Usable Accessibility
Many times focusing on standards and guidelines puts the focus on the technical aspects of accessibility, and the human interaction aspect is lost. This problem can be avoided by adopting the broader definition of accessibility as a guiding principle. Instead of focusing only on the technical aspects of accessibility, it is important to recognize that usability is also an important aspect of accessibility. Consciously addressing ‘usable accessibility’ helps clarify the difference between what meets minimum accessibility standards and what is usable by people with disabilities. Shawn Henry
Following my trail of articles I read through this morning to find this quote:
- Accessibility is more than "possible to access"
- Usable Accessibility: Making Web Sites Work Well for People with Disabilities
- Accessibility Primer for Usability Specialists
There were all pretty good reads, if I had to pick 1, I'd say definitely read through the second one, it covers all the bases for you.
I think when building a site or application with accessibility in mind my thoughts are usually something like" "I'll do the best I can to make this easy for the blind to access, but essentially there's only so much I can do, it's gonna be tough". I understand the need to get out of that mind set, maybe investing in a screenreader is the answer?
I'm not entirely sure quite yet how to create a better user experience for a disable user. Especially since I still can't get the damn mac voice thing to function in a useful way. Hopefully that answer will come sooner rather than later.