Gelfand Design

“Why Do We Have to Do Something Special for ‘Those People’?”

It’s a common objection to Web accessibility. The company decision makers understandably want to conserve cash and labor-hours. The idea of taking extra measures for the sake of a small subset of people seems like a nice-to-have “feature.”

I’ll save the argument that building accessibility into the development cycle saves time and money in both the short-term and long-term for another day. I won’t mention that 50 million disabled Americans is not a “small subset.” I will refrain from telling you that our nation’s population is graying rapidly, which means ever more declining eyesight and motor abilities in our Web visitors. I won’t even burden you with the reminder that thousands of disabled veterans return home all the time.

Today I want to talk about “those people.” The sight-impaired, the mobility-impaired, the cognitively-impaired.

That is, you and me.

Web Accessibility Has Always Been for Everyone

Sure, some people have obvious physical and cognitive conditions that challenge them daily and cause society to take special measures to ensure their safety and independence. Those conditions cause us to think of them as a separate group, especially if we don’t see them every day in our own lives. Except that we do. In the mirror.

Situational Disability: Everyone Is Impaired Sometimes

Have you ever tried to eat lunch while driving? Tricky, isn’t it? Your hands are tied up while you need to steer. You get distracted by the salsa, ketchup, or whatever dripping into your lap. Where’d that napkin go—did it get blown back behind your seat? You try to reach for it, but then you can’t see the road. Whoops, you nearly sideswiped somebody that time! Oh, well.

Have you ever written an email while talking on the phone? Typing with one hand is no fun. Typing the same sentence twice or making a dozen typos because you were distracted really slows you down.

Have you ever tried to use your cell phone outside on a sunny day? Kind of hard to see the screen, isn’t it?

When we multi-task, when we use technology in unexpected ways, when we are in certain physical environments, we become physically or cognitively impaired. Situational disability makes “us” one of “those people.” Let’s not forget that.