Vaccination Receipts on Linux
The Ontario Governement emailed us Vaccination Receipts shortly after we were vaccinated. As of Sept 22, we will need to show them some places if we want access. When I go back to that email, I find that it is defective. You cannot read the PDF from my MUA (Alpine on Linux), and I suspect that this is true for any Linux or UNIX MUA. Perhaps also for Apple MUAs. The reason is that the PDF is sent as an attachment, with the wrong type specified in the attachment's headers: Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Type: text/plain;charset=utf-8 Content-Disposition: attachment;filename=Dose_Admin_...pdf" On POSIX systems, attachments with Content-Type "text", have CR LF sequences replaced by NL. I was able to make it work by manually editing my mailbox, changing the Content-Type header to: Content-Type: application/pdf
On 2021-09-17 3:20 p.m., D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
When I go back to that email, I find that it is defective. You cannot read the PDF from my MUA (Alpine on Linux), and I suspect that this is true for any Linux or UNIX MUA. Perhaps also for Apple MUAs.
I have no problem reading mine. I received both paper and PDF versions of the receipt and put the PDF on my smart phone. Maybe yours are defective. What happens if you detach it and then try reading?
If you go to the address below you can download your receipt as a pdf. https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/ On 2021-09-17 15:25, James Knott via talk wrote:
On 2021-09-17 3:20 p.m., D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
When I go back to that email, I find that it is defective. You cannot read the PDF from my MUA (Alpine on Linux), and I suspect that this is true for any Linux or UNIX MUA. Perhaps also for Apple MUAs.
I have no problem reading mine. I received both paper and PDF versions of the receipt and put the PDF on my smart phone. Maybe yours are defective.
What happens if you detach it and then try reading?
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and that link, like a great deal of Ontario.ca these days is not inclusively designed. I get a JavaScript error, even when using a JavaScript friendly browser with adaptive tools on the Ubuntu shell services I use. Both dreamhost's shell and the one I use most of the time. granted, my pharmacists made sure I had paper copies, but still. Kare On Fri, 17 Sep 2021, Tim Carroll via talk wrote:
If you go to the address below you can download your receipt as a pdf. https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/
On 2021-09-17 15:25, James Knott via talk wrote:
On 2021-09-17 3:20 p.m., D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
When I go back to that email, I find that it is defective. You cannot read the PDF from my MUA (Alpine on Linux), and I suspect that this is true for any Linux or UNIX MUA. Perhaps also for Apple MUAs.
I have no problem reading mine. I received both paper and PDF versions of the receipt and put the PDF on my smart phone. Maybe yours are defective.
What happens if you detach it and then try reading?
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On 2021-09-17 16:18, Karen Lewellen via talk wrote:
and that link, like a great deal of Ontario.ca these days is not inclusively designed. I get a JavaScript error, even when using a JavaScript friendly browser with adaptive tools on the Ubuntu shell services I use. Both dreamhost's shell and the one I use most of the time.
Backing up the discussion a bit. The Ontario government has the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/05a11 I know that at least a number of government Ministries do try to produce AODA complaint sites and associated documentation and training because my wife has worked on a number of these projects for well over the last 5 years. AODA compliance and the associated certification process can add months to the timeline of a project along with significant costs. Each version of site or document can end up being subject to a review process by an external certification organization. AODA testing is a slow and tedious process and is one of the first things that will get cut when budgets become limited, much like documentation and testing. Clearly the existing web services from ontario.ca are not sufficient. There is an argument that the AODA has remedies for people who find themselves without the ability to access Ontario government services. I have never tried to raise a complaint with the compliance and enforcement people so I have no idea how well or poorly the process works. Its interesting that there were mentions of the U.S. ADA but nothing about Ontario's AODA and the federal ACA. -- Alvin Starr || land: (647)478-6285 Netvel Inc. || Cell: (416)806-0133 alvin@netvel.net ||
On Mon, Sep 20, 2021 at 12:06:29PM -0400, Alvin Starr via talk wrote:
Backing up the discussion a bit.
The Ontario government has the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/05a11
I know that at least a number of government Ministries do try to produce AODA complaint sites and associated documentation and training because my wife has worked on a number of these projects for well over the last 5 years.
AODA compliance and the associated certification process can add months to the timeline of a project along with significant costs. Each version of site or document can end up being subject to a review process by an external certification organization. AODA testing is a slow and tedious process and is one of the first things that will get cut when budgets become limited, much like documentation and testing.
Clearly the existing web services from ontario.ca are not sufficient. There is an argument that the AODA has remedies for people who find themselves without the ability to access Ontario government services. I have never tried to raise a complaint with the compliance and enforcement people so I have no idea how well or poorly the process works.
Its interesting that there were mentions of the U.S. ADA but nothing about Ontario's AODA and the federal ACA.
Just because getting it certified is tedious is no excuse for not designing it with that in mind from the start. Making a design that is entirely not suitable is a great way to ensure it will be a lot of work and expensive when you have to then do it all over after the fact to do it right. -- Len Sorensen
On 2021-09-20 4:36 p.m., Lennart Sorensen via talk wrote: Just because getting it certified is tedious is no excuse for not designing it with that in mind from the start. Making a design that is entirely not suitable is a great way to ensure it will be a lot of work and expensive when you have to then do it all over after the fact to do it right. Alas, there are fads in UX that always break ADA and AODA, and "ooh, shiny" beats "you'll get your ass sued off" way too often. Hiding the scroll-bar unless you position your cursor EXACTLY in the middle of the right band of white-space is an excellent example, eh Grafana? --dave -- David Collier-Brown, | Always do right. This will gratify System Programmer and Author | some people and astonish the rest dave.collier-brown@indexexchange.com<mailto:dave.collier-brown@indexexchange.com> | -- Mark Twain CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER : This telecommunication, including any and all attachments, contains confidential information intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. Any dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure is strictly prohibited and is not a waiver of confidentiality. If you have received this telecommunication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return electronic mail and delete the message from your inbox and deleted items folders. This telecommunication does not constitute an express or implied agreement to conduct transactions by electronic means, nor does it constitute a contract offer, a contract amendment or an acceptance of a contract offer. Contract terms contained in this telecommunication are subject to legal review and the completion of formal documentation and are not binding until same is confirmed in writing and has been signed by an authorized signatory.
On 2021-09-20 9:28 p.m., Dave Collier-Brown via talk wrote:
On 2021-09-20 4:36 p.m., Lennart Sorensen via talk wrote:
Just because getting it certified is tedious is no excuse for not designing it with that in mind from the start. Making a design that is entirely not suitable is a great way to ensure it will be a lot of work and expensive when you have to then do it all over after the fact to do it right.
Alas, there are fads in UX that always break ADA and AODA, and "ooh, shiny" beats "you'll get your ass sued off" way too often.
Hiding the scroll-bar unless you position your cursor EXACTLY in the middle of the right band of white-space is an excellent example, /eh Grafana/?
Another thing, which is very annoying, is the sites that use low contrast, such as grey on white or black on dark blue. What's the point of making a web site that's hard to read???
On 2021-09-20 16:36, Lennart Sorensen wrote:
On Mon, Sep 20, 2021 at 12:06:29PM -0400, Alvin Starr via talk wrote:
Backing up the discussion a bit.
The Ontario government has the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA) https://www.ontario.ca/laws/statute/05a11 snip Just because getting it certified is tedious is no excuse for not designing it with that in mind from the start. Making a design that is entirely not suitable is a great way to ensure it will be a lot of work and expensive when you have to then do it all over after the fact to do it right.
Your absolutely right. I do not justify doing a bad job I just put some context to the reasons that others may do a bad job. -- Alvin Starr || land: (647)478-6285 Netvel Inc. || Cell: (416)806-0133 alvin@netvel.net ||
I've been told that the thing in email does not count as a receipt. Neither does the thing that they handed you when you got the vaccine. You are supposed to go to <https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/> answer lots of questions, and get a real receipt. | From: James Knott via talk <talk@gtalug.org> | I have no problem reading mine. I received both paper and PDF versions of the | receipt and put the PDF on my smart phone. Maybe yours are defective. What's your MUA? SeaMonkey? | What happens if you detach it and then try reading? Fails.
On 2021-09-17 3:47 p.m., D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
I've been told that the thing in email does not count as a receipt. Neither does the thing that they handed you when you got the vaccine. You are supposed to go to <https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/> answer lots of questions, and get a real receipt.
I just did that and can read it.
| From: James Knott via talk <talk@gtalug.org>
| I have no problem reading mine. I received both paper and PDF versions of the | receipt and put the PDF on my smart phone. Maybe yours are defective.
What's your MUA? SeaMonkey?
I can open it in Occular or save. Either works.
| What happens if you detach it and then try reading?
Fails.
Well, download again and see what happens
Oh that is disturbing. And one can reach a human directly how to confirm this? On Fri, 17 Sep 2021, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
I've been told that the thing in email does not count as a receipt. Neither does the thing that they handed you when you got the vaccine. You are supposed to go to <https://covid19.ontariohealth.ca/> answer lots of questions, and get a real receipt.
| From: James Knott via talk <talk@gtalug.org>
| I have no problem reading mine.� I received both paper and PDF versions of the | receipt and put the PDF on my smart phone.� Maybe yours are defective.
What's your MUA? SeaMonkey?
| What happens if you detach it and then try reading?
Fails.
What screen reader and low graphics browser did you use? I will share in a moment what I get when following the link. On Fri, 17 Sep 2021, James Knott via talk wrote:
On 2021-09-17 4:20 p.m., Karen Lewellen via talk wrote:
Oh that is disturbing. And one can reach a human directly how to confirm this?
I just downloaded the receipts. They have a watermark and are also digitally signed, whereas the mailed ones have neither.
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which is why my question, about a human, still stands. Those are not screen readers, and there are countless individuals in the province who read and interact with the Internet differently. And that does not even get me started on the reprehensible nature of access in much of Linux for these populations. On Fri, 17 Sep 2021, James Knott via talk wrote:
On 2021-09-17 4:35 p.m., Karen Lewellen wrote:
What screen reader and low graphics browser did you use? I will share in a moment what I get when following the link.
I just downloaded with Seamonkey and read them with Occular.
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| From: Karen Lewellen via talk <talk@gtalug.org> | which is why my question, about a human, still stands. | Those are not screen readers, and there are countless individuals in the | province who read and interact with the Internet differently. The only accessibility concession I saw was a phone line: - call the Provincial Vaccine Information Line at 1-888-999-6488 (TTY for people who are deaf, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired: 1-866-797-0007) + information is available in more than 300 languages + this line is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week + you may have to wait for an agent when call volumes are high There is an Accessibility link that looks useless: <https://www.ontario.ca/page/accessibility> | And that does not even get me started on the reprehensible nature of access in | much of Linux for these populations. Yeah. That should be fixed. By whom? All of us, I guess.
Thanks very much for providing these phone numbers. I just got off the phone with staff here. Whomever is claiming that you must get a certificate specifically from the link shared, and that copies of your receipt from your pharmacist will no longer be accepted, is incorrect. I had seen media information stating that the pharmacist issued paper copies would still be fine as well, making the claim otherwise rather a concern due to Ontario.ca's established lack of accessibility. so, if you have copies from your pharmacists, there is no need to do anything else to establish proof. as for the issues with Linux accessibility in general. Speaking personally? A much better goal would be raising the profile of Linux as a platform widely used by the public, so that accessibility related surveys and tests will count those who choose Linux over other things. For example while a11yproject information suggests that true inclusive design creates doors that work both with and without JavaScript, webaim who circulates a survey about platforms and adaptive technology use intentionally does not ask about Linux. there stance is that too few people actually use Linux to be counted, which given a shared label does not a shared experience make, leads to problems like the government of Ontario site. yes Linux accessibility is dreadful, but so is its public image. Best, Karen On Fri, 17 Sep 2021, D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
| From: Karen Lewellen via talk <talk@gtalug.org>
| which is why my question, about a human, still stands. | Those are not screen readers, and there are countless individuals in the | province who read and interact with the Internet differently.
The only accessibility concession I saw was a phone line:
- call the Provincial Vaccine Information Line at 1-888-999-6488 (TTY for people who are deaf, hearing-impaired or speech-impaired: 1-866-797-0007)
+ information is available in more than 300 languages + this line is available 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., 7 days a week + you may have to wait for an agent when call volumes are high
There is an Accessibility link that looks useless: <https://www.ontario.ca/page/accessibility>
| And that does not even get me started on the reprehensible nature of access in | much of Linux for these populations.
Yeah. That should be fixed. By whom? All of us, I guess. --- Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org Unsubscribe from this mailing list https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
Hi Karen, On Sat, 18 Sept 2021 at 12:44, Karen Lewellen via talk <talk@gtalug.org> wrote:
I had seen media information stating that the pharmacist issued paper copies would still be fine as well, making the claim otherwise rather a concern due to Ontario.ca's established lack of accessibility. so, if you have copies from your pharmacists, there is no need to do anything else to establish proof.
FWIW, I have been using the CANimmunize app <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.ohri.immunizeapp> long before COVID; I have long needed a vaccination passport -- a WHO "yellow card" which has existed since the 30's <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Certificate_of_Vaccination_or_Prophylaxis> -- cause I've been to places that won't let you in without a Yellow Fever shot (as well as protection against a bunch of lesser but still nasty bugs). Its interface is clunky but it works, and I'll be using it to store my COVID jab receipts.
as for the issues with Linux accessibility in general. Speaking personally? A much better goal would be raising the profile of Linux as a platform widely used by the public, so that accessibility related surveys and tests will count those who choose Linux over other things.
As someone who finally gave up and loaded Windows on his laptop after two decades of fighting with Linux sound systems, battling desktops and inferior drivers, I'm quite convinced that lack of profile is not the cause. We've had twenty years of "this is the year of the Linux desktop" and it now rings extremely hollow, even if you count Chromebooks. Despite many many years of trying Linux has never risen out of a low-single-digit percentage of the installed base, and the very-real reasons for this stagnation are many. We thought that every major update of Windows -- from 98 to XP, XP to Windows 7 and then to 10 -- would lead to backwards compatibility issues that would bring swarms to Linux desktops. Now the predictions are made about Linux getting a major boost when Windows 10 users are forced to 11. While some will bring their now-orphaned-by-MS systems to Linux, the paradigm shift predicted by some will refuse to materialize ... again. On the server side the story is totally flipped, but on the desktop Linux is for enthusiasts, software developers, other power users and not much beyond. Personally I think in this case web accessibility issues are in the hands of the browser maker rather than the OS, anyway. Evan Leibovitch, Toronto Canada @evanleibovitch / @el56
On 2021-09-20 4:11 a.m., Evan Leibovitch via talk wrote: as for the issues with Linux accessibility in general. Speaking personally? A much better goal would be raising the profile of Linux as a platform widely used by the public, so that accessibility related surveys and tests will count those who choose Linux over other things. The rise of chromebooks in school is probably the harbinger of a move of quasi-embedded linux from phones to the desktop. --dave -- David Collier-Brown, | Always do right. This will gratify System Programmer and Author | some people and astonish the rest dave.collier-brown@indexexchange.com<mailto:dave.collier-brown@indexexchange.com> | -- Mark Twain CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER : This telecommunication, including any and all attachments, contains confidential information intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. Any dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure is strictly prohibited and is not a waiver of confidentiality. If you have received this telecommunication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return electronic mail and delete the message from your inbox and deleted items folders. This telecommunication does not constitute an express or implied agreement to conduct transactions by electronic means, nor does it constitute a contract offer, a contract amendment or an acceptance of a contract offer. Contract terms contained in this telecommunication are subject to legal review and the completion of formal documentation and are not binding until same is confirmed in writing and has been signed by an authorized signatory.
On 2021-09-20 6:45 a.m., Dave Collier-Brown via talk wrote:
The rise of chromebooks in school is probably the harbinger of a move of quasi-embedded linux from phones to the desktop.
And, more to Karen Lewellen's point, Chrome OS has to provide better accessibility than standard Linux distros as it's used and specified in many school districts and backed by a commercial entity that can be sued. It's deeply unfortunate, but accessibility only moves forward through the threat of legal action. The US Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has teeth, but who can be sued for Linux? Stewart
On Mon, 20 Sept 2021 at 08:43, Stewart C. Russell via talk <talk@gtalug.org> wrote:
It's deeply unfortunate, but accessibility only moves forward through the threat of legal action. The US Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has teeth, but who can be sued for Linux?
That goes to one of the largely unspoken but very real deficiencies of open source, in that the world of end-users is beholden to the projects that will scratch the itch of developers. This is why the open source world has dozens of text editors and thousands of Linux distributions but has yet to tackle decent OCR (which would be a significant accessibility tool). There are exceptions, of course, but doing something that end users want more than developers requires external incentives. It would take a sponsor to fund developers to create (and make useful) something that developers would not use but would be useful to society at large. This usually requires either employers or benefactors. If the will really existed, someone could establish a foundation that would fund development of FOSS accessibility tools, defining specific projects, fundraise towards them, hire developers and then project-manage. Some of the most successful examples that come to my mind of this are actually in the font world, which have led to the wonderful fonts Gentium (best Unicode support) <https://software.sil.org/gentium/> and Lexend (scientifically tested for maximum readbility) <https://www.lexend.com/>, both of which are arguably improvements in accessibility. In many open source projects, foundations are formed to support already-successful software (Apache, Drupal, etc). There aren't enough examples of the foundation coming first and "commissioning" projects that are needed but not commercially viable. - Evan
Hi Stewart, I suppose? One might sue red hat or Mozilla, depending on the situation in question. Still, the issue with ADA complaints are the degree to which those filing them must decide if it is worth the time such complaints can take. Unlike here in Ontario where a comparative Human Rights complaint might take a year or two, one can spend a decade or more in some cases Ada wise. Speaking personally? I would love to discover what constitutes Google's legal presence in Ontario or Canada, and file a human rights complaint based on accessibility against them. Karen On Mon, 20 Sep 2021, Stewart C. Russell via talk wrote:
On 2021-09-20 6:45 a.m., Dave Collier-Brown via talk wrote:
The rise of chromebooks in school is probably the harbinger of a move of quasi-embedded linux from phones to the desktop.
And, more to Karen Lewellen's point, Chrome OS has to provide better accessibility than standard Linux distros as it's used and specified in many school districts and backed by a commercial entity that can be sued. It's deeply unfortunate, but accessibility only moves forward through the threat of legal action. The US Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) has teeth, but who can be sued for Linux?
Stewart --- Post to this mailing list talk@gtalug.org Unsubscribe from this mailing list https://gtalug.org/mailman/listinfo/talk
Hi Dave, I am not sure I follow the connection between your example, and asking those using adaptive technology if they are say using Linux at the command line level, something often needful if you are going to use say speakup, a rather long standing Linux screen reader, and Linux itself. Google's definition of access means using their tools, which are, at least according to the several posts on their accessibility list, far from consistent, reliable, or functional. Kare On Mon, 20 Sep 2021, Dave Collier-Brown via talk wrote:
On 2021-09-20 4:11 a.m., Evan Leibovitch via talk wrote:
as for the issues with Linux accessibility in general. Speaking personally? A much better goal would be raising the profile of Linux as a platform widely used by the public, so that accessibility related surveys and tests will count those who choose Linux over other things.
The rise of chromebooks in school is probably the harbinger of a move of quasi-embedded linux from phones to the desktop.
--dave
-- David Collier-Brown, | Always do right. This will gratify System Programmer and Author | some people and astonish the rest dave.collier-brown@indexexchange.com<mailto:dave.collier-brown@indexexchange.com> | -- Mark Twain
CONFIDENTIALITY NOTICE AND DISCLAIMER : This telecommunication, including any and all attachments, contains confidential information intended only for the person(s) to whom it is addressed. Any dissemination, distribution, copying or disclosure is strictly prohibited and is not a waiver of confidentiality. If you have received this telecommunication in error, please notify the sender immediately by return electronic mail and delete the message from your inbox and deleted items folders. This telecommunication does not constitute an express or implied agreement to conduct transactions by electronic means, nor does it constitute a contract offer, a contract amendment or an acceptance of a contract offer. Contract terms contained in this telecommunication are subject to legal review and the completion of formal documentation and are not binding until same is confirmed in writing and has been signed by an authorized signatory.
Hi Evan, Finally a moment for the rest of this thread, or part of it at least. On Mon, 20 Sep 2021, Evan Leibovitch wrote:
FWIW, I have been using the CANimmunize app <https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=ca.ohri.immunizeapp> long before COVID; I have long needed a vaccination passport -- a WHO "yellow card" which has existed since the 30's <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Certificate_of_Vaccination_or_Prophylaxis> -- cause I've been to places that won't let you in without a Yellow Fever shot (as well as protection against a bunch of lesser but still nasty bugs). Its interface is clunky but it works, and I'll be using it to store my COVID jab receipts. That is quite handy for you I would imagine.
As someone who finally gave up and loaded Windows on his laptop after two decades of fighting with Linux sound systems, battling desktops and inferior drivers, I'm quite convinced that lack of profile is not the cause. We've had twenty years of "this is the year of the Linux desktop" and it now rings extremely hollow, even if you count Chromebooks. Despite many many years of trying Linux has never risen out of a low-single-digit percentage of the installed base, and the very-real reasons for this stagnation are many.
I will have to see if I still have the article, but I found one recently listing all of the places where indeed Linux is in use, perhaps under the hood, but in use all the same. still, it would likely surprise you just how many access related projects exist. Windows for many continues to carry quite the access price tag, the third party things needed to achieve inclusion when working with windows, depending on the individual, can get close to $10k, and one still has to deal with problems. For the developers working in Linux, there is an entire blindness group for Python for example, the thought was to cut down the cost, while building in inclusion from the code up...or in theory at least.
the server side the story is totally flipped, but on the desktop Linux is for enthusiasts, software developers, other power users and not much beyond.
Again, I respect your experience. still, again, you might be quite surprised how much energy is spent by individuals who, seeking inclusive access, and having the background, spend time and energy building Linux distributions for populations who have been largely ignored by Microsoft, and who are being stereotyped wrongly by google. To be sure, as your comment below simply illustrates, a great deal of the problem is limited public relations.
Personally I think in this case web accessibility issues are in the hands of the browser maker rather than the OS, anyway.
Evan, Forgive me if My assumption here is incorrect. Yet your sentence above suggests you may not fully understand just what is meant by access, or what adaptive technology actually provides. Given some of the other comments, this may get spread out, but let me start a bit here. For many, close to a billion according to some sources, adaptive technology can be a substitution for, or an extension of bodily function. Hands, ears, eyes, brains, combinations of all of these even. What that means from the OS standpoint is that, when incorporated well, one can engage with your computer in an inclusive way, close to, if not soon after you turn on the machine. what some sought to do with Linux in fact is provide system information, from the start, something never achieved in Windows. To help illustrate, your desktop has keyboard, mouse, monitor, and cp unit. My personal adaptive combination, while not entirely providing system boot stuff, does, uniformly interface with my keyboard, providing as much or as little monitor information I desire, and lets me take care of my CPU as well...all of that is needful before one even reaches a browser. Still, your browser idea might be true if every single site on the entire web incorporated inclusive design...which of course does not happen. Add that browsers get broken too. As a simple example Firefox stopped working with Apple's built-into-the-os screen reader voiceover about a decade ago. Meaning that for ten years one could not use the browser with some of apple's fundamental adaptive tools..it took until 2020 before that started to be fixed. and before you suggest that one can just use something else, that is not always the case, again because of design. It can be managed, quite easily actually, but that means choice on the part of decision makers. I am drawing largely below from respected UK web consultant Craig Buckler from his 2017 article on sitepoint.com https://www.sitepoint.com/author/craig-buckler/ although I am sure he is not the only one to outline the most inclusive practice for website design. That practice is known as Progressive Enhancement. quoting Craig. "You create the simplest HTML-only experience then enhance it with images, fonts, CSS and JavaScript when those files successfully download and execute. Users can receive a different experience. Those using the latest Chrome on a desktop may get the highest level of functionality. Those running Opera Mini on a two year-old mobile may receive a basic styled page. Importantly, everyone receives something and the site/app remains usable for everyone." and important to many experiencing a disability, accommodating that experience in the fashion best suited for their needs, a site or application still works for them. The buzz words are best suited for their needs, not best dictated by someone who has no daily experience, for that individual, of what accommodation means. Anyway, that is a start, Karen
Hi Karen, On Thu, 23 Sept 2021 at 18:54, Karen Lewellen <klewellen@shellworld.net> wrote:
I will have to see if I still have the article, but I found one recently listing all of the places where indeed Linux is in use, perhaps under the hood, but in use all the same.
I'm not referring to embedded devices in which Linux is usually what's under the hood. For the purposes of this discussion I've been focusing on the personal desktop computer OS experience, which is dominated by Microsoft, followed by Apple, then off in the distance all the Linux distros and implementations combined. I consider ChromeOS one of these "under the hood" situations where the user is unaware of the Linux underneath, OLPC is another. Collectively still low single-digits installed base. It's unfortunate but matches my observation, where in places like China people will prefer pirated Windows over legitimately acquired Linux. As beautiful as attempts such as Deepin certainly are, they have an uphill battle to be mainstream. And if someone is making a hardware accessibility device that requires an OS driver, they're more likely to pay attention to the 80+% on one platform compared to the 5% that comprises a dozen or more "mainstream" implementations. still, it would likely surprise you just how many access related projects
exist.
It wouldn't surprise me at all. But it's all relative.
Windows for many continues to carry quite the access price tag, the third party things needed to achieve inclusion when working with windows, depending on the individual, can get close to $10k, and one still has to deal with problems.
I don't doubt that for a moment. The open source community has made great strides but that work has its limits. But of all the "things" that are needed to make a Windows box accessible, how many of them are unavailable for Linux at any price? For the developers working in Linux, there is an entire blindness group for
Python for example, the thought was to cut down the cost, while building in inclusion from the code up...or in theory at least.
That's not Linux specific then. Most things done in Python will also work under Windows.
the server side the story is totally flipped, but on the desktop Linux is
for enthusiasts, software developers, other power users and not much beyond.
Again, I respect your experience. still, again, you might be quite surprised how much energy is spent by individuals who, seeking inclusive access, and having the background, spend time and energy building Linux distributions for populations who have been largely ignored by Microsoft,
Oh I get that. And it's not just physical accessibility. Minority-language communities around the world struggle for the ability to consume and create on Windows. Some have indeed found Linux to be an easier path for custom development, especially since modification can be done without vendor permission. But many just suffer through Windows because of other things lacking on Linux. My experience in accessibility projects isn't extensive but it's not zero. In a former life I spent the better part of a year working on a major project collaborating alongside Jutta Treviranus from Canada's _other_ IDRC, the Inclusive Design Research Centre at OCAD. Working with her and her team gave me some unexpected but welcome enlightenment into this world that most of IT ignores. It was in my work with her that I also reached a conclusion that as bad as Windows support is for accessibility, the open source world is steps behind that. I genuinely hope the situation has improved in the years since I worked on that project, but I remain to be convinced.
Personally I think in this case web accessibility issues are in the hands
of the browser maker rather than the OS, anyway.
Evan, Forgive me if My assumption here is incorrect. Yet your sentence above suggests you may not fully understand just what is meant by access, or what adaptive technology actually provides.
Do I _fully_ understand what is meant by access? Likely not since I haven't myself had to depend upon non-mainstream accessibility. Once upon a time I was charged with testing client websites against the W3C accessibility guidelines; that was not one of my most memorable assignments and I don't envy those still fighting those battles. Here, I was limiting myself to the issues in the specific discussion we were having in the thread, which was about accessibility deficiencies in the Ontario government website and its document-distribution facility. The site was making assumptions about the user's browser that rendered the experience inaccessible to many and insecure to all. My point was simply that THIS particular issue was one of browser and website and web standards, the underlying OS has little relevance. I was making no comment on general accessibility of the OS or its own user interface; very often the browser and OS have very different ideas of the UI and are in conflict, especially when they are perceived to come from competing sources. Regardless of OS or browser, a great deal of the web is broken and nearly unusable by those needing accessibility assistance beyond a standard installation. Windows can be blamed for many awful things, but not the brokenness and access-hostile nature of so much of the Web. (It could be argued that in the past a significant amount of this breakage came from sites needing to be compatible with Internet Explorer, but that is no longer the case.) Cheers, - Evan
On 2021-09-17 4:24 p.m., James Knott via talk wrote:
I just downloaded the receipts. They have a watermark and are also digitally signed, whereas the mailed ones have neither.
I downloaded mine a little after you did. Mine aren't signed, watermarked or encrypted. Slightly hilariously, it looks like they were supposed to be signed, but they contain the node-signpdf package's default X.509 P12 address: /ContactInfo (emailfromp1289@gmail.com) I wouldn't say it's trivial (except in the pure mathematics sense) to modify one of these receipts and falsify the information, but the tools to do so are in every Linux distro. Stewart
In fact, what shows regardless of lower graphics browser, including Javascript friendly ones is below. To use this site, please [1]enable JavaScript in your browser and refresh this page. Pour utiliser ce site, veuillez [2]activer JavaScript dans votre navigateur et rafra�chir cette page. (BUTTON) 1.1.38 __________________________________________________________________ * * * * __________________________________________________________________ [ ] (BUTTON) __________________________________________________________________
On 2021-09-17 3:20 p.m., D. Hugh Redelmeier via talk wrote:
When I go back to that email, I find that it is defective. You cannot read the PDF from my MUA (Alpine on Linux)
"I don't recognize that version of Outlook or Gmail, sir"
The reason is that the PDF is sent as an attachment, with the wrong type specified in the attachment's headers:
Mine, from April via a SalesForce instance, don't have that: Content-Type: application/pdf; name="Dose_Admin_....pdf" Content-Transfer-Encoding: base64 Content-Disposition: attachment; filename="Dose_Admin....pdf" Very strange. Stewart
participants (9)
-
Alvin Starr -
D. Hugh Redelmeier -
Dave Collier-Brown -
Evan Leibovitch -
James Knott -
Karen Lewellen -
Lennart Sorensen -
Stewart C. Russell -
Tim Carroll