[thelist] Is accessibility god, or just an angel? WAS: How do I submit...

[Matt Warden]

On 4/21/05, Chris Kavanagh <chris at logorocks.com> wrote:
> Christian Heilmann wrote:
> > That's where gradual enhancement comes in. Accessibility is the basic
> > need, then you  can enhance...
> 
> Agreed, but I'd add the caveat: the solution needs to be accessible *to
> the target audience*, and not to anyone else.  Even then, if the choice
> is between a design that is 100% accessible, and one that is 80%
> accessible but has a 50% higher conversion rate: accessibility goes out
> of the window in any sensible discussion.

It's talk like this that generates laws forcing people to make their
sites accessible.

I'm sure Walmart's "target audience" isn't people in wheelchairs either.

> > Has anyone noticed that the web is getting less "designery" and more
> > functional driven?
> 
> I think that's in large part due to "web designers" tending not to have
> a trained background in visual communication. 

I think what Jeff was referring to is how the Web is becoming more of
a platform for applications than an advertising medium. See: GMail,
google groups, google maps, etc. (Apologies for only coming up with
examples from Google.)

I personally can't remember the last time I had someone ask me to
build them a completely static site, whereas five years ago, it would
be a different story.


-- 
Matt Warden
Miami University
Oxford, OH, USA
http://mattwarden.com


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