Globalization and Accessibility: Mutual Support and Best Practises
(featuring Oracle JDeveloper 10g and Oracle Accessibility Checker Plugin)
Kerstin E. Goldsmith, Senior Accessibility Product Manager, Oracle Corporation, USA
Intended Audience: Software Engineers, Graphic Designers, Managers, Site Coordinators, Technical Writers, Testers, Web Designers
Session Level: Intermediate
Question: Have you ever needed additional justification to convince developers that certain globalization requirements are essential to their work and the good of the product/website? Answer: Have a look at the accessibility arena, and there you will find support for those same requirements, but for different reasons.
This presentation will address the commonality between globalization and accessibility, listing specific areas of concern in web content like the use of abbreviations, simple language, and even sim-ship/CMS. It will further discuss how globalization and accessibility are, in fact, a part of the same goal of moving toward more universal design/access. By recognizing these common challenges and goals, globalization and accessibility evangelists can work together to produce higher quality products and web sites for all users. In doing so, products and web content will be better positioned to sell in markets that are increasingly insistent on adherence to both sets of requirements simultaneously.
This presentation will also show how those goals can be met through the use of Oracle JDeveloper 10g, with its new plugin (coming in December 2005), Oracle Accessibility Checker (OAC).