Introduction:
This module’s reading and videos have made it clear that many of the things that we have today are not built with everyone in mind. It seems that the things that we use the most, such as the Internet, transportation, phones, and so on, are all made with the norm in mind, and people with disabilities are often treated as an after thought. And even when a product or service is made with disabilities in mind, it can sometimes become an expensive endeavor and an even more expensive final product. However, the Ted talks show that there are people who are looking to change that. From MIT engineer Amos Winter making a cheap, all-terrain wheelchair for under $200 to Ted Henter and Bill Joyce’s JAWS program which allows blind people to read what’s on a computer screen. If we were to design for people with disabilities, then the end result could work for everyone (or at least more people than usual).
Aside from genuine technological advancements, it can seem that making the Internet more accessible is not possible. However, this module’s reading material showed that making some simple changes can make the Web more inclusive.
Tips to help make a blog more accessible:
1. Use clear and simple language: Use simple and clear language, avoid jargon or technical terms that may be difficult for some readers to understand.
2. Use descriptive headings and subheadings: Use descriptive headings and subheadings to organize your content. This helps readers with visual or cognitive disabilities to navigate your blog easily.
3. Use alt text for images: Use descriptive alt test for images so that screen readers can describe the image to readers who are visually impaired.
4. Make sure your blog is keyboard-friendly: Ensure that your blog can be navigated with a keyboard. This is important for users who are unable to use a mouse or other pointing device.
5. Use high contrast colors: Use high contrast colors for text and background to make it easier for readers with visual impairments to read your content.
6. Provide captions and transcripts for videos: Provide captions and transcripts for videos so that users who are deaf or hard of hearing can understand the content.
7. Use semantic markup: Use semantic markup to structure your content. This helps screen readers to understand the hierarchy of your content.
8. Make sure your blog is mobile-friendly: Ensure that your blog is mobile-friendly so that users can access your content on their mobile devices.
Assessing the content:
Looking back on the material, I think the most helpful source was Elise Roy’s TED Talk. She discussed something called “design thinking” which is a “process for innovation and problem-solving” (Roy). Roy sees the benefit of this design process because it can harness the creativity that goes into making technology more accommodating. If things are made to include more people from the beginning then it eliminates the need to do so later on. And since a lot of innovations come out of necessity, keeping disabilities in mind can offer another source to work from.
Changes that I will make:
All this information would be useless if I didn’t put it into practice. So from now on, I will try my best to adhere to the tips I have outlined above. I will make sure to include alt text for images (something which I hadn’t thought to do in the past) as well as headings to make my content more easier to follow. I will also try my best to use high contrast colors to make my content clear and easily distinct from my background. I haven’t ever used videos on my blog, but I will make sure to include transcripts in the future.
Works Cited:
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