1. What assistive technology do you use at least semi-regularly to interact with the world wide web? I don't use third-party assistive software / hardware, but my web browser (Firefox) is an invaluable tool, along with add-ons such as no-script which prevent the automatic behavior noted in #3.
2. If you have accessibility needs that aren't covered by the former question, what are they? N/A
3. What are the top five (or more!) things you hate when websites do, and why are they so annoying for you? • Automatically playing music/video/sound on page load. Unexpected audio - especially when I'm wearing headphones - has a tendency to short-circuit my brain and end my browsing experience all together. • Graphics which move. If it's a single, non-essential part of a site, such as animated user pictures, and the graphics aren't particularly large, I can learn to live with it. Multiple banners or sidebars, site titles and logos, flashing or scrolling text, or -- gods forbid -- animated backgrounds are likely to having me navigating away from a site as quickly as possible. • Text-as-graphics. If text is actually text, I can use my browser to scale up the size/change the font so that it's readable. If your text is a graphic and I can't read it, then I'm going to leave and go elsewhere. • Using font/background color combinations to make your site look "attractive." Combinations which do not have enough contrast, which have too much contrast, or which are "loud" are unreadable for me. As an added bonus, if your background is a graphic or if your text is in a frame offset, I can't use my browser preferences to change it to make it readable for me. • Cluttered pages. Elements which are crammed together tend to flow into each other when I try to interpret them. At the same time, even if there's plenty of white-space around elements, too many elements on a page -- especially if elements are designed to be different rather than cohesive -- makes the page unusable for me.
4. What are the top five (or more) things that websites do that make your life easier, and why are they so helpful for you? • Simplicity. A layout which is clean and simple can be attractive, and also keeps the sensory input to a level I can manage. • Versatility. Some days I need to scale up text sizes, other days I don't; being able to get the same use out of a site regardless of what sort of neurological day I'm having is a wonderful thing. • Give me some sort of transcript or description with audio/video. If I can't handle auditory information at the moment, I still get something out of the site, and having an idea what I'm about to play gives me the choice of whether it's something worth my spoons. • Make links meaningful. I will generally avoid clicking on a link if I don't know where it goes, because the unexpected video/audio/poorly designed page may be the thing that drives me away from my computer.
5. If you could make every website in the world follow one accessibility rule, what would that rule be, and why? Simplicity is your friend. The more integral java/flash/scripting is to the functionality of your website, the harder it will be for me to use.
6. What are the things you would want an able-bodied programmer to know, understand, or experience about your assistive technology and/or your accessibility needs? • Just because you can read it doesn't mean that I can; and just because I can read it today doesn't mean I'll be able to read it tomorrow. Simple things like testing how your site adjusts to an increased text size can make all the difference. • Accessibility is about more than blind users who use readers. There are mobility issues, neurological issues, and low-vision issues -- to name a common few -- to consider as well. • My computer, along with text-only interaction, is my accessibility tool. If I need your website for school/shopping/customer service and it's not accessible, my life is made inaccessible, rather than just my entertainment.
7. What are some things that people do in the name of accessibility that aren't very helpful, or actively make your experience worse? Hard-code black text on a lot of white background. Too much white sets up a "glare" that makes pages unreadable for me. In a more global vein, hardcoding font and background colors at all, because what works for me often may not work for someone else, and we need the flexibility to use our own tools in order to use your site.
8. Is there anything I've forgotten to ask about but you think I should cover anyway?
no subject
I don't use third-party assistive software / hardware, but my web browser (Firefox) is an invaluable tool, along with add-ons such as no-script which prevent the automatic behavior noted in #3.
2. If you have accessibility needs that aren't covered by the former question, what are they?
N/A
3. What are the top five (or more!) things you hate when websites do, and why are they so annoying for you?
• Automatically playing music/video/sound on page load. Unexpected audio - especially when I'm wearing headphones - has a tendency to short-circuit my brain and end my browsing experience all together.
• Graphics which move. If it's a single, non-essential part of a site, such as animated user pictures, and the graphics aren't particularly large, I can learn to live with it. Multiple banners or sidebars, site titles and logos, flashing or scrolling text, or -- gods forbid -- animated backgrounds are likely to having me navigating away from a site as quickly as possible.
• Text-as-graphics. If text is actually text, I can use my browser to scale up the size/change the font so that it's readable. If your text is a graphic and I can't read it, then I'm going to leave and go elsewhere.
• Using font/background color combinations to make your site look "attractive." Combinations which do not have enough contrast, which have too much contrast, or which are "loud" are unreadable for me. As an added bonus, if your background is a graphic or if your text is in a frame offset, I can't use my browser preferences to change it to make it readable for me.
• Cluttered pages. Elements which are crammed together tend to flow into each other when I try to interpret them. At the same time, even if there's plenty of white-space around elements, too many elements on a page -- especially if elements are designed to be different rather than cohesive -- makes the page unusable for me.
4. What are the top five (or more) things that websites do that make your life easier, and why are they so helpful for you?
• Simplicity. A layout which is clean and simple can be attractive, and also keeps the sensory input to a level I can manage.
• Versatility. Some days I need to scale up text sizes, other days I don't; being able to get the same use out of a site regardless of what sort of neurological day I'm having is a wonderful thing.
• Give me some sort of transcript or description with audio/video. If I can't handle auditory information at the moment, I still get something out of the site, and having an idea what I'm about to play gives me the choice of whether it's something worth my spoons.
• Make links meaningful. I will generally avoid clicking on a link if I don't know where it goes, because the unexpected video/audio/poorly designed page may be the thing that drives me away from my computer.
5. If you could make every website in the world follow one accessibility rule, what would that rule be, and why?
Simplicity is your friend. The more integral java/flash/scripting is to the functionality of your website, the harder it will be for me to use.
6. What are the things you would want an able-bodied programmer to know, understand, or experience about your assistive technology and/or your accessibility needs?
• Just because you can read it doesn't mean that I can; and just because I can read it today doesn't mean I'll be able to read it tomorrow. Simple things like testing how your site adjusts to an increased text size can make all the difference.
• Accessibility is about more than blind users who use readers. There are mobility issues, neurological issues, and low-vision issues -- to name a common few -- to consider as well.
• My computer, along with text-only interaction, is my accessibility tool. If I need your website for school/shopping/customer service and it's not accessible, my life is made inaccessible, rather than just my entertainment.
7. What are some things that people do in the name of accessibility that aren't very helpful, or actively make your experience worse?
Hard-code black text on a lot of white background. Too much white sets up a "glare" that makes pages unreadable for me. In a more global vein, hardcoding font and background colors at all, because what works for me often may not work for someone else, and we need the flexibility to use our own tools in order to use your site.
8. Is there anything I've forgotten to ask about but you think I should cover anyway?