Difference between revisions of "Category:Accessibility"

From perpendicular angel knowledgebase
Jump to navigation Jump to search
 
(55 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
[[Category: Design]]
==The Basics==
Accessibility refers to the design of products, devices, services, or environments '''for people who experience disabilities'''. The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i.e. unassisted) and "indirect access" meaning compatibility with a person's assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers). – [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Accessibility Wikipedia]
[[:Category: Types of Disabilities | Types of Disabilities]]
== Why Accessibility ==
[https://twitter.com/jameswillweb/status/789212365325828096 [[File:Jameswilliamsaccessibilityquote.jpg|400px]]]
Accessibility is the act of designing for an audience that includes people who have disabilities, and may (or may not) be using additional software or hardware to complete their goals. Accessibility is a way of thinking about design and development. Dylan Barrell explains it in his article "[http://unobfuscated.blogspot.com/2015/02/what-is-accessibility.html What is accessibility?]" in terms of a series of traits.
* '''Accessibility is empathy''' for your users.
* '''Accessibility is usability''' in the things you build.
* '''Accessibility is compliance''' with best practices, so you don't have to reinvent the wheel (or make your user do the same).
* '''Accessibility is making the experience better for all users''', with an emphasis on the users at the edge of the experience.
* And '''Accessibility is practical''' - not idealistic - in its pursuit of a better experience.
(There's a great discussion of how a map can be accessible not by aligning with the letter of accessibility requirements, but by reassessing what the core user need actually is and building it instead or in addition to the map, in the "[http://unobfuscated.blogspot.com/2015/02/what-is-accessibility.html What is accessibility?]" article, by the way.)
Paul Boag raises many of the same points in his article [https://boagworld.com/accessibility/accessibility-is-not-what-you-think/ Accessibility is not what you think], putting the emphasis on the fact that accessible solutions aren't strictly for the profoundly disabled edge cases. Yes, they are covered by good accessibility solutions, but good accessibility solutions benefit everyone. Accessibility is not a few things, though you'll meet people who think that it is. It is not a checklist of things to do so that your software passes a compliance test, a list of things to do so you don't get sued, or a pain in your ass. (Or rather, if it's a pain in your ass, so is User Experience and everything else that's going to make your product successful, so deal.)
[http://www.claimingcrip.com/2016/01/accessibility-is-not-nice-thing-to-do.html Accessibility is not a "nice thing to do"], as Karin Hitselberger explains in her article of the same name. It's the law. And it's the law because Karin and you and I all share the same rights to life and dignity and safety and security. It's not kindness, and it's not charity. It's the baseline.
[https://www.applevis.com/blog/advocacy-ios-apps-opinion/accessibility-not-feature-and-developers-should-never-treat-it-such?utm_content=buffer7f799&utm_medium=social&utm_source=twitter.com&utm_campaign=buffer Accessibility is not a 'Feature' and Developers Should Never Treat It as Such]. Similarly, [https://timkadlec.com/2015/02/access-optional/ Access is not Optional].
I've written a few things about Accessibility over the years, which can be boiled down to these two points:
* [[You must be aware of your own stereotypes]]
* [[You will not always be able-bodied]]
==Legal issues==
One of the most, um, ''motivating'' aspects of accessibility law is the ability for someone with a disability to sue or register a complaint against the Office of Civil Rights (in the US, and similar offices in other countries) when a physical or virtual location is inaccessible. Example cases and events that have garnered media attention include:
* [http://www.bbc.com/news/business-43968736 Blind customers locked out by bank web upgrades] in the UK
== Standards and Guidelines ==
The official standard is the [https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG20/ WCAG 2.0 standard] by the W3C. For resources related to the standard, see [[:Category: WCAG Guidelines]].
* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/guidelines/futuremedia/accessibility/mobile BBC Mobile Accessibility Standards & Guidelines]
* [http://www-03.ibm.com/able/guidelines/ci162/accessibility_checklist.html IBM Web Accessibility Checklist Version 7]
== Getting it done ==
[[Accessibility 101]]: The things you need to get started
=== Fostering the Culture ===
* [https://aneventapart.com/news/post/extreme-design-by-derek-featherstonean-event-apart-video Extreme Design] by Derek Featherstone is a one-hour video of how accessible design benefits everyone.
* [https://blogs.dropbox.com/tech/2017/04/creating-a-culture-of-accessibility/ Creating a Culture of Accessibility] by Cordelia McGee Tubs at the Dropbox Tech Blog. This article discusses generating excitement around accessibility, running an accessibility device lab, rewarding the organization's champions, spreading knowledge, and developing a culture of learning around accessibility.
* [https://alistapart.com/article/reframing-accessibility-for-the-web Reframing Accessibility for the Web] by me at A List Apart. This article discusses how stereotypes work, how they're interfering with our accessible design process, and one approach to testing for accessibility that takes the stereotypes out of the direct line of fire.
* [https://accessibility.digital.gov Accessibility for Teams] by the US Government outlines how each role at an organization or in a team can improve the accessibility of a product.
===Agile and Accessibility ===
* [http://www.interactiveaccessibility.com/blog/how-write-user-stories-accessibility-requirements#.WWBfR8aZPUp How to write user stories user stories for web accessibility] by Kathy Wahlbin at Interactive Accessibility
===Specific topics===
===Specific topics===
* [[Accessible Error Handling]]
* [[Accessible Error Handling]]
* [[Writing Accessibly]]
* [[Writing Accessibly]]
* [[Accessible color systems]]
* [[Accessibility overlays do not work]]
* [[Screen Readers]]
== Testing tools ==
== Testing tools ==
===Why test with people who have disabilities?===
===Why test with people who have disabilities?===
* [https://uxdesign.cc/disabled-user-testing-a-cautionary-tale-b6cf64425adb Accessibility user testing: a cautionary tale] by Daniel Pidcock outlines one example of what can happen when we assume that our work is accessible.   
* [https://uxdesign.cc/disabled-user-testing-a-cautionary-tale-b6cf64425adb Accessibility user testing: a cautionary tale] by Daniel Pidcock outlines one example of what can happen when we assume that our work is accessible.   
===How to test===
===How to test===
* [https://karlgroves.com/2012/09/15/accessibility-testing-what-can-be-tested-and-how Web Accessibility Testing: What Can be Tested and How] by Karl Groves in September 2012 outlines what can be tested by automated systems and what requires a person (preferably with disabilities) to test. He also encourages people and companies to [https://karlgroves.com/2012/02/02/web-accessibility-testing-do-automatic-testing-first Do Automatic Testing First] but not as the only thing you do.
* [https://www.deque.com/blog/considering-accessibility-when-designing-a-usability-test Considering accessibility when designing a usability test] outlines ways to integrate accessibility testing into usability testing -- since if it's not accessible, it's not usable.  
* [https://www.deque.com/blog/considering-accessibility-when-designing-a-usability-test Considering accessibility when designing a usability test] outlines ways to integrate accessibility testing into usability testing -- since if it's not accessible, it's not usable.  
* [[Accessibility Testing Tools]] outlines information about testing code, such as how to use a screen reader and what automated tools are available.
* [[Accessibility Testing Tools]] outlines information about testing code, such as how to use a screen reader and what automated tools are available.
Line 61: Line 22:
* [[An Alphabet of Accessibility]]
* [[An Alphabet of Accessibility]]
== Related topics ==
== Related topics ==
* [[Accessibility-related memes and humor]]
* [[Disability as Inspiration Porn]]
* [[Disability as Inspiration Porn]]
* [https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/20/17791354/products-people-disabilities-sock-slider-banana-slicer-lazy Products mocked as “lazy” or “useless” are often important tools for people with disabilities] by s.e. smith for Vox  
* [https://www.vox.com/the-goods/2018/9/20/17791354/products-people-disabilities-sock-slider-banana-slicer-lazy Products mocked as “lazy” or “useless” are often important tools for people with disabilities] by s.e. smith for Vox  
Line 73: Line 35:
* [[WAI-ARIA]] <-- this totally doesn't belong here but I'm not sure where to put it yet
* [[WAI-ARIA]] <-- this totally doesn't belong here but I'm not sure where to put it yet
* [http://webaim.org/resources/ WebAIM Resources page]
* [http://webaim.org/resources/ WebAIM Resources page]
[[Category:Design]]

Latest revision as of 11:21, 30 January 2022

Specific topics

Testing tools

Why test with people who have disabilities?

How to test

Accessibility & Mobile Design

Accessibility & Game Design

anne’s Accessibility talks

Related topics

Accessible PDF files

Web Accessibility 101: Screen Magnification &amp; Reflow in Acrobat Reader https://youtu.be/fCrZhnFrxjk

Additional Resources

Subcategories

This category has the following 5 subcategories, out of 5 total.

A

T

W

Media in category "Accessibility"

The following 2 files are in this category, out of 2 total.

Retrieved from "http://kb.perpendicularangel.com/index.php?title=Category:Accessibility&oldid=3322"