
:nono::nono::nono:

[Zorro]

next up on the totally-scrupulous-and-not-at-all-out-to-make-dirty-money lawyers' list: iTunes is discriminating against the deaf. :wallbash:

I go to the NY Sports Club here in NYC and they currently have a Human Rights complaint pending because the TV sets on the treadmills do not have "Closed Captioning"

[deliciousV]

I go to the NY Sports Club here in NYC and they currently have a Human Rights complaint pending because the TV sets on the treadmills do not have "Closed Captioning"

Jogging and reading sounds like fun.........follow the bouncing words

[PapaBear]

So.... Are they going to sue all the stores that don't mail out braille circulars? That's such shit.

[Midkiff]

what a bunch of fucking bullshit


fuck those blind fuckers in their fuck-holes

[SatCam]

if i was blind the last thing id want to do is shop at target. all id want to do is drink and kill myself.

drinking is probably how they got blind in the first place

[scottinnj]

Welcome
You've got Braille

:king:








I hate you in my Phillies thread, but I love you in the politics section.

[SinA]

is this site blind-accessible?
if not, FUCK ALL YOU BLINDASS MUFUCKERS!

[sailor]

drinking is probably how they got blind in the first place

and touching themselves

[TooLowBrow]

i was just on the target website and it works fine! i think its their EYES that dont work! i will now sue blind eyes everywhere