Having done A LOT of accessibility work I've come to the conclusion that it's extremely difficult to achieve universal accessibility. At first it seems like a it's all about alt tags, but those don't help users with poor reading comprehension, for example. (Dyslexics, some deaf.)
Lately I've been wondering if a better approach would be to provide an API to functionality, and let the disabled or their advocates build interfaces for themselves. That way they'd get exactly what they need. Mouse-free versions, high-contrast versions, simplified text versions... All could be built ane everyone would be happy. Companies could even support these efforts with open source or donations or training.
I have been thinking alot on this approach the last few months. I would like a "smartphone" that had a custom interface for my low vision problems. I think it would be very useful to have an iPhone sized device (all touch screen, no keyboard) with a custom UI for my needs. It doesn't need an app for everything. Just competing in the "feature phone" space would be very useful to me. Large fonts, high contrast, a dashboard that only shows info that has changed, not "a widget for everything all the time". This is on my short list of projects to investigate. Contact me if you have some input. thanks
I honestly am not technically skilled/knowledgeable enough to know how to answer that. I did homeschool my special needs sons and have concluded that supporting "diversity" in some manner tends to widen your audience without specifically bringing up the issue of whether or not someone is handicapped. Many people who would qualify for some label or other have never been formally diagnosed and in many cases they do not want a formal diagnosis (because it is stigmatizing, could hurt their career and so on). Allowing for and supporting a wide variety of personal preferences can make things more accessible and convenient for a great many people in a way which does not make handicapped people feel singled out. Blending is often very psychologically important for people with handicaps and has significant social/practical benefits.
Lately I've been wondering if a better approach would be to provide an API to functionality, and let the disabled or their advocates build interfaces for themselves. That way they'd get exactly what they need. Mouse-free versions, high-contrast versions, simplified text versions... All could be built ane everyone would be happy. Companies could even support these efforts with open source or donations or training.
What do you think? Could this work in practice?