Robert Vidrine

He/Him/His

Education, Counseling

Phone Number: 336-758-3954

B212 Tribble Hall

Email Me

Specialties: Digital accessibility; WordPress; Standards-compliant web pages; Cascading Style Sheets

Stemming from my desire to make web pages that could be programmed once and then display well everywhere, I became interested in creating standards-compliant web pages many years ago, and that has snowballed into a deep interest in digital accessibility. Essentially, if web pages are made in a way that does not include hacks, capitalizing on browser bugs, tables used for layout or other kludges, it’s likely that they will also be accessible to many people, whether they use a screen reader, keyboard navigation or other assistive technologies. Other influences, like Steve Krug’s excellent book “Don’t Make Me Think” have encouraged me towards a focus on helping people to create online content that focuses on the message first, and then the presentation.

Since WordPress is a major force in the market, and offers tools to meet several of the goals above, that has become my favorite vehicle for building web sites that are both rich in content and functionality, but also present content to the widest possible audience. The open-source nature of WordPress also rings the correct bells for me, further democratizing and making powerful capabilities available to everyone.

Over the past two decades plus, I have edited and produced a documentary detailing Lakota traditions for use in education to the younger generations in the tribe along with a a faculty member from the Department for the study of Religions, written a chapter for a book on the integration of technology in education, and assisted with numerous programs and events, but my specializations have   continued to revolve around clear and accessible communications on the web.

Check out the the Technology at WFU site, and the Accessible Content Working Group (ACWG) to see some of the projects on which I’ve had the pleasure of working. If you haven’t already, also take a look at the ITG blog for some great tips and links to a myriad of resources.