A few weeks back I started to go to the gym. And it's becoming difficult for me to not judge places based on user experience. To think about the person itself is something that is getting more important as days come by. And then, relate it to what I work on a daily basis.
I realized some trainers usually pay more attention to people that are in better shape. You know... the ones with the big arms and tight clothes, not overweight, those who walk almost like robots. I'm not saying that's wrong. But, I also think about people with overweight or some sort of disability. Illness like eating disorders, hypothyroidism, diabetes, hypertension and, a big list of diseases.
We have no idea what kind of problems people might be struggling with. That's why it's important (in this scenario) for trainers to focus on the "minority". Because in the end, it's more than numbers or money... it's about people.
And then, I thought, Am I acting like some of those trainers? Am I ignoring people with disabilities that use our products? Am I part of those who don't care about accessibility (a11y)? Are you?
It's our responsibility to think about the "minority". I'm double quoting the word minority because we tend to think that way. Usually, we develop applications, websites, products or services based on a specific audience. It's our job to think about everyone.
Sometimes, I need to send money to my mom using some of those transfer platforms. I ask myself: what would happen if I suffer an accident and get some sort of sight impairment. Would I be able to keep using the same service? It this platform accessible enough? And then, think about all the type of eye diseases that exist, or any other disability.
It's the designer's, developer's, Q.A. and project manager's duty to improve product development. Accessibility should be part of our work commitment. It's our job to think about user experience, to be more conscious about the person itself. It should be more than nice transitions, cute color combinations or custom components.
We need to stop thinking about the "minority" as the minority. Let's make internet accessible for everyone, let's innovate on that matter. Think about people with any type of disabilities. Create assistive technology friendly platforms. Develop for countries with a slow internet connection, low-quality devices and so on.
Thanks for reading and sharing so we can impact technology communities on this topic. Do you have a recent experience where you or some of your peers forgot about a11y? Please share your thoughts, comments or suggestions.
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