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HTML Accessibility

Do the WCAG

Young bloke, walking on the footpath next to a wall. His head is bowed as if in deep contemplation. Printed on the wall in front of him is 'DO THE WCAG' and behind him 'THE WCAG'

This is a shout out to David MacDonald, who while absent of late due to family responsibilities, has been a constant presence in the W3C WAI working groups and contributing to accessibility web standards for many a year.

Besides working tirelessly to improve accessibility standards he also wrote and produced the iconic song about WCAG (15 years ago). Listening to and watching the video always brings a smile to my face. For my tastes this song about Web Accessibility has never been bettered.

Thanks David!

Transcript/lyrics
W-C-A-G, WCAG, I'm a cool DJ, SHARKY, SH-SH-SH-SHARKY
Hey I'm going crazy with this cool beat, I have much better rythym since you installed that new quantizing program.
I dance the electric boogie. Want to see it David?
No Sharky, we've got to get going on this song, you can dance while I sing but don't pull yourself out of the wall socket again.
We got a brand new specification it works with the tool of verification
makes the accessible you know we made it testable
WCAG, WCAG
gonna make the web understandable make it perceivable write it tangible
when its interoperable the web will be unstoppable
WCAG, WCAG
We wanna show you the WCAG
We wanna show you what this world can be
We wanna show you the WCAG
It's not a heavy load to open up your code and write the WCAG, WCAG
You know David, I saw a guy on TV say that he's the fastest rapper in the world, but I'm way faster, I blow him away, watch this
Sharky raps at 250 words a minute
I'm a cool DJ, Sharky, WCAG. I like techno geek music. How's that David, am I a cool rapper now?
David: Sharky, I couldn't understand a word you said.
Sharky: Most of my blind friends understand everything when I speak at that speed
(slowly) Would you like me to speak really slow for you David?
David: That's very funny, c'mon let's sing this verse together.
We're gonna make the web a better place For every ability and every race
Even if you're surfing from outer space you've got the WCAG, WCAG
We wanna show you the WCAG
We wanna show you what this world can be
We wanna show you the WCAG
It's not a heavy load to open up your code and write the WCAG, WCAG
So let me tell you what the WCAG is And what the WCAG's not
The WCAG is a set of tools Comes with a set of rules
Help your web site come to life For people with other abilities And sensabilities
So when they hit you online They can have a good time
Don't matter if they're blind Or if they have to sign
Or if their hands start to shake With every move they make
Or if their minds get confused with what they want to do
They can easily figure out What you are talking about When you follow the principles that we're gonna lay out
Principle 1: Content must be Perceivable
Principle 2: Interface elements in the content must by Operable
Principle 3: Content and controls must be Understandable
Principle 4: Content must be Robust, enough to work with current and future technologies
We wanna show you the WCAG We wanna show you what this world can be
We wanna show you the WCAG
It's not a heavy load to open up your code and write the WCAG, WCAG
Hey David, your music is much more funky since you moved out of the suburbs and started hanging out downtown on street corners.
I like the other theme song but it sounded a bit too unplugged and I've never been crazy about an unplugged sound,
I like techno geek music where computers do everything and humans don't play any instruments.
I think it is a lot more organic when music is played buy genuine computers.
When humans play it sounds so unemotionable and fake.
David: We'll that's just because you're a bunch of ones and zeros there big guy.
Sharky: David, that was very mean of you to say that, you know I've always been very sensitive out my binary genetic coding.
It's always been a source of great emotional insecurity for me.
David: Oh, c'mon Sharky, you know I love you man, and besides, you are an awesome rapper, man you should go into American Idol.
Sharky: I'm going to be a star, I can see the headlines now, Sharky wins American Idol for people with disabilities.

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