[Irl-dean] TerminalFour and accessibility

[Joshue O Connor]

Hi Colm,

What would be the main (near accessible) CMS that you would recommend?
And if there isn't one (or two ), what do you think is nearly there, as such.

There seems to be little that can be done with an accessible out of the box solution for idiots (sic),
and at best you seem to need  a savvy developer at the controls to monitor output.

Are Meath County  Council using Q'N'ECMS as someone in there is a GAWDS member?

If you could even share what ones you think are dogs, that would be great.

Off list, if you like.

Cheers

Josh

Colm McBarron wrote:
> Hi Mark,
> 
> I've worked with a lot of Content management systems - from Open  source 
> to Enterprise Wide Systems - and all of them have problems  when it 
> comes to accessibility.
> 
> In an Irish context, the public sector effort to improve website  
> accessibility has forced the main vendors to ensure that their  systems 
> can produce and maintain standards compliant websites. And  
> TerminalFour, in particular, has done a reasonably good job.
> 
> TerminalFour's Site Manager system allows the web master or  
> administrator to specify and control the HTML output. So if the web  
> master understands how to design an accessible website, the content  
> management system will publish and maintain an accessible website.
> 
> Design flaws in the the WYSIWYG editor include the fact that content  
> copied directly from MS Word document results in non standard HTML  tags 
> when published and the table editor does not input the heading  tags by 
> default.
> 
> (More savvy organisations using Site Manager - such as Meath County  
> Council - have put in place author training programs and include  
> accessibility checks as part of their publishing workflow to overcome  
> these limitations.)
> 
> All content management systems contain numerous interface design &  
> usability problems. The TerminalFour interface is relatively good  
> (compared to other CMSs that I've worked with) and most content  authors 
> are generally up and running quite quickly.
> 
> But unfortunately the application interface (from the Log in screen  
> through to the WYSIWYG Interface) is inaccessible to a blind or  
> visually impaired user (doesn't work at all with JAWS) and it would  be 
> very difficult for someone to use without a mouse.
> 
> I've heard of a number of systems that claim that their interface is  
> accessible, but I haven't tested these claims.
> 
> Colm
> 
> 
> 
> 
> On 7 Jun 2006, at 19:35, Mark Magennis wrote:
> 
>> From ElectricNews:
>>
>> Eight Irish local authorities have hired enterprise content  
>> management firm TerminalFour to upgrade their websites, it emerged  on 
>> Wednesday.
>> ...
>> TerminalFour managing director Piero Tintori told ENN ... "The need  
>> to update their systems for improved accessibility for deaf or  blind 
>> citizens prompted local authorities to now roll-out their  second, or 
>> in some cases third-generation, versions of their e-gov  services".
>>
>> ...
>>
>> "The TerminalFour Site Manager product has helped us to develop and  
>> deliver a scalable, easy-to-use and accessible website which can be  
>> maintained by any of our staff members, regardless of their  
>> technology expertise," said Galway City Council's head of ICT,  Robert 
>> Curley, in a statement.
>>
>>
>>
>> Full story: http://www.enn.ie/frontpage/news-9698543.html
>>
>> Obviously CMSs are an important determinant of website  accessibility. 
>> Anybody here know anything more about the  accessibility of 
>> TerminalFour or other available CMSs? You can  email me privately if 
>> you don't want to say anything about this in  public.
>>
>> Thanks,
>> Mark
>>
>>
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