Do It Myself Blog – Glenda Watson Hyatt

A big kudos goes to Gary Jones of BlueFur Hosting for organizing a fantastic WordCamp Fraser Valley! And, a special thank you for including blog accessibility on the agenda.

Meeting other local bloggers was great. And, listening to all of the fabulous presenters I realized that the more I learn about WordPress, the more I still have left to learn. If you missed my rockin’ presentation, the ebook “How POUR is Your Blog?” is now available. Go grab a copy!

Response to my presentation was amazing. One idea offered during a break was that blogs could have two themes, one which is simpler or scaled back, and thus more accessible for some readers.

Instantly I cringed inwardly. My mind flashed back to the “text-only version” days, which many designers saw as the only solution to web accessibility, when, in fact, it was the lazy way out. Providing text-only versions may have benefited individuals who used screen readers, but they did not adequately and appropriately accommodate people with other types of disabilities. And, oftentimes, these scaled back versions of websites did not provide all of the same information or it wasn’t updated on the same basis as the regular websites. Text-only versions ghettoized people with disabilities.

However, now that I have had a couple of days to mull it over, perhaps the suggestion has some merits. Because of the nature of blogs, the theme controls the design and layout, the wrapping; the core content (like the posts, comments and such) would remain the same. By offering a choice of themes, readers could choose how they view the content and still participate in the same blog community with fellow readers.

I’m now seeing this option similar to a lower service counter for people in wheelchairs and those of a short stature, rather than a separate entrance with inferior services. But, similar to the aisles still needing to be wide enough in order to get to the lower service counter, the core content and other features would still need be accessible.

What are your thoughts on this? Could this work? Are there any potential limitations or drawbacks? If you have seen this done elsewhere, please share links. I’m curious to see what this might look like.

Last week I announced I’m presenting at WordCamp Fraser Valley on Saturday, August 22nd, at SFU Surrey Campus. I now have the pleasure of giving away one full-day pass ($75 value) to one blog reader!

WordCamps are great ways to meet other local bloggers and to learn more about blogging and the blogging platform WordPress. Check out the speakers for WordCamp Fraser Valley.

Let’s make this giveaway simple! If you are interested in attending WordCamp Fraser Valley and are in the area next Saturday, leave a comment by midnight (Pacific time) on Tuesday, August 18th :

• If you’re a blogger, please share your best experience from blogging.
• If you have been considering starting a blog, please share why you would like to blog. (WordCamp is a great place to get started with blogging.)

A winner will be randomly drawn from the comments and announced on Wednesday.

Simple enough? 

Readers’ comments via Facebook, Twitter and email are always welcomed. However, to be eligible for this free pass, please leave your response in a comment below.

Good luck!

(Caveat: My husband Darrell is ill with pneumonia and we are heading back to the ER on Monday. Depending on what unfolds this week, I may need to regrettably bow out of WordCamp. The winner will still receive the free pass.)

I fell in love with Rod Stewart during the 1989 American Music Awards, my second year at university, and it has been a love affair ever since. Rod’s music has lifted me up when I was down, kept me company when I was lonely, and has boosted my mojo when required. 

I can’t really explain why Rod Stewart and his music. Perhaps it’s the fact that his dad and my grandfather were born two years apart in Edinburgh at the turn of the last century, and I like to imagine that there was some kind of connection between the Stewarts and Marshalls. I mean, how large was Edinburgh one hundred years ago? But, perhaps the why doesn’t matter. Perhaps the important thing is that I have had his music when I’ve needed it, for whatever reason.

Saturday night I was fortunate to see him again in concert, probably for the fifth or sixth time. And, he was still as good this time as he was the first time! There is nothing I find more inspiring than watching someone do something he is passionate about. After all of these years, Rod obviously remains passionate about singing and performing. What a great way to live: to do what one loves doing.

Dancing there in my chair, with the music reverberating my innards, I felt so alive to my core! And, oh, that electric guitar – I’m definitely a misplaced rocker chick!

One time, though, I’d like to be close enough to the stage to catch one of his balls; soccer balls, that is! 😉

I was excited to learn that, with cell phones now having cameras, small cameras are also allowed in GM Place Stadium. It pays to be prepared and to ask! Given that Darrell and I were sitting in the Visions Lounge at the far end of the stadium and the still-to-be-perfected camera mount on my scooter, the photos aren’t great but they are mine to savour. More concert photos are on Flickr.

If mojo is the juice of life, who gets your mojo flowing?

Saturday, August 22nd, I am off to camp; WordCamp, that is.

“What is WordCamp?” you ask.

Great question! According to The WordCamp Report, a WordCamp “is a 1 or 2 day conference for WordPress users and developers. The focus is on how to be a better blogger, on the development and future of WordPress, and other topics of interest.”

WordCamps take place in places around the world. This particular camp, WordCamp Fraser Valley, is being held at Simon Fraser University’s Surrey campus (SFU Surrey) – mere blocks from home. I can even see it from my home office window. No transportation hassles this time – woohoo!

I’m not only attending WordCamp, I’ll also be joining the line-up of local speakers by presenting “How POUR is Your Blog? Tips for Increasing Your Blog’s Accessibility”. This presentation rocked SOBCon: Biz School for Bloggers in Chicago back in May!

If you’re anywhere near the vicinity of SFU Surrey on August 22nd and if you blog or are considering blogging, come join us for WordCamp Fraser Valley. Tickets are still available.

Hope to see you at camp!

For the past several months, I have been itching for a new theme (design and layout) for my blog. This theme is not as accessible as it should be. The code doesn’t validate and other accessibility features are lacking – and this is really frustrating me, given what I do when I’m sure not blogging.

I have tweaked this theme as much as possible without knowing any PHP programming. Learning to design my own themes is definitely on my to-do list, eventually. Until then, I need a theme that is more accessible – accessibility is a continuum, not an absolute – than this one.

I’ve searched and searched for accessible WordPress themes, with very little success. Then I began thinking, “What is an accessible theme? What criteria should a theme meet and what features should a theme have to be considered ‘accessible’?“

Before an accessible theme can be designed, the necessary requirements must be identified. Here’s a list that instantly came to mind:

• The code validates with no errors.
• A fluid design that displays correctly at different resolutions and on various monitors from large screens to small handheld devices.
• Maximized colour contrast between the text and background to enhance readability.
• Relative sized fonts, rather than fixed size, enabling readers to increase font size when needed.
• “skip to content” and/or “skip to navigation” features to assist those using screen readers and keyboards to navigate the page more easily.
• An attractive layout and design with plenty of white space.

However, this list is only a beginning. Allow this post to spark a discussion between blog readers with various disabilities, theme designers, web accessibility gurus, and whomever else is interested. Share your ideas and thoughts on:

• What an “accessible” theme means to you?
• What features does an accessible theme need to have?
• What features would be nice to have?
• What do theme designers need to know about creating accessible themes?
• What questions do theme designers have about web accessibility? What information and resources do you need?

The floor is open. Let’s talk! All that I ask is that you be respectful of one another.