my problem with this topic is that usability has more to do with user
capability than how hard something is to access. some people cannot
use the mac but use jaws just fine. Some folk have no trouble with
mail and others can't stand it etc.
On Jan 14, 2009, at 12:07 PM, Krister Ekstrom wrote:
Hi Jessica,
I agree with you on what you said about accessibility vs usability. An
application could be accessible, if you use all tricks in the book,
cursors of various shapes, forms and sizes, mouse etc, but is it
usable? Could i work with the program in a working environment, maybe
pressed for time? Those are the questions one should ask.
And on the matter of over simplified stuff, that annoys me too, and i
don't know anything about my IQ.:-)
/Krister
14 jan 2009 kl. 16.43 skrev Jessica L. Arnold:
okay. I just want to say to the person who said they though
usability was the word that was being looked for.
I just want to say that I agree with them and that is what I was
trying to say anyway.
A lot of people confuse accessibility with usability up. And call
usability accessibility. And although there are similarties they are
not the same.
An accessible applicaiton for example is an app that you can access.
YOu can use in some way shape or form. It may not be friendly it may
not be as nice as you would like it butyoou can use it. With cursors
and such and even mouse clicks
And inaccessible applicaiton is one that for whatever reason
programming or other thing that makes the application totally
unusable you cannot access it in any way shape or form no matter how
hard you try.
Maybe it is just me. And yes I could be picking at things here.
But one thing I have noticed in the blind communit that really is
beginning to bother me is this quesiton all the time is something
accessible.
When really what they are asking is can I use this applicaiton.
I have ran into more applications that are accessible/usable than I
have run into applications that are inaccessible. And don't
challenge me on that please. I could not name off to you all the
applicaitons I have used over the years. First there are too many
and second I wouldn't be able to remember them all anyway.
Even the dashboard on the mac is accessible an? d some wigets that
come with it. Now is it nice? No. It is not. Or at least I haven't
found it to be. But is it accessible? Yes it is accessible.
I spent the last two days taking skills based testing to see what
jobs would fit me better.
And there was this app they used yesterday called career scope.
Technically was that application accessible? To the sighted perso
with the muse. First it was accessible second in my opinion it was
way way over simplified.
But then I am classified as having a high iq anyway so anything over
simplified relaly annoys me.
But anyway.
They had it set up for me. the like and dislike test went fine. But
after that an hour was spent trying to figure out why on earth what
they set up for me wouldn't work
I tried to explain to them they could describe the patterns to me
and I could pick the irght one. But one the test was timed. Two I
don't think they wanted to take that time to do that.
The other thing was the program sounded like it was totally mouse
driven and color specific. It was called career scope.
So what ended up happening is we passed the computer program. And
they tested me from papers instead. Which should have been done
anyway.
Either way though they read to me I answered the questions. I put up
with it because I do need and want to work.
But to be quite honest I am not happy with the results. All the
likes point to nature based jobs. Jobs with plants and animals that
to be honest I don't know if I could do those as a blind person. It
doesn't matter how much I like to learn about animals and such. I am
blind. And it is unlikely I would ever be a vet or stuff.
So I am not very encouraged by the tests. And now I have to wait
till my counselor talks with me and such before some decisions are
made as to where we go from here.
Anyway I will say agian accessible and usability if you prefer is in
the eye of the beholder.
The only way any of us are going to find out if something is or is
not accessible and/or usable is if we can have hands on use of that
particular applicaiton or tool or machine or whatever.
Thank you..
Jessica
