Real accessibility for real people
When I was preparing my presentation for this week’s Future of Web Design conference, where I will be speaking about web accessibility for happy designers and I found myself moving away from talking about the intricacies of technology and gravitating towards what I am now referring to as real accessibility.
As I spend my days making websites accessible, I can be excused for obsessing about technology and driving everyone I work with to distraction by insisting that they continually push the boundaries, but when I think about what needs to happen in order to make accessibility something that is not a mere consideration, but something that is done as a matter of course, it is not technology that I ponder on. It's people and how people use the Internet.
It’s not just disabled people that I am concerned with, but all people of all abilities. I think about all of the things people have in common and all of the things they don’t when it comes to how they access and use the Internet, so it just makes sense to work this stuff out in advance and then do everything in your power to cater to people’s needs as best you can. It is people after all that interact with websites, not technology.
Real accessibility is simply about real people and, as such, it is neither fixed nor finite. No one can claim their website is 100% accessible unless it has been tested by everyone in the entire world. It’s all about plain old common sense and being considerate. If you are going to set out to design something that people will interact with, then those people's needs, circumstances and wants are what matters. It’s the first time in history where we have so much information available about people’s habits and behaviour. On the Internet, we know how, what, why, where and when people use it and probably what they were wearing whilst they were doing it, but we are yet to put this information to good use and give the people what they want.
There is no justifiable reason for website owners to not be working towards accessibility as making inroads is both simple and achievable right now if you want it. There is enough information for website creators who may not be in the know about accessibility, but who are willing to learn about exactly what technologies to employ to create websites that provide great accessible experiences, so there is really no excuse.
We cannot simply build websites the way we want people to use them and hope for the best. It's not field of dreams. Build it without people in mind and they certainly will not come. But for those who are willing to make the effort, it is not about achieving technical perfection but about understanding, not only the rules of the game, but the players involved. Think, learn, share your knowledge and help make the Internet the wonderful and welcoming place that I know it can be.
About Sandi
Businesswoman Sandi Wassmer registered blind in 2008. In her blog, she shares with us the 'shenanigans of visual impairment'.
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Comments
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i liked this report. please get in touch would love to discuss with you. i need a web designer with the visually impaired in mind. would greatfully appreciate it!
Posted by Alan, 21 May 2010 (2 years ago)
