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Mainstream Sites Or Accessible Solutions
Recently I wrote about Accessible Twitter and an accessible CAPTCHA solution. Both solutions were developed because a mainstream application is not accessible for people with disabilities, so people stepped up to come up with a quick solution. In case of Twitter, a site was developed to provide people with disabilities with a more accessible browsing experience. In case of the CAPTCHA, a solution was developed because many web sites offer an image verification system which is not accessible. The question is if it is a good idea to approach accessibility from the back door with such solutions.
Without a doubt, these, and similar solutions offer a way for people with disabilities a remedy to be able to instantly access functionality and information on the internet. Those people and companies who work on such solutions make life easier to millions, and they should be recognized for their efforts.
However, this also sends a message to application developers that they don't need to worry much about accessibility, due to the frustration of millions, somebody will step up, and create something which will eliminate the accessibility barrier. With solutions like Accessible Twitter, or a human aided CAPTCHA solutions, they are essentially off the hook, and can continue their inaccessible coding and design practices.
So, theoretically, it would be a more compelling argument to say that as long as such solutions do not exist, if web sites want to have 20 percent more visitors, users and potential customers, they should be responsible for making their sites accessible.
But what happens to those, who in the meantime are not able to participate? Those, for example, who are not able to pass the image verification, thus cannot use a social networking site which would make their work easier? They will become less productive, and essentially be deprived of services which are, on paper, available to all. They don't even have a fair chance that these inaccessibility problems will be fixed in the relatively near future. Let alone, at all.
The question is really hanging in the air, there isn't a good solution. For a long-term solution, I would recommend holding off with the accessible solutions, and put pressure on developers to make their products accessible to all. But for all practical purposes, it doesn't work. At this age, we cannot say that something will be available sometime, maybe in years. We need to step up, and allow access for people with disabilities as soon as possible. In practice, I do support sites like Accessible Twitter, and solutions like a human aided CAPTCHA.
What do you think? What's the better choice? Is there a better alternative? Share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.
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In this day and age, ensuring
In this day and age, ensuring accessibility is not that difficult, esp if you are using standards compliant xhtml/css. And, making a site accessible is no longer just about disability
Accessible alternatives for social networking
I think we have to do both - support and encourage accessible 'workarounds' such as Accessible Twitter as a short-term solution, but also put pressure on developers to build accessibility into their products. They have a moral duty to do this, and the more noise we can make about it, the greater that pressure will become. It also makes good business sense - if users are being driven to accessible alternatives, you'll lose out on advertising revenue. Accessible Twitter has realised the potential there, if their banner ads are anything to go by!
Interesting - but......
Hi Tom
Interesting read and a simple and logical thought process; but you have missed (may be omitted) one small (may be not) argument. People like Denis - Accessible Twitter et al. do great work and actually show 'the big boys' a thing or two.
The internet is such a large place where even the 'small boys' can make a big difference. The more difference they make the greater the chance they may become a 'big boy' - or be invited to work with a 'big boy'.
The more developers of accessible web sites and applications there are the better. As we have discussed what we all need to do is make sure that more people know about applications such as Accessible Twitter and the human aided CAPTCHA. The more people who know about them the more chance there is that people will use them.
Likewise on the internet the more people (designers & developers) we can influence to follow decent accessability guidelines the better.
As we all know customers vote with 'their feet'. We all know someone who has some form of disability that requires some form of assitive technology. - (my last statistics were 1 in 25% of us). That's a lot of people. We need to galvanise them into action.
As you know I am willing to help in anyway I can, perhaps we can persuade some others.
Keep up the good work and keep those thought provoking arguments comming.
Russell
Reply to David
I agree. And some developers still don't put much effort into it. However, I also meet many companies who have never really heard about accessibility, and they are excited to implement it. One of the key issues will be education here. It would be nice if all web design/development courses would talk about accessibility by default.
Reply to James
I agree, we need some noise, of course, not in its traditional sense. It seems that there aren't enough web sites talking about accessibility, I'm always happy when a new one emerges.
Reply to Russell
I agree, and from my part it was intentional, Dennis would deserve a separate article, For that matter, I wrote about Accessible Twitter a couple of months ago. He does not only provide an accessible solution, but a great way to exhibit how to do it. And definitely, it is not only Dennis, many other people and companies are doing great work.
proactive better
Great points and interesting argument. At the end of the day, I feel that it's better to be proactive and create the accessible versions of poorly coded web 2.0 sites. It's better than not having them at all. I think governments really need to step in, not only with law requiring accessibility, but *enforcing* the law. Also, it's just unfortunate that companies and developers just don't care about web accessibility in general.
Accessible champion?
Tom
I have read the comments - todate - with pleasure and interest.
I know we have 'touched' on this but seems to me we are all looking for a "champion". Someone who we can all rally round and support and who in turn can give us (people who want accessibility etc) that support.
I fear too many of us are working "in the dark" we know about similar people and we applaud their efforts - however small or big - but we may not know them personally, we just know of their work. What I think we really need is a global push with a 'spearhead' person. That way we can all work towards the same goal based on a common denominator and everybody can benefit.
By that I mean there are people like me, who are passionate about accessibility, but I live on a Greek island in a village with less than 400 inhbitants. Do they care about accessibility - (with a few exceptions less than 5 digits) - no. Do they beleive in accessibility - yes as long as it isn't called accessibility and they can understand what you are telling them.
Have a look at the website section of http://www.99designs.com and see hown many briefs mention accessibility - none - and look at the designs that designers are comming up with. Very few (if any) could be thought of as accessible. Obviously uncoded difficult to see, but just the use of colours is enough.
We need a champion, we also need a good network (yes I know a number exist) but one that the likes of me (a small developer designer) can be part of without feeling that are not big enough to get involved.
Ohh had my say
Russell
Thanks and more
Thank you all for the kind words. I hope Twitter and other popular web apps consider accessibility much more seriously.
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