![[University of Waterloo]](/goldbar.gif)
| Yesterday |
Wednesday, February 11, 2004
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Editor: Chris Redmond credmond@uwaterloo.ca |
![[StJ home page]](/images/2004/0211sju.gif)
Convenient use of the web gets some attention in UW's Accessibility Plan for this year. It says: "The University is committed to making information available to all users in an accessible format for both on-line and traditional format of publications. Current practice at UW is the provision of materials in alternate format for persons who submit requests. Feedback solicited from persons with disabilities concluded that web-site navigation is often difficult for persons with fine motor skills deficits, and for persons with low vision who use screen readers or other types of adaptive technology."
Accessibility is also a way of keeping in mind various users' hardware and software preferences, says Jesse Rodgers, manager of web communications in the communications and public affairs office.
He says the existing guidelines for UW web sites will soon include standards for accessibility, based on the work of the World Wide Web Consortium and its Web Accessibility Initiative. They call on web developers to separate content and design -- providing information that doesn't depend on shape or colour, and that can still be understood if a blind user is hearing the words of a web page through a voice synthesizer.
An easy test for that kind of accessibility is to view a web site through a primitive text-only browser such as lynx. "Having standard code will ensure your site works across browsers and platforms," says Rodgers. "Most modern browsers support these standards, but there are still many who don't" -- including some ways in which the most common browser, Internet Explorer for Windows, departs from the standards even though Internet Explorer 5.2 for Mac OS X was the first browser to support them.
A key tool for designing accessible web pages is CSS, or Cascading Style Sheets -- a mechanism for adding design elements to a web page without interfering with the content. Increasingly, web designers are being encouraged to use XHTML (the successor to the traditional HTML coding language) for content, but CSS for appearance.
In its latest electronic newsletter, UW Graphics explains that "CSS makes accessibility easier to achieve. . . . CSS also allows sites to easily have a consistent look and feel because changes can be made to style sheets, which will affect all documents to which the style sheets have been applied."
One web site that uses CSS -- and is considered accessible for all audiences -- is the new site for St. Jerome's University, introduced early this month. Its home page is pictured at left.
The site meets the WAI standards "with a very few exceptions", says Rodgers. But he acknowledges that the St. Jerome's site, representing a college that's not fully a part of the university, doesn't meet the existing "gold standard" expectations for UW web sites, "not even the minimum graphical standard with the UW logo in the top left.
"It was a test case to see what we could do with CSS and prototype for what a new UW standard could look like."
Staff jobs are listedThe weekly Positions Available list from the human resources department has five jobs on it today:
Fuller descriptions are on the HR web site. "Internal staff members who are interested in applying for any of the positions should forward an updated resumé and cover letter within seven working days," HR says. |
It explains: "UW's Leadership for Results Trainers are offering their facilitation services to any departmental group who would like help in exploring ways to relieve some of the workload problems we are all facing.
"Working initially with the management and supervisory groups of departments, the facilitators will assist in exploring the current workload and the potential for reducing it through brainstorming exercises. Our facilitators don't know how your department works, but you do. What we can offer is someone to lead the discussion, work the flip charts and help you identify resolutions that may help your department.
"If you think this can work for you, please call Neil Murray at extension 2829."
The offer comes in the winter issue of the HR News, which is published online. Among other items in this issue:
| WHEN AND WHERE |
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Federation of Students election continues -- voting in person
9 to 4 today and tomorrow,
online voting until 8 p.m. tomorrow.
GarageBand software for music recording, demonstration 10:00 to 3:00, Campus TechShop, Student Life Centre. Baroque Valentine's Music, Stephanie Kramer (soprano) and Richard Cunningham (counter-tenor), 12:30, Conrad Grebel University College chapel, free. Registrar's office open house, 1:00 to 3:00, at main office, second floor of Needles Hall; scheduling and exams, NH room 1122; and marketing and undergraduate recruitment, NH 3007. All welcome. Letter Writing and Resumé Writing, career development workshops in Tatham Centre, details on career services web site. UpStart festival of short plays, performances 8:00 tonight, 12:30 and 8:00 tomorrow and Friday, 2 and 7 p.m. Saturday, Studio 180, Humanities building. Pre-Bomber Show on CKMS radio, Blind Date Speed Challenge live, 9 p.m. Technical speaker competition in faculty of engineering, Thursday 10 a.m., Doug Wright Engineering room 2534. Quilt Trunk Show, presentation by local artisan Carol Zister, sponsored by Employee Assistance Program, Thursday 12 noon, Davis Centre room 1302. UWone Task Users Group, for faculty who have taken the New Classroom series, Thursday 12 noon, Flex lab, Dana Porter Library, information ext. 5931. |
The Brubacher House was built in 1850 on new farmland in a style typical of Pennsylvania German architecture. Farming continued on the land until 1965 when the property was purchased as part of the UW campus. UW decided to preserve and restore one of the twelve original farm homes on the campus in recognition of the Pennsylvania German culture which was represented on the farmlands it purchased, and as a reminder that the total 1,000 acres of the campus was once owned by Mennonites and devoted to agriculture.
![[The house]](/images/2001/0502brubacher.gif)
The plant operations department lists the Brubacher House as built in 1846. Hosts Jennie and Colin Wiebe think it dates from 1850. Either way, it's the oldest building on UW's property. It replaced a log house built on the site after the Brubacher family bought it in 1842. |
Jennie and Colin have lived at Brubacher House for almost four years. Their interest in local history was an important factor in deciding to live at the house, in addition to the country feel of the area. At the time, Jennie was working at Doon Heritage Crossroads, and "that just fit too nicely." She was able to use background information from Doon in the tours at the house, and in the museum vegetable garden.
Ultimately, though, the farm-like feel of Brubacher House was not enough for Jennie and Colin. They wanted the real thing! So this spring, they (with their 8-month-old daughter Naomi) will be moving to Pelee Island, one of the most southerly parts in all of Canada, to do organic farming. They will be farm managers of a new Demonstration Farm on the island -- planting, growing, weeding, and harvesting vegetables for a new farmers market, and overseeing the meadows, wetlands, and nut trees on the property. Colin also hopes to work with Islanders in experimenting with alternate forms of energy in the hopes of someday replacing the current source, a single cable that runs underwater from the mainland.
Jennie and Colin will miss many things about Brubacher House, in particular "Ted the grounds guy", meeting new people and most of all giving tours to children. "They ask the best questions," says Jennie, "and their interest in what you're telling them is so genuine. Our favourite part of a children's tour is showing them the chamber pot!"
And yet the Wiebes are looking forward to the change. Moving to Pelee will give them a chance to pursue their long-held dream of practicing and teaching sustainable agriculture and of sharing their love of the land with others. In their opinion, "There is nothing better than sitting down with friends to a meal grown in your own back yard, seasoned with your own hard work. What better way to enjoy the 'fruits of your labour'?"
CAR