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Why should sighted people not be
allowed to appreciate art online?
----- Original Message -----
Sent: Tuesday, July 12, 2005 6:42
PM
Subject: Re: [WSG] HR - Presentation or
Structure?
> The web was built as a means to disseminate
information.
Patrick is correct.
The web is not a visual medium.
Some marketers, graphic artists and
designers may be shocked to learn
that.
The web is an information medium. One way in which that
information is
conveyed is visually, to user agents ("web
browsers").
But that's not the only way. HTML is designed with a
specific structure
that allows for semantic meaning and content to be
conveyed independent
of a particular means of representation. In other
words, HTML can be
interpreted in terms of visual display and appearance -
but it doesn't
have to be.
When designers began designing only
visual web pages during the
"browser wars" as Patrick mentioned, they
began to miss the boat
skipping a lot of the true power of HTML, as it
allows for far more
than simply laying out pretty images and colors next
to each other.
Many web authors have had skewed mind sets in this
respect, and only
built visual web pages. Don't get me wrong, nothing is
wrong with
having a great visual representation. But be careful not to
confuse the
display of a web page with the actual page itself.
This
impacts visually impaired people. If your page is designed to be
simply a
visual object, you'll lose this audience (and any number of
other
non-visual browser agents), but if your page is structured around
sound
principles of semantic markup and intelligent presentation, it
should be
as usable for someone completely blind as for someone with
perfect
vision.
Of course, users with visual impairments are not the only
people with
special needs that need to be kept in mind. Other
disabilities,
especially motor disabilities but including many others from
lack of
hearing to cognitive disabilities, and likewise have restricted
access
to websites. The goal should be to design in a way that includes
everyone-that's the power of the
web.
Laura
___________________________________________
Laura L.
Carlson
Information Technology Systems and Services
University of
Minnesota Duluth
Duluth, MN, U.S.A. 55812-3009
http://www.d.umn.edu/goto/webdesign/
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- Re: [WSG] HR - Presentation or Structure? Mike Whitehurst
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