Dark, While "equal effort" access might be a laudable ideal goal, don't forget that all companies are subject to economies of scale, and that blind users are a very small percentage. It's going to cost less per user to focus on the 99% non-blind users than the 1% blind, and there's pretty much nothing that can be done about it. It's simply a law of economics and production.
There are only two ways to fund higher proportional spending for minority production: subsidize it using majority production, or sell the minority independently for a higher price. Personally, I'm willing to pay a bit more to support minority interfaces like screen readers and command line access, largely because I use them; but like everyone else, there is a limit on what I'm willing to pay, and for most people that limit is substantially lower than mine. Dennis Towne Alter Aeon MUD http://www.alteraeon.com On Thu, Mar 15, 2012 at 8:54 AM, dark <[email protected]> wrote: > Hi Tom. > > that's bad news in my book. I'm afraid I strongly disagree on your statement > of a blind user "getting used to the way sighted users do things for purpose > of accessibility" simply on the basis of the deffinition of access. > > It would be possible for a paraplegic to get out of his/her wheel chair and > drag themselves up a flight of stairs on their hands. We don't however say > "Get used to doing this because it's what normally walking people do" simply > because we recognize that the amount of effort involved to the paraplegic in > such an undertaking is wildly unreasonable. > > I'd apply the same principle here. Accessibility is not just being able to > do x or y, it's do with equal effort. For a sighted user, having a maximal > range of information in the one location provides less effort sinse they can > use the mouse to click it after a visual overview. This is not true for a > blind user, and there is absolutely no reason why they should! from an > access perspective get used to anything. > > myself, sinse I regard computers simply as tools, I'd be in favour of any > and all work arounds to make the blind users' use of a computer as easy as > the sighted users, ie, requiring same amounts of effort. > > if this involves redesigning the interface, turning off features x y z, so > be it. > > As to the job markit, well once again there is a principle from my thesis. > Just as it would be unreasonable to expect a sighted based business to go > over entirely to braille, it would be equally unreasonable to expect a blind > employee to use software that took significantly more effort. This requires > a level of compitance from both the blind user, and indeed the employer in > coming to an understanding that best serves the needs of the blind user > wcompromising ithout the employer. > This is why in my thesis I advocate an independent body be setup to oversee > disability related debates in employment and leasure who have skills and > knolidge of disability, but have no vested interest either way. > > In the absense of such a body though, I'm inclined simply to say "stick it, > the effort needs to be equalized" especially given the current impossibility > of anyone disabled getting a job at all anyway. > > > Beware the Grue! > > Dark. > > --- > Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] > If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to > [email protected]. > You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at > http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. > All messages are archived and can be searched and read at > http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. > If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, > please send E-mail to [email protected]. --- Gamers mailing list __ [email protected] If you want to leave the list, send E-mail to [email protected]. You can make changes or update your subscription via the web, at http://mail.audyssey.org/mailman/listinfo/gamers_audyssey.org. All messages are archived and can be searched and read at http://www.mail-archive.com/[email protected]. If you have any questions or concerns regarding the management of the list, please send E-mail to [email protected].
