The Accessibility Backlash: An Update

Thursday July 27, 2006

Recently I wrote about my own accessibility backlash , where I was finding it increasingly hard to get the message across about the virtues of web standards and accessibility.

Well, I’m feeling more positive now. I really think the tide is turning, at least in my small corner of the world. I’ve put it down partly to persistence and what I’ve called ‘doing my Tony Blair’. At every meeting I’ve gone to, be it a huge boardroom experience on an intimate one-to-one, I’ve stressed “Accessibility. Accessibility. Accessibility.” For every “here he goes again, on about accessibility” I’m starting to get “yes it is important, and we wouldn’t want to go any other way.”

I’m making progress by ‘what’s required’ and ‘by example’. I’ll explain.

What’s required is telling people “we really do have to do this you know. Look, this is the DDA. Look, here’s all about Government websites. Double-A.” I feel I’m bullying people sometimes, but you can’t win on moral grounds. Yes, accessibility is better but people won’t adhere to it if they don’t have to. And if people ask what Double-A means I won’t just refer them to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 and wave them away. Instead, I’ll try and explain each individual checkpoint in detail if it helps to get the message across.

By example is that there are a lot of people out there who are much more committed to accessibility than I am, and a lot of people who are far more knowledgeable. “Look at Accessify Forum ”, I say, “if you don’t trust me, some of these people really know their onions.”

It’s also amazing that if a lot of people say the same thing, a lot of people will start to listen. If I print off a dozen articles about accessibility and web standards from different websites people will take note. If each of these articles have comments saying “here! here!” people will listen.

By example is also finding the accessible websites out there and demonstrating what’s good about them, how you can use them in any-which-way, how they rank well in Google (always an important selling point). Then finding the ‘tag-soup’ websites and the badly constructed websites and explaining why they’re below par.

Finally, I’ve found soulmates. I’ve formed a small ‘band of brothers’ with my equivalents across the huge county where I work. We’ll share the burden of preaching what’s required and leading by example. Yes, I really think the tide is turning.

Is this what you’d call a positive rant?

Right on, brother!

Don’t forget the disability equality duty legislation for public bodies from Dec 06. If you’d not heard of it, nor had I – expect an article soon :-)

JackP    2 August, 04:19 PM   

I shall keep me eyes peeled shipmate!

Stephen    2 August, 05:13 PM   

I’m not sure if you’re the Stephen Lang who signed the No.10 Petition but if you are or wish to see this done please digg it here to get attention for it.

scrambledheads    25 November, 09:13 PM   

Dugg!

Stephen    26 November, 09:47 AM   

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