1 Thank you

Sometimes little bits of text trigger me and they linger: deaf, HOH, and Deaf people who struggle with English as a second language.

This was something that I simply overlooked. The Deaf have a different langauge as their first langauge, so reading in any language is already a second (or third) language to them.

Thanks for making me aware of this, I will bear it in mind.

All in all a great article, thanks again.

posted at 09:57 am on August 12, 2008 by Rob Hofker

2 Targeted Accessibility

Thanks for your timely article, Lisa. I’m interested to track down any examples, not of the alternate [accessible] versions of a given video, but rather, of useable, standards-compliant [attractive] instances that demonstrate exactly the type of manifestation of accessibility considerations you mention.

The JW Media player (http://www.jeroenwijering.com/?item=Making_Video_Accessible), for example, allows multiple audio tracks to be toggled on and off (and the now expected closed caption toggle), along with external playlists (presumably to allow a considerate online video publisher to make switching between alternate versions a snap).

To assist keyboard-only users, HTML controls interacting with the embedded Flash media player are also a possibility (in addition to obligatory downloads in alternate formats), but could potentially be intrusive to users who have mouse control for direct embedded media manipulation.

It sounds as though a developer putting together a wishlist to help meet any accessible video requirements would need to ask for: - Transcript - Transcript – audio description - Transcript – extended audio description - Timed closed captions (presumably W3C’s Timed Text XML) - Timed closed captions – audio description - Timed closed captions – extended audio description - Alternate audio track – audio description - Alternate audio track – extended audio description - Alternate video track – sign language (possibly multiple regions’ worth) - Alternate download formats (presumably WMV / AVI / etc.) - Alternate quality versions for downloading of all of the above - Possibly a MediaRSS feed describing all of the above - An embedded media player (something like JW player) capable of: —Control via HTML elements —Sending video player state feedback to HTML text fields (ideally via ARIA-type controls) —Same-page playlist control over alternate video versions (and their respective audio, captions and transcripts)

And make it good-looking, valid XHTML, and search-engine friendly, to boot.

(Did I miss anything?)

It’s quite a shopping list – perhaps this is an ‘ideal’ collection for online video that might be deemed high-value and/or high-traffic.

posted at 10:30 am on August 12, 2008 by Gordon Grace

3 Targeted Accessibility

Thanks for your timely article, Lisa. I’m interested to track down any examples, not of the alternate [accessible] versions of a given video, but rather, of useable, standards-compliant [attractive] instances that demonstrate exactly the type of manifestation of accessibility considerations you mention.

The JW Media Player, for example, allows multiple audio tracks to be toggled on and off (and the now expected closed caption toggle), along with external playlists (presumably to allow a considerate online video publisher to make switching between alternate versions a snap).

To assist keyboard-only users, HTML controls interacting with the embedded Flash media player are also a possibility (in addition to obligatory downloads in alternate formats), but could potentially be intrusive to users who have mouse control for direct embedded media manipulation.

It sounds as though a developer putting together a wishlist to help meet any accessible video requirements would need to ask for:

• Transcript
• Transcript – audio description
• Transcript – extended audio description
• Timed closed captions (presumably W3C’s Timed Text XML)
• Timed closed captions – audio description
• Timed closed captions – extended audio description
• Alternate audio track – audio description
• Alternate audio track – extended audio description
• Alternate video track – sign language (possibly multiple regions’ worth)
• Alternate download formats (presumably WMV / AVI / etc.)
• Alternate quality versions for downloading of all of the above
• Possibly a MediaRSS feed describing all of the above

An embedded media player (something like JW player) capable of:

• Control via HTML elements
• Sending video player state feedback to HTML text fields (ideally via ARIA-type controls)
• Same-page playlist control over alternate video versions (and their respective audio, captions and transcripts)

And make it good-looking, valid XHTML, and search-engine friendly, to boot.

(Did I miss anything?)

It’s quite a shopping list – perhaps this is an ‘ideal’ collection for online video that might be deemed high-value and/or high-traffic.

[Apologies for the near-duplicate comment.]

posted at 10:42 am on August 12, 2008 by Gordon Grace

4 Finally, an article about us!

First of all, me, as a deaf webdesigner myself, I am sooo happy that there is an article about deafness in the famous A List Apart series!!

Lisa got the point. Listen to her, she is right! We Deaf are neither disabled nor retarded. It’s just a matter of the point of view: A stair makes the person on the wheelchair disabled. A ramp doesn’t. If everyone can’t hear, then it’s “normal” not to hear. The majority defines the minority.

Enough about philosophy, let’s get real: Solutions on the web for the Deaf are not impossible and not a matter of money. Like Lisa says, written text should be kept short and sexier. It’s not only a benefit for Deaf people, it’s also good for you “Normalos”, for your hearing folks.

In Germany and in Spain there are experiments to translate written text into a signing avatar automagically. I am sure, in the near future, there will be a smart multimedia object which delivers the content over the proper channel in the proper language. I hope the future versions of HTML 5 or XHTML 2 will support this!

I could write more. I am happy for now, that’s all.

Greeting from Auckland

M.

posted at 12:38 pm on August 12, 2008 by Michael Heuberger

5 Thanks for the Article

My wife and i actually met in ASL class, (we are hearing) – and i was on track to become a part time interpreter. One of the things that always bothered me was peoples perception of the deaf community.

In elementary and middle schools, where they have a “Deaf Program” they only teach PSE (Pigeon Signed English) where they actually replace the english word for the same sign. Where in High school, and in the Deaf community, we all Signed ASL (American Sign Language). Not only did the schools not teach Deaf students the language in their world, they tried to force the normal english grammer into their language.

Sorry this is a long post, but it hits a nerve… I always likened it to Teaching someone spannish by just replacing words, and not reordering meaning.. so instead of signing in ASL “Hello, How You”—they make them sign out Hello, How are you.. or instead of “Store, You Go?” (with the facial expression) they would teach “Are. You. Going. To. The. Store.”

Anyway, im done with my rant. Thanks for bringing this topic up to the Web community. and i hope it opens some eyes.

Phil

posted at 01:51 pm on August 12, 2008 by Phillip Palmieri

6 Thank you!!

As a web designer and a mother of a deaf child I have come across totally inaccessible design many times. Many of those times I needed to sit with my son to interpret sites for him so he could use them. In fact the worst ones are the biggest corporation with sites geared towards children entertainment. I believe it is all due to the lack of understanding of what deafness really is and that, as you mentioned, is not just the opposite of hearing. Spread the word sister!!

A big thank you from Canada,

FayeC

posted at 01:54 pm on August 12, 2008 by Faye Tarzwell

7 Fantastic Awareness of Deaf

Hi Lisa,

I’m a deaf web developer from Australia. I know a little Auslan and a bit about the deaf culture.

I like it when you bring up the difficulties that deaf people face when using the web (many people have no idea!), and the several suggestions you’ve brought up. Well done, keep it up!

Cheers, Marty

posted at 02:36 pm on August 12, 2008 by Martin Smales

8 WOW! What a help!

0.38% of America’s population is deaf. That’s 38 people in a stadium of 10,000, yet 50% of our time is spent blogging about them. I think if they spent as much time as we assume they do on the internet, they’d be insulted by all the wasted efforts. People already code sites with pure text/css now, and if there is Flash, it’s SIFR. I think this holy deaf talk is just trendy.

posted at 02:57 pm on August 12, 2008 by Michael Angeletti

9 Untitled

The need to translate sound-based jokes and slang for the Deaf makes complete sense to me, but it seems a little offensive to suggest that the written language should be made plain by stripping it of synonyms. When “extremely” is meant, sometimes “very” is lesser.

There is no reason why a Deaf person should be incapable of learning synonyms, and I think it’s insulting to suggest that, due to having a signed language as their primary tongue, the Deaf can’t have just as large a textual vocabulary as anyone else. Maybe I’m missing something, but widespread illiteracy among the Deaf seems to be given as a reason not to write beautiful prose rather than as a problem that needs to be solved by the Deaf community embracing a love of literature and literacy.

As a voracious reader, I don’t really consider written language to be all that connected to its auditory equivalent. Words quickly become pictograms. I’m reading a wonderful book now by Steven Brust and I have no idea how any of the names are pronounced, nor do I care, because I’m not hearing the text in my head, I’m reading it. A book on tape is as much a translation of the text as a sign-language interpreter at a reading is.

I mean, if transcription isn’t sufficient—barring the aforementioned soundbased jokes and slang—then what’s next? Special Deaf translations of the Complete Works of Shakespeare?

A Midsummer Night’s Dream Act 5, Scene 1

PHILOSTRATE No, my noble lord; It is not for you: I have heard it over, And it is nothing, nothing in the world; Unless you can find sport in their intents, Extremely stretch’d and conn’d with cruel pain, To do you service.

vs.

A Midsummer Night’s Dream DEAF EDITION Act 5, Scene 1

PHILOSTRATE No, my good man; It is not for you: I have heard it over, And it is nothing, nothing in the world; Unless you can find they were joking, Very stretch’d and conn’d with mean pain, To do you service.

It just won’t do.

posted at 04:19 pm on August 12, 2008 by Dan Guy

10 Restating one point

On re-reading that, I never got around to stating one of my main point clearly:

Written language is a second language to “Normalos” too.

Yes, those that are taught to read via phonics have a leg up initially, because phonics are a system for converting written language into spoken language, albeit an incredibly complex system for English once you move past the “Dick and Jane” primers. But this leg up is fleeting and, IMHO, ruins readers who never make the cognitive leap to understanding written language completely independently of audible language.

Written language should be everyone’s second language. It should be the lingual equalizer.

posted at 04:32 pm on August 12, 2008 by Dan Guy