[Irl-dean] Aesthetics of non-visual web experience

[Eamon Mag Uidhir]

I haven't got a visual impairment (though I had some small experience  
of one before having a cataract operation last year), but I am  
involved in ensuring, or attempting to ensure, that certain e-learning  
products are properly usable by learners with visual and other kinds  
of impairment.

The fourth aim of VICS grabbed my attention, namely "To promote the  
development of fully accessible websites which are aesthetically  
pleasing."

This opens up an area of equivalence of experience that I confess I  
hadn't really thought much about, being most immediately concerned  
with the functional outcomes of the web experience, and not its  
aesthetic attraction, for users who arrive through assistive  
techniques or technologies.

I know what a visual user would regard as aesthetically pleasing,  
there are for example ranges of colours and styles of typography that  
can be calculated to go down well. But what would a non-visual user  
regard as "aesthetically pleasing"? That is, what can developers do to  
add not just accessibility but "pleasure of using" to a web page or  
site for someone using a screen-reader? What would a non-visual user  
applaud as "cool" in a web site?

I'm not talking about negatives here, such as lack of this or that  
accessibility barrier. What I want to find out about is what positive  
contributions site design and development can make to the pleasure of  
the web experience for people with disabilities.


Éamon



    Éamon Mag Uidhir
'''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''''
                      eamon at maguidhir.com



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> Today's Topics:
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>    1. VICS AGM. (Brian Dalton)
>
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> ----------------------------------------------------------------------
>
> Message: 1
> Date: Thu, 08 May 2008 15:55:41 +0100
> From: "Brian Dalton" <Brian.Dalton at aerlingus.com>
> Subject: [Irl-dean] VICS AGM.
> To: <irl-dean at list.eeng.dcu.ie>
> Message-ID: <s82326c3.099 at GWIADom>
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>
> Hi all,
>
> For those of you who are not on the VICS email list, I would like to  
>  let you know, that the VICS AGM will take place on Saturday 24th   
> May. It will be held
> at the Training Center at the NCBI on Whitworth Road Drumcondra at 2PM.
>
> What is VICS?
>
> The Visually Impaired Computer Society (VICS) is a self-help   
> technology group.  It supports people with a
>
> visual disability who use information and communication technology   
> in their daily lives.
>
> Aims of VICS
>
> 1. To meet the needs of visually impaired people in the area of   
> general computer access.
>
> 2. To provide support to visually impaired people who are new to computers.
>
> 3. To encourage employers to hire visually impaired employees
>
> 4. To promote the development of fully accessible websites which are  
>  aesthetically pleasing.
>
> VICS also offers support through its quarterly magazine called   
> Infovics, which comes on cd, as well as its growing training section  
>  on its website, and
> an email list where questions can be posed and answered.
>
> It is also a good opportunity for you to become involved with VICS,   
> and to shape its work for the forthcoming year.
>
> Of course, there is also the social aspect. Many things can be   
> discussed, hammered out and solved over a few pints of the black   
> stuff after the meeting.
>
> For more information on what VICS is and does, feel free to check   
> out our website at
>
> www.vicsireland.org
>
> Or you can email me at,
>
> brian.dalton at vicsireland.org
>
> Looking forward to seeing as many of you as possible on the 24th of May.
>
> Many thanks,
>
> Brian Dalton
>
>
>
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