Category: Geeks r Us
Hi, I was wondering if any of you here had some advice for putting up a web site using an accessible host. Any ideas?
Now come on, I know a lot of you all have some ideas. lol
Well, to be honest, you are not asking the question correctly.
There are 2 ways you can build a web site.
1. An online or offline wizard with prebuilt templates. This wizard will permit you to select colors, text sizes, graphics, links, etc. But many are simply not accessible. Especially if one is totally blind, he/she is unable to "tell" the difference between one template from another. Not unless there is such think as a screen size braille display showing you tactically how the site feels, the position of the links, whether or not the descriptions for the links are too long and runs down to the next line. How icons are placed on the screen, whether or not your eddit boxes are displaced, that sort of thing. All of those wizards that I have tried simply doesn't work too well for the totals. They often don't use ascii text to explain colors or icons, they simply just put up a radio box and a small thumbnail of a color, texture, background, icon, etc.
2. Manually use a text editor to pound out the html codes and upload to your host via ftp. This way you have full control over everything. Of course, a total might still refer to a sighted person to verify that it si still estetically kind to the eyes.
But when you ask for an "accessible host", what do you mean exactly.
As long as the ftp client is accessible, you can upload anything to the host, once you have established the connection.
Ok, so which text editor should I use that works for us totally blind folk? And also, which FTP client works well for you?
In terms of text editor, use the most simple one you can find. This is very important.
Do not make the mistake of many who try to take the shortcut and use frontpage or ms word to do your html.
I suggest textpad 4.0 if you can find it. The later versions are not accessible.
Or even notepad found in accessories. But I too distrust that, coming from microsoft.
If you can find arachnophilia v4, as that one is accessible. It is an html editor, permitting you to plop down codes by selecting them through the menus.
E.g. you can use the table wizad, specify how many column and rows, and the html editor will drop the code down for you. All you need to do is to fill in the info.
An accessible ftp client that I have been using for the past 10 years is still the best one IMO. wsftp le, if you can find it.
Hmmm, interesting stuff. Thanks for your help on this.