<div dir="ltr"><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">While this doesn't address your concern, I think the way some terms are used in the wider world contributes to the problem. Those committed to improving the situation for people with disabilities sometimes use common terms in a shorthand way, and the end result is confusion. </font><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">"Accessibility" is a prime culprit.</font><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">For example people working with vision disorders and websites will refer to "accessibility" in those terms. Those helping wheelchair-dependent students will refer to "accessibility" when talking about ramps, width of access-ways, height of light switches etc.</font></div><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">I am intrigued by the doors at airports that say "Accessible Toilet". Does that mean that this toilet has been designed so it can be used easily by a person with a vision disorder? Or by a person using a text-only web browser or an early version of Firefox? Or by a person in a wheelchair or with other mobility aids? Or does it just mean the door to the other toilet is jammed, making that an Inaccessible Toilet?</font></div><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">If we're looking for a definition in website terms, WCAG compliance is a well-accepted starting point. <a href="http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag">http://www.w3.org/WAI/intro/wcag</a></font></div><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif">It is based on the 4 principles of </font></div><div><font face="tahoma, sans-serif"><br></font></div><div><ol class="" style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;color:rgb(0,0,0)"><li style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0.25em;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px"><p style="line-height:1.4;margin-left:1em;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;background:inherit"><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><b>Perceivable </b>- Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.</font></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0.25em;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px"><p style="line-height:1.4;margin-left:1em;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;background:inherit"><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif">This means that users must be able to perceive the information being presented (it can't be invisible to all of their senses)</font></p></li></ul></li><li style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0.25em;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px"><p style="line-height:1.4;margin-left:1em;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;background:inherit"><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><b>Operable </b>- User interface components and navigation must be operable.</font></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0.25em;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px"><p style="line-height:1.4;margin-left:1em;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;background:inherit"><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif">This means that users must be able to operate the interface (the interface cannot require interaction that a user cannot perform)</font></p></li></ul></li><li style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0.25em;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px"><p style="line-height:1.4;margin-left:1em;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;background:inherit"><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><b>Understandable </b>- Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable.</font></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0.25em;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px"><p style="line-height:1.4;margin-left:1em;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;background:inherit"><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif">This means that users must be able to understand the information as well as the operation of the user interface (the content or operation cannot be beyond their understanding)</font></p></li></ul></li><li style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0.25em;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px"><p style="line-height:1.4;margin-left:1em;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;background:inherit"><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif"><b>Robust</b> - Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.</font></p><ul style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px"><li style="margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0.25em;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px"><p style="line-height:1.4;margin-left:1em;margin-top:0px;margin-bottom:0px;padding-top:0px;padding-bottom:0px;background:inherit"><font size="1" face="tahoma, sans-serif">This means that users must be able to access the content as technologies advance (as technologies and user agents evolve, the content should remain accessible)</font></p></li></ul></li></ol></div><div><br></div><div>And while disability itself is never a joking matter, some of the legislation that results from it can be. I recall being rather confused with a drive-thru ATM in Illinois that had a braille keypad (as required by law) on the driver's side.</div></div></div><div><br></div><div>kp</div></div><div class="gmail_extra"><br><div class="gmail_quote">On Sun, Nov 9, 2014 at 1:17 PM, Mark <span dir="ltr"><<a href="mailto:mark@vceit.com" target="_blank">mark@vceit.com</a>></span> wrote:<br><blockquote class="gmail_quote" style="margin:0 0 0 .8ex;border-left:1px #ccc solid;padding-left:1ex"><div dir="ltr"><div>Does anyone else have a sneaking fear that this second question in section B is misinterpreting the word "accessibility"?</div><div><br></div><div>We in VCE IT have (AFAIK) always understood 'accessibility' as referring to catering for special needs or disabilities.</div><div><br></div><div>This question smells to me as if it's referring to "ease of loading/finding". Try answering it with a "special needs" view of accessibility, and see how far you get.<br></div><div><br></div><div>Frustratingly, the current study design does not define accessibility, and it even muddies the water by including this in the glossary's definition of 'design elements'...</div><div><br></div><div><b>"In this study the elements related to functionality are structure, usability and accessibility, including navigation and load time, appropriateness and relevance."</b></div><div><br></div><div>This makes it sound like accessibility includes navigation and load time (curse their ambiguous punctuation) which is definitely not related to disabilities. </div><div><br></div><div>Yet the Nelson/Potts textbooks seems to agree that 'accessibility' relates to factors like colour blindness, reduced language skills etc.</div><div><br></div><div>The problem is that I can't find a VCE IT source for this 'accessibility' convention. <br>Does anyone remember where this interpretation of accessibility came from years ago?</div><div><br></div><div>Or have I slipped several cogs and is question B2 quite appropriate and right? Has the exam question writer read the study design and made a quite valid (but wrong) interpretation of the word?</div><span class="HOEnZb"><font color="#888888"><div><br></div>-- <br><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><br></div><div>Mark Kelly</div><div>mark AT vceit DOT com</div><div><a href="http://vceit.com" target="_blank">http://vceit.com</a></div><div><br></div><div><i>I love the sound of people's voices after they stop talking.</i></div><div><br></div><div><div>I, Mark Kelly, am entirely responsible for the offensive verbiage I spew forth.</div><div>Have I offended anyone with this post? I would not be surprised.</div><div>If offended, please whinge to me at the email address above. </div><div>Please leave poor Kevork alone. It is not his fault.</div></div></div></div></div></div>
</font></span></div>
<br>_______________________________________________<br>
<a href="http://www.edulists.com.au" target="_blank">http://www.edulists.com.au</a> - FAQ, resources, subscribe, unsubscribe<br>
IT Applications Mailing List kindly supported by<br>
<a href="http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/itapplications3-4.html" target="_blank">http://www.vcaa.vic.edu.au/vce/studies/infotech/itapplications3-4.html</a> - Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority <br><br>
<a href="http://www.vitta.org.au" target="_blank">http://www.vitta.org.au</a> - VITTA Victorian Information Technology Teachers Association Inc <br><br>
<a href="http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ict/schools" target="_blank">http://www.swinburne.edu.au/ict/schools</a> - Swinburne University<br></blockquote></div><br><br clear="all"><div><br></div>-- <br><div class="gmail_signature">-- <br>Dr Ken Price MACS CP ACCE Professional Associate.<br>President, TASITE <a href="http://www.tasite.tas.edu.au" target="_blank">http://www.tasite.tas.edu.au</a></div>
</div>