During my last appearance on the Now with Dave Brown morning show in March, we spoke a fair bit about the general lack of inclusion of websites that cover the pandemic, and how difficult it is for citizens with disabilities to find information related to the Coronavirus in a somewhat accessible format.
Dave and I also wrapped up that discussion by brainstorming ideas people could consider adopting, when they run into websites that are clearly lacking from an accessibility standpoint, such as reaching out to the faulty organizations to share some constructive feedback about the challenges or barriers faced.
Since…
Not everyone out there relies on a mouse or a trackpad when using their computers.
We’ve all been kicking off 2021 in a myriad of ways so far, and next Monday, I’ll be kicking mine off again, this time with my monthly appearance on the Now with Dave Brown morning show on AMI-Audio.
This month, I’ll be talking to Dave about a reality that is unbeknownst to most of us: which is that for millions of people out there who can’t fully use a mouse to navigate online and need to rely on the use of their keyboard or assistive technology that relies on robust keyboard support, casually browsing the web is an inefficient, frustrating…
Acknowledging stress cases and designing for the extremes.
One of my biggest pet peeves when it comes to inclusion in the digital space typically occurs when I discuss website redesigns with members of a cross-functional team, or strategic plans to build out accessibility roadmaps with business stakeholders. At some point or another, almost invariably, someone who’s otherwise well-intentioned will refer to the needs and expectations of people with disabilities as being just another series of edge cases.
I’ll tell you right off the bat, the words “edge cases” just make my skin crawl.
What these people mean by that, of course, is simply that the particular needs of…
Do you still believe that the greatest threat to the inclusion of people with disabilities in the digital space is the lack of awareness from designers who think they understand what inclusive design means? The general apathy of developers who can’t be bothered to make their code keyboard accessible? Or the sheer complexity of the international accessibility guidelines that have become so dense over the years that even experts are starting to feel uncomfortable about them? While that might have been true in previous years, in 2021… think again.
Arguably, while all three of these things have contributed for the…
Tell me… What brings you pride and joy in your work, and what about that is connected to your own purpose?
If you are a web professional interested in digital accessibility, then you probably identify with values such as empathy and inclusion. Did you ever stop to wonder what it is in your work, if anything, that drives you?
Over the years, my personal journey has led me to identify what my own purpose was: create a more inclusive world, where people can truly connect. To me, the pride and joy come from knowing that at the end of the day, my work makes a difference in the lives of countless people. …
Do you ever stop to wonder what your life would look like if, all of a sudden, the Internet was taken away from you in the midst of COVID-19?
Do you ever stop to wonder what your life would look like if, all of a sudden, the Internet was taken away from you in the midst of COVID-19? If, overnight, you found yourself unable to use websites and applications the way that you do today? If, instead of shopping or paying your bills online, you were forced to go back to taking the bus, and physically walk into a brick-and-mortar…
Despite a pandemic that has kept most of us on major lockdowns, and United States politics that have monopolized much of the Canadian airwaves in the first few weeks of the new year, January turned out to be a pretty interesting month from a digital inclusion standpoint, with two major milestones for Canadians with Disabilities all over the country. Sadly, these events flew under most people’s radars.
So, to honor their expected influence on the digital accessibility landscape moving forward, my next appearance on the Now with Dave Brown morning show on AMI-Audio (live at around 9:25 am Eastern this…
As someone who’s been tirelessly advocating for the inclusion of people with disabilities in the digital space for over 20 years, I’ve lost track of the number of times I’ve had to explain to people that accessibility is more than just a business expense. As the old saying goes, if I’d been given a dollar for every time that someone brought up the argument that “people with disabilities have no money anyway” to justify their inactions towards accessible content and more inclusive design, well, let’s just say I’d be much closer to financial independence than I am today.
“Blind people…
I can hardly believe it’s already been close to 4 weeks since I joined the AMI-Audio’s team with my monthly digital inclusion segment on the Now with Dave Brown morning show. In our first installment, Dave and I discussed that these segments would be about the inclusion of people with disabilities in the digital space, how web accessibility standards were always playing catch up with the latest advances in technology, and how we’re hoping to make these segments about the listeners and the unique challenges they are running into, as they’re trying to efficiently use the web.
About three weeks ago (how time flies!), I wrote about starting a brand new, monthly digital inclusion segment on AMI-Audio’s morning show, Now with Dave Brown. Thanks again to the host, Dave Brown and his team for the wonderful opportunity!
It was a delightful experience, and next Monday, October 19th, will be my second contribution to the show. More on that in another post.
But in the meantime, if you didn’t get a chance to catch the first episode live, you can still catch it on the following platforms:
Denis Boudreau
I write about digital inclusion, but there are many other topics I’d rather be writing about! Help me make the web more inclusive so I can finally get to those.
