on web accessibility

today's lecture was on web accessibility. yesterday, our professor had sent out a mail asking if any of us could wait at the ischool entrance to allow in the guest lecturer who was visually impaired. although i wanted to, i was tentative at first - i had never interacted with a visually impaired person before, and wondered if i would 'do the right thing'. as soon as i detected this fear on seeing the professor's mail, i wrote back volunteering to do it. i would figure out what the 'right thing to do' was.

i waited outside the ischool until the golf cart drove in and i received her and led her into the classroom. i cannot begin to describe the joy that short-lived experience brought me. i understand now just what tnh means when he talks of loving someone as they need to be loved. it fits right in. it was not difficult at all to 'do the right thing', because the inner self had found its way out.

class was also really amazing. i saw the computing world from the perspective of the visually impaired. i also felt immensely grateful that technology could step into the lives of these people and allow them to lead a more independent life. (there was a discussion, also, on webpages that were accessible and those that weren't, and i need to do something quick about mine.)