RE: [user-assistance-discuss] Thoughts on Graphical Callouts

["Paul Prescod" <paul.prescod@xmetal.com>]

I hope that this email will come out better.

===

> 	From: marbux [mailto:marbux@gmail.com] 
> 	Sent: Monday, May 08, 2006 4:19 PM
> 	To: Paul Prescod
> 	Cc: user-assistance-discuss@lists.oasis-open.org
> 	Subject: Re: [user-assistance-discuss] Thoughts on 
> Graphical Callouts
> 	
> ...
> 	Mere canvas and a brush do not an artist make, and 
> taking the crayons away from the toddler who has been busily 
> decorating the walls does him no harm. 

I do not agree with your characterization of technical communication
professionals. 

> 	...	There is no time for mere "encouragement." The 
> legal right to reasonable accommodations for disabling 
> conditions became effective many years ago. I certainly would 
> marshal opposition to a Help authoring system XML standard 
> that enables Help files being generated that do not comply 
> with accessibility guidelines and fully enable related 
> standards such as VoiceXML...

Have you marshaled opposition to DITA, Docbook, ODF and XHTML 
on the basis that any of them can be used to make 
inaccessible content?
 		 
> 	...	This discussion would be more useful were it 
> focused on how to programatically ensure that Help authoring 
> systems produce *only* handicapped-accessible Help files.  I 
> have proposed one solution. Do you have another? ...

No, this is not possible. I cannot stop a technical writer from writing:
"push the button to the left of the text field." I can train a writer
not to do so, but no code that I write can prevent it.

I think that your passion for the issue is admirable. I think that if
you use your energy to make accessibility possible and convenient then
it will be effective. 

Trying to make inaccessibility impossible is, in my opinion,
wrong-headed and impossible. Shall we take away the GUIs altogether and
force everyone to the command line? Shall we deprecate whiteboards,
printed books and street maps?

 Paul Prescod