Adobe Premiere CS4 has an audio-to-text transcribing feature for editing video - the same technology will find it's way to other products/services soon. Audio-boo's are already accessible to the visually impaired. I think the transcriptions are a good idea, but JoelDraper doesn't have to be the only one. Open it to the community like you've done on BoagWorld with the podcasts!
But this is a good question overall and one I have struggled with over the years. I think people need access to the same information but everyone does not need the same experience.
My own site gives people options. And they can use what best suits them.
It would help a lot of people if their Flash audio player was keyboard accessible. Flash has the ability to do this, they just need to use it.
I don't have time to edit this properly, but here's a quick transcript. I think that if you can, you might as well get these transcribed even if they're as bad as my ones, and I'm happy to do it.
So, I just made a smart aleck comment on twitter about how long it will take people to complain about these audioboo's not being accessible, and someone said, "Well, does that mean that everything has to be 100% accessible?"
And that's a very good point, and I don't know the answer to it.
On one hand, my gut reaction, and moral reaction is, "Hell yes it does! We have an obligation to make the web as accessible as possible, and it was always intended to be as accessible as possible.", and then my kind of pragmatic hat, my business hat says, "Well, No. Not always", because there is a limit as to how much you can do, and you have to justify the return on investment.
So it's about striking the balance. I think the kind of way that I'm coming to terms with it as far as these audioboo's are concerned is that I write extensively on the blog, the podcast is transcribed, and nothing I'm saying in these audioboo's is completely original.
It's stuff that I've either said else where, or that other people have said else where, so the content is available in accessible formats elsewhere, but not a transcribe of exactly what I'm saying here, and is that good enough? I don't know. I don't know the answer.
The other thing is, I think you need to take into account that different technologies work in different ways, and content is suitable in different forms.
So, when for example I transcribe the podcast, the interviews are transcribed word for word pretty much, but the rest of it is show notes where I produce a written version of the stuff that we cover, but it's not a word for word transcript.
Does that mean that my podcast isn't really accessible? I would argue not. I'm providing the same content, but in an alternative format.
That's quite an interesting conversation to have as to weather or not that is truly accessible.
I think you've got to take into account the format and I think when you're writing stuff that it's ok if that's a bit different.
I've created a transcript of this as well (see link below), in addition to some thoughts about the value of crowdsourcing to help increase accessibility: http://www.skipvision.com/blog/2009/04/17/crowdsourcing-for-better-web-accessibility/
davidpots about 4 years ago
Interesting, I tried and I can't seem to tab to it.
How would a user get to it with a keyboard? I was able to enable it but only after clicking on it first.
spokentext about 4 years ago
Adobe Premiere CS4 has an audio-to-text transcribing feature for editing video - the same technology will find it's way to other products/services soon. Audio-boo's are already accessible to the visually impaired. I think the transcriptions are a good idea, but JoelDraper doesn't have to be the only one. Open it to the community like you've done on BoagWorld with the podcasts!
fauverjo about 4 years ago
@spokentext the flash audio player is keyboard accessible.
JoelDrapper about 4 years ago
But this is a good question overall and one I have struggled with over the years. I think people need access to the same information but everyone does not need the same experience.
My own site gives people options. And they can use what best suits them.
It would help a lot of people if their Flash audio player was keyboard accessible. Flash has the ability to do this, they just need to use it.
Mark McKay
SpokenText.net
spokentext about 4 years ago
I don't have time to edit this properly, but here's a quick transcript. I think that if you can, you might as well get these transcribed even if they're as bad as my ones, and I'm happy to do it.
---------------------------------------------------
So, I just made a smart aleck comment on twitter about how long it will take people to complain about these audioboo's not being accessible, and someone said, "Well, does that mean that everything has to be 100% accessible?"
And that's a very good point, and I don't know the answer to it.
On one hand, my gut reaction, and moral reaction is, "Hell yes it does! We have an obligation to make the web as accessible as possible, and it was always intended to be as accessible as possible.", and then my kind of pragmatic hat, my business hat says, "Well, No. Not always", because there is a limit as to how much you can do, and you have to justify the return on investment.
So it's about striking the balance. I think the kind of way that I'm coming to terms with it as far as these audioboo's are concerned is that I write extensively on the blog, the podcast is transcribed, and nothing I'm saying in these audioboo's is completely original.
It's stuff that I've either said else where, or that other people have said else where, so the content is available in accessible formats elsewhere, but not a transcribe of exactly what I'm saying here, and is that good enough? I don't know. I don't know the answer.
The other thing is, I think you need to take into account that different technologies work in different ways, and content is suitable in different forms.
So, when for example I transcribe the podcast, the interviews are transcribed word for word pretty much, but the rest of it is show notes where I produce a written version of the stuff that we cover, but it's not a word for word transcript.
Does that mean that my podcast isn't really accessible? I would argue not. I'm providing the same content, but in an alternative format.
That's quite an interesting conversation to have as to weather or not that is truly accessible.
I think you've got to take into account the format and I think when you're writing stuff that it's ok if that's a bit different.
JoelDrapper about 4 years ago