Google docs--the new PDF?

[kestrell]

In the past 24 hours, I have attempted to register for the MIT assistive tech hackathon which invites PWD to be co-designers, but uses an inaccessible Google doc for the registration form.
Just now, I attempted to register for the user studies mentioned on the Google accessibility blog, and got another inaccessible Google doc.
Seriously? Isn't it enough that disability often goes excluded from diversity statements, but now blindness doesn't count as an access issue?
I guess I'll just be standing over here with my L337 t-shirt.

Comments

[bibliofile]

That's ridiculous. Would you like someone to go point this out to them?

FYI

[bibliofile]

The contact email on the Co-Designer application form is at-hack-core@mit.edu -- so, their regular email.

(There is no contact email on the Hacker application form.)

Re: FYI

[kestrell]

Oh, I did send the Hackathon folks an email yesterday, but have received no reply. There is an MIT event on Monday night, however, addressing the development of assistive tech, and Google is supposed to be present, so I'm going to go and try pushing for more involvement from blind testers.

[kestrell]

Sure--the more noise the better. I have used Google docs that were made accessible--I'm just flummoxed why Google isn't doing it.

[jesse_the_k]

Because we're an "edge case."

[kestrell]

Oh, Alexx just told me ECH was my typo for "tech," so apologies fo confusing you, and myself.
I did have a phone call with Google's disaility access team, but I don't think they appreciated the irony that OK Google kept freezing up so I had to pause to go get Alexx to unstick it, then my Android phone kept talking over our call, and I kept apologizing for my (read: their) misbehaving technology.