mosquito of accessibility
02:52, 29 July 2008
.. Posted in techculture and tech to help.. Link
Mosquitos are annoying. They buzz an buzz and buzz around you, and sometimes even bite. They certainly get your attention though.
I am the mosquito of accessibility. I'm annoying (no debate there), and I email and email your web master until he or she writes back and explains why your web site is inaccessible to millions of people merely because of the way its designed. And I keep bringing this subject up on my blog. Buzz, buzz, buzz.
Addressing the "digital divide" is more than getting technology access to remote or under-served areas, or building digital literacy. It's also about addressing accessibility gaps with technology tools. Web sites in particular are being designed to lock out people using assistive technologies, people with disabilities, and people who don't have the very latest and greatest computer tools and ultra-fast Internet connections.
There is NO excuse to build a web site with basic accessibility errors, like "click here" or "read more" as a web link, or a page that can't be downloaded by someone using a different web browser than the web designer. There's no excuse to choose a blog-hosting web site that is only be accessible to people using the very latest browsers and very fastest connections available.
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) and the BBC accessibility policy and standards are two great resources to learn more about web accessibility and the standards your web site should meet regarding such. Also, consider hosting an Accessibility Internet Rally for nonprofits and web designers in your city (you will never find a better corporate-nonprofit partnership event, I promise!).
