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Re: What to tell developers about accessibility?

for

From: November Samnee
Date: Apr 17, 2012 1:19PM

In my organization I do start developer education with a "Why" section, but
we have some pretty specific instances to talk about that a more general
audience may not. The big takeaway is standards, but I do also review who
might use what assistive technologies in a persona-type format. (I come
from user experience, and it makes sense to me to talk about how certain
coding techniques will help a specific type of user.) Developers seem to
respond well to video from Trace Research Center that demos JAWS (
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VvWCnFjAGgo - starting at 3:47 to 6:00). My
presentation includes some code samples, a take-away with developer
resources, and an mention of WAVE.

I love the keyboard as a way to hook developers, Sarah! Now I'm thinking of
doing some retooling...

November Samnee

On Tue, Apr 17, 2012 at 1:28 PM, Bourne, Sarah (ITD) <
<EMAIL REMOVED> > wrote:

> Karen,
>
> Here are my suggestions:
> - Don't get bogged down in things like "Why accessibility?" Their eyes
> will glaze over. Keep it short, or throw it in at the end - after you've
> captured their interest.
> - I usually start with keyboard only (mouseless) operability. Many devs
> are heavy keyboard users and it gives them something they can personally
> relate to.
> - Discuss the benefit of valid code. While it doesn't guarantee
> accessibility, it helps reduce defects caused by the browsers and AT
> "guessing" and it makes it easier to troubleshoot and maintain.
> - Frame the importance of using things headings, form labels, fieldset
> legends, etc., in terms of their semantic role. What sighted people do to
> ascertain what's on a page, you need to provide a machine way to do.
> - Show them the W3C "How to Meet WCAG 2.0" quick reference: devs tend to
> like the "Here's the rule and here's how to follow it" approach. They can
> follow the links for all the other material as needed. To avoid glazing
> eyes, do this instead of trying to go through ALL THE THINGS.
>
> Hope this helps!
> sb
>
> Sarah E. Bourne
> Director of Assistive Technology &
> Mass.Gov Chief Technology Strategist
> Information Technology Division
> Commonwealth of Massachusetts
> 1 Ashburton Pl. rm 1601 Boston MA 02108
> 617-626-4502
> <EMAIL REMOVED>
> http://www.mass.gov/itd
> > > >