We no longer think it is acceptable to discriminate against people on grounds of gender or race and, as a community, we expect provision to be made for people with disabilities in public transport and building design. However, when it comes to making sure web content is accessible to all users of the web, including […]
Twenty years ago this week, my partner Janet and I were in London on holidays. All the news was about the turmoil in Eastern bloc countries following Gorbachev’s announcement that they would be allowed to choose their own path. Increasing numbers of people from Hungary and Czechoslovakia took him at his word and were sampling […]
It’s funny how quickly we sometimes forget. When cable first became available in my neighbourhood, most people connected to the internet via dial-up. Since my work involves providing advice about the usability and accessibility of websites, I made a conscious decision at the time to go with the masses and remain on dial-up. Within a […]
I have been without the Internet for the last few days, which needless to say has not been good for business. The process of trying to get it back again has been so painful I fear that if don’t share my sorry story with you, I may be scarred for life. At the outset, I […]
The recent Domino’s Pizza “horror” video and its aftermath got me thinking once again about the apparent disconnect some people experience between their antics in the virtual world the real world consequences. We have all seen stories of people who after a heavy night out, use Facebook, Myspace or something similar, to share their experiences […]
The rain can cause insane things to happen in Sydney. This morning I had to catch the train from my local suburban station in the inner west to go to a meeting on the north shore at 9.00am. The train was packed to gunnels. Wet, sweaty, with nose pressed against the glass, but at least […]
Senator Conroy is participating in the Q&A panel-discussion program on the ABC this evening. Needless to say, many people are sending in questions relating to the Internet Filtering proposal for Tony Jones to ask the Senator. I have sent in the following as President of the Web Industry Professionals Association: Like Senator Conroy, I am […]
“The Diving Bell and the Butterfly” is a great movie that is likely to be of interest to anyone interested in accessibility. When the movie came out a couple of years ago, a friend of mine Phil, who is an experienced film maker and cameraman, told me it was terrific and I had to make […]
I recently returned from another great Webstock Conference in Wellington: Magic venue, fabulous speakers, terrific vibe! When opening the conference, I think Mike Brown picked the mood perfectly, commenting on the financial and environmental crisis facing the world, the importance of finding solutions quickly and how the web, and the people who work in it, […]
On 3 December 2008, I went to the launch of “Lara’s Gondola”, an inspiring book by a very impressive young woman, Lara Friedman. Lara grew up in Australia and South Africa. While still at school she was selected for the junior netball team for the Maccabiah Games in 1997. She was on the bridge with […]