All About Access

I suppose after looking their gift horse in the mouth, suggesting that evil is as evil does regardless of what your mission statement may claim, and, oh yeah, that whole call to action business, I should give Google some credit. Or at least the benefit of the doubt. Google will be presenting at CSUN this year:

• Accessibility at Google: An Overview


• Audio CAPTCHA at Google

I hope to hear not only a strong committment to accessibility from the Mountain View delegation, but also a strong willingness to learn. Don’t talk to us; talk with us.

With any luck, their second session will be well-attended by members of the Deaf-Blind community (for whom Audio CAPTCHA is as accessible as the visual version).

Until recently, the all mighty Google had a poor reputation among visual and mobility impaired web users. Their use of visual verification systems like ”captcha” to prevent automated bots from creating Google user accounts (see Oops, Google Did it Again and A Call to Action: Captchas Limit Equal Access to Information) created barriers to visually impaired users. The lack of structural markup made it difficult for visual and mobility impaired users (more specifically keyboard users) to quickly and efficiently navigate search results. And the heavy use of DHTML in many of their new “Web 2.0” applications (like GMail, Google Calendar, Google Spreadsheets, and the long anticipated launch of their word processing app Writely) make it difficult if not impossible for keyboard only users to access these alternatives to bulky and expensive desktop applications (although this may not be considered their oversight, but rather a limitation of the access software in use today).

In the article ‘Google for the blind’ recently published in the San Francisco Chronicle, Jessica Guynn writes about a new project in Google Labs called Google Accessible Search:

Google research scientist T.V. Raman, blinded by childhood glaucoma, doesn’t want the visually impaired to be sidelined on the Internet.

That’s why this fervent proponent of making technology accessible to the entire disabled community moved from IBM to the Internet mainstream a year ago, and has been working tirelessly ever since toward Web sight for all.

His latest effort? It’s called ”Accessible Search,” a new Google search engine that aims to deliver results both relevant and easy for the visually impaired to access.

The article also mentions improvements in access to Google’s visual verification system:

Those squiggly words you see on a Web page that act as a security measure to keep out spammers. Known as “captchas.” They work great, if you can see them. Google finally added audio to their word verification system in April.

And it hints at greater things to come, like improved access to web apps like GMail and Google Talk.

I have to admit, the prospect of a more accessible Google, which is for many, the gateway to the World Wide Web, is very exciting. However, at first glance, it appears that Google Accessible Search has quite a ways to go. The lack of structural markup is a huge shortcoming. The only heading tag is an H1 wrapped around the first words on the page “Accessible Search.” How about adding an H2 to that meaningless word WEB that appears above the search results? Better yet, change that word to something meaningful, like RESULTS!)

Sarcasm aside, Google and T.V. Raman should be commended and encouraged in their efforts. A more accessible web benefits all. So be sure to read the article in full at The Technology Chronicles : Google for the blind. Don’t forget to look for quotes from Carroll Tech and All About Access’s very own Joanmarie Diggs!

Technorati Tags: Google, captcha, Accessible Search

Good evening, morning, or afternoon to you!!! Why am I so chipper, you ask? Because the Google captcha issue is now being discussed on the blogs of librarians, in particular Baby Boomer Librarian and LibrarianInBlack. I am thrilled to see librarians join us in advocating for information and services that are accessible to all users!

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The [Blog Herald](http://www.blogherald.com “Blog Herald”) has written about the access issues posed by captchas! Excellent!! Read [“Google Under Fire for Excluding Blind Bloggers”](http://www.blogherald.com/2005/04/25/google-under-fire-for-excluding-blind-bloggers/ “Google Under Fire for Excluding Blind Bloggers”).
—jd

If you are like most people, you’ve probably never heard of a “captcha.” But if you’ve ever registered for a free service online, there’s a good chance you’ve seen one. The most frequently-used captchas are pictures of somewhat distorted letters and/or numbers. You, the computer user seeking to register for the service, are told to “type the characters you see in this picture.” By successfully completing this task, you are proving that you are a human being and not a computer program seeking to exploit the service in question. Of course what you’re really proving is that you are a sighted human being—or someone with access to a sighted human being. Captchas significantly limit equal access to information for users who are blind or visually impaired.

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I guess Google doesn’t get it when it comes to visual verification systems…. One might even suggest that they were being

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As you may recall from my [March 8th article](http://blog.carrolltech.org/archives/12 “Another Google Access Issue: Visual Verification Systems”) and/or from [Darrell’s article on Blind Access Journal](http://nu7i.blogspot.com/2005/03/ask-google-to-unlock-visua_111012189804844249.html ” Ask Google to Unlock Visual Verification for the Blind”), Google uses a visual verification system to verify that people signing up for new accounts are really people signing up for new accounts and not automated systems seeking to exploit Google’s services. This system is also required to reset your password for your general Google account and, according to Darrell, your GMail account.

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