I'm sitting on the bus again, pre coffee having had a terrible nights sleep, my little one's gums are giving him the run around. I'm ready to rant at something that makes me mad.
Users are users regardless of where they come from and how they access content. I see stories tacked with the label "accessibility" and this really gets to me mad. You see accessibility is just good UX, it benefits everyone and an "accessible website" is another word for well designed planned and thought out user journey.
Just design the website to include all your users and stop treating accessibility as a special subject, it's not, it's broad but it slots neatly into html best practice because it is. Unfortunately me using words like "slots in" and "it is" counters my argument but I'm reaching out to the opposite point of view.
I also believe that accessibility ratings are just a way to force developers and companies to aim for a level of UX, everyone loves goals, but how anti agile is that?
The way we view UX is broken, start a project include aria as a styling mechanic for UI state: .dropdown[aria-hidden] and your winning already, free and good UX, semantic attribute, less code.
End rant.
Top comments (3)
I completely agree, accessibility should be a continually respected aspiration, and not something that should be tacked on at the end. Not least because, as you say, UI code that has poor accessibility (as in assisstive devices) generally has poor general usability too.
I'm so glad you can see what I'm saying. There are wider issues in the world that also apply in the same way, race religion gender, I wish I could shake the world and say who gives a ... Who or what you are it's important to love who you are and not join a cause. Sorry that's probably a bit outspoken but generally people are there own problems.
Yes, definitely a political issue too. As with many of today's contentious issues, I think the marginalisation of accessibility concerns is ultimately a matter of the desire to empower everyone equally and fairly getting clobbered by the pragmatism of utilitarianism. Like you, I also believe we should strive to empower those who are disadvantaged through no fault of their own, despite how hard it is. :)