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Re: Screen Readers as a Development Tool for Web Developers

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From: Eades, Terri
Date: Jul 17, 2015 11:34AM


I'm really torn. I would actually LIKE to learn how to use a screen reader and I see the benefit of testing with it, but as designers and developers go "full stack"--meaning they both design the visual interface and code, and usually also do UX--that's a lot already on the plate to learn and stay updated with. While I could definitely learn how to use a screen reader, I don't know if I could be competent enough to test thoroughly, just because there is already so much going on in my brain and because I am not your typical user, and I want to have real-world testing. But I do understand how you won't truly know how accessible you are unless you test it, yourself, just like we're used to testing sites in different browsers.


Terri Eades
Webmaster

Morgan Community College
920 Barlow Road, Fort Morgan, CO 80701
Phone: (970) 542-3155 | Fax: (970) 542-3115
<EMAIL REMOVED>

www.MorganCC.edu







-----Original Message-----
From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On Behalf Of Dennis Deacon
Sent: Friday, July 17, 2015 10:44 AM
To: <EMAIL REMOVED>
Subject: [WebAIM] Screen Readers as a Development Tool for Web Developers

I started my inquiry on Twitter, but wanted to get more feedback on this.

It is my opinion that web developers need to have a certain level of expertise with using a screen reader to test their work during development.
I have run into a few with a similar point of view. However, the majority of feedback has stated that this is an unrealistic expectation. I myself find it difficult to hand over work to someone else to test without having testing it myself.

I'd love to hear the opinion of others. I myself am a novice screen reader user and have looked for training specifically for developers. Beyond the online cheat sheets, there are none.

Thanks in advance.


Dennis Deacon