[Irl-dean] Accessibility in the future

[Mark Magennis]

I'm with you on this one Andrew. There's a parallel with usability. I  
remember the days (not too long ago either) when usability was largely  
ignored in web design. Websites were implementing trendy 'shopping  
cart' and 'checkout' functionality that was often so confusing and non  
user-focussed that drop out rates during the purchase process of 60%  
and more were not uncommon. Now usability, in the form of user-centred  
information design and interaction design, have permeated web design  
and are part of the skill set of most web designer companies (at  
differing levels), and no longer an expensive add-on. I believe this  
is largely due to a realisation of the business benefits of usable  
design.

I expect Universal Usability, or accessibility, will go much the same  
way due for the same reasons. People offering information and services  
through the Internet will catch on to the idea of maximising the  
audience by universal design and designers will adopt enough of a  
universal design toolkit to make a difference. This is not exactly the  
argument that 'x% of your potential customers are blind/deaf/dyslexic  
so why are you ignoring them?". That argument is a hard one to make  
because the x's tend to be small and 'people with disabilities' are  
easy to dismiss as an insignificant economic group. It's more of a  
mindset, like usability, that by failing to account for the diversity  
of abilities (sensory, cognitive, physical, intellectual), that exist  
in almost any consumer population, you are raising many minor barriers  
and a few major ones that, cumulatively, have a significant effect on  
your ability to serve your consumers. As universal design awareness  
permeates the design community, the costs of it will fall and, like  
usability, it will become part of the normal skillset, no longer an  
expensive add-on.

So I think the future situation with web accessibility for example  
will probably be quite different from what we see today which is  
largely fixated on blind people and screen readers. That's not to deny  
the importance of making the Internet accessible to blind people with  
screen readers, but that's never going to be a driver for large scale  
change. The language of universal design is more likely to make  
reference to older people, mild or medium impairments and situational  
or environmental impairments. The result will be that the universal  
design mindset becomes a normal part of the business mindset for  
information and services delivered through technologies.

Having said that, one would think that, by the same token, a customer  
service mindset would be part of the normal business mindset, but in  
so many cases customer service seems to have got rapidly worse in the  
last few years. I hope that is just a temporary blip while businesses  
are transfixed by the 'cost-cutting through outsourcing' and  
'Bangalore call centre' concepts.

Mark

On 27 May 2008, at 11:41, Simius Puer wrote:

> Hi Mark
>
> Globalisation of accessibility policy - that is one weighty subject!
>
> I have a simple counter-argument that don't nullify the need to  
> discuss the topic but does throw it into a different light.
>
> One problem is that good old basic economics seems to be ignored in  
> a world with an ever increasing eye on "the margin".  Take example  
> from Mr Carey's article:
>
> First, that the greater the quantity of information, the lower its  
> cost of production; and second, that the lower the cost of  
> production, the
> greater is the additional percentage cost of making it accessible.
>
> ...so okay, economies of scale have been applied here, but what  
> about simple cost-benefit-analysis?  The accountants (apologies to  
> any accountants out there) only have an eye on the costs, ignoring  
> the sometimes less tangible benefits to the business.  Cost savings  
> [through investment, not down-sizing], market positioning and  
> potential market-reach have all been eroded from much of today's  
> business planning.
>
> Accessibility is an investment, one that brings long-term cost  
> savings, provides a good ethical service, and avoids potential legal  
> action.  Could this be the basis for a business case?  Selling  
> accessibility in terms of financial, ethical and legal benefits sure  
> beats waiting for the global community to adopt and enforce  
> legislation.  Doesn't it?
>
> These days "green" is a label everyone is trying to stick on their  
> products and manufacturers are clambering over each other to be seen  
> as the most "green".  If "green" and "fair trade" etc have both  
> become household terms then lets add "accessibility" to the list of  
> ethical trading practices.  Businesses respond to market demands/ 
> perceptions and being an ethical trader is becoming ever more  
> important in finding new customers and building customer loyalty.
>
> Hopefully commitment from suppliers and market pressure from  
> consumers will do the job that global enforcement can only dream of.
>
>
> _____________________
> Andrew Hart
> Simius Web Ltd
>
> tel: +353 (0)91 395 586
> mob: +353 (0)871 264 728
>
> http://www.simiusweb.ie
>
>
> 2008/5/27 Mark Magennis <Mark.magennis at ncbi.ie>:
> Here's an interesting opinion piece taken from e-access bulletin, a
> free monthly email newsletter (www.headstar.com/eab). It's quite a
> narrow perspective but a good seed for an argument I think, so let's
> all pitch in. Who wants to go first? Barry? ;-)
>
> Mark
> _______________________________________________
> Irl-dean mailing list
> Irl-dean at list.eeng.dcu.ie
> http://list.eeng.dcu.ie/mailman/listinfo/irl-dean

Dr. Mark Magennis
Director of the Centre for Inclusive Technology (CFIT)
National Council for the Blind of Ireland
Whitworth Road, Dublin 9, Republic of Ireland
www.cfit.ie

mark.magennis at ncbi.ie   tel: +353 (0)71 914 7464



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