As developers, we literally have the power and knowledge to change the world. Software runs everything. Good software is the gateway to the world. However, one major thing developers should concern ourselves with is frequently left to the side. Web accessibility.
I recently had the opportunity to reconnect with a former co-worker and good friend. As our conversation came to an end they made a statement that hit me in the gut: “I tried to browse your blog but I couldn’t get past the homepage.” It was at that moment I realized that even though I think about UX and ease of use, I hadn’t considered accessibility. I had failed my friend and many others like them. Web accessibility is about making the web more friendly and extends its reach.
What is web accessibility?
Rather than try to define it myself, I’ll quote Adobe: “Accessibility involves two key issues: how users with disabilities access electronic information and how web content designers and developers enable web pages to function with assistive devices used by individuals with disabilities.”
As we deconstruct that statement, it is easy to get overwhelmed by the scope. What defines a disability? What defines the outcome to help work past said disability? Looking to the W3C, we find them extend the definition of Web Accessibility. Briefly, they highlight the following categories of disabilities:
- auditory
- cognitive
- neurological
- physical
- speech
- visual
It is easy to see that accessibility reaches very far and wide. It is less easy to understand how to approach it.
Personal examples in my friends and family
One of my life’s biggest irony is I’m surrounded by individuals who classify with a disability. Some of them I’ve been highly aware of during my life and career. In some cases, I’ve even considered their needs quite aggressively. Others, not so much.
Color Blindness
One example that I’ve always championed is a family member who is color-blind. This individual suffers from tritanopia. What is tritanopia you ask? People affected by tritan color blindness confuse blue with green and yellow with violet. Throughout my career, I’ve worked on a lot of “customer-facing” applications and always fought to ensure color-blindness, at least, wouldn’t be less an issue.
#programming #accessibility #web
