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Re: Web development; How to identify if a screen reader is in use

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From: Scott Brackett
Date: May 11, 2017 12:16PM

So in terms of creating a better experience, what is the way forward then?
Is the idea to use an"opt in" model, like a button to request the mobile/
linearized version of the site, rather than making that decision for the
user?

Scott Brackett
Programmer for Short-Term Programs
Texas School for the Blind and Visually Impaired

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On Thu, May 11, 2017 at 12:55 PM, Jonathan Avila < <EMAIL REMOVED>
> wrote:

> I'll say that many clients tell us that 90% of their users are using
> Chrome and thus they only care about Chrome and we shouldn't test their
> content with any other browser. Having metrics about browser usage from a
> client site is compelling to tell them that the browser used by the general
> public may not be the browser that is used by most people using assistive
> technology. The WebAIM screen reader survey is helpful but having other
> metrics to back that up is important. So when I speak to analytic
> information I'm by no means referring only to screen reader users or
> implying that an alternative version of anything should be shown to the
> user. As I mentioned many sites today use high contrast detect and also
> reflow content based on zoom level. Adapting the same content for
> responsive sites is a prime example of how this can benefit users with
> disabilities. Responsive sites allow for linearization and increased sized
> of text benefiting users with disabilities. Knowing that people are
> viewing responsive sites helps to convince clients that they should invest
> in responsive sites.
>
> As you point out people who are not blind use screen readers and different
> interfaces. People who don't have dexterity challenges also use Dragon.
> So I see this not about detecting disability but about knowing how the user
> wants to interact with your site -- whether it be their voice, keyboard, or
> a touch screen.
>
> Jonathan
>
> Jonathan Avila
> Chief Accessibility Officer
> SSB BART Group
> <EMAIL REMOVED>
> 703.637.8957 (Office)
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> -----Original Message-----
> From: WebAIM-Forum [mailto: <EMAIL REMOVED> ] On
> Behalf Of Jennifer Sutton
> Sent: Thursday, May 11, 2017 1:44 PM
> To: WebAIM Discussion List
> Subject: Re: [WebAIM] Web development; How to identify if a screen reader
> is in use
>
> All:
>
> This business of identifying assistive technology users (why are screen
> reader users pretty much always the only target here, I wonder) has long
> been of deep concern to me.
>
> I am opposed to it for all the reasons that have been cited. And I
> especially object (as I have told Jared privately, on at least one
> occasion) to the citing of the WebAIM screen reader survey as anything
> like "authoritative" in this matter.
>
> I believe the question was poorly framed, i.e. lacked any of the kinds of
> scenarios that would really explain/illustrate to most end-users what the
> results of such identification would inevitably mean, and trust me, it sure
> as heck won't all be for "their good." In fact, I'd say none of it will be,
> despite the supposed "good intentions" of the industry.
> Anybody remember which road is paved with "good intentions?"
>
> As I believe many of us know, at least those of us who've been around for
> a while . . . the WebAIM survey is, indeed, the only research we have, but
> it is flawed since sometimes the screen reader vendors and/or users,
> themselves, have often encouraged its use (some more blatantly than others)
> as a "marketing campaign," i.e. popularity context. That's not a criticism
> of the WebAIM team; there's nothing they can do about it. But it is often
> context that people who see the survey as authoritative lack. And it might
> even play into this question and its responses. Who can say?
>
> Getting back to the topic at hand:
> I wonder how Deaf people would feel if they were tracked, very
> specifically, every time they used captions. And I wonder how sighted
> people who use screen readers would feel, since we know there are sighted
> people (with and without print disabilities) who do. How could one tell who
> is who? Let's break out the numbers and track all the sighted testers who
> use screen readers, while we're at it. And then, let's start sending them
> ads or surveys that we expect them to take for free to "help" us. I mean,
> we need *very* specific data about each screen reader user, so we can
> target our surveys, don't we?
>
> Does anybody with a disability who reads this list remember how liberating
> it was to be able to be on the Internet and not be identified, unless one
> chose to? But we should give that up?
>
> It's one thing if an iOS app. knows that I have VoiceOver turned on, but
> that information is strictly kept within my personal device. I don't like
> how few people actually are aware that, as far as I know, that's true, but
> that's the choice Apple has made.
>
> But it's quite another when we're talking about "phoning home to the
> mother ship." As has been indicated by others, this is an issue of privacy,
> security, safety, misuse/abuse of statistics that will inevitably lack
> context . . . plus, I suspect, may result in other issues we've not even
> yet anticipated.
>
> Below my name is one of the bazillions of articles that has been written
> on this subject; it just happens to be the most recent I've seen.
>
> I think people who use AT are being naive if they believe that this kind
> of data gathering would actually result in good. Sorry, folks, but I learn
> from history. I do not believe that having this data would improve people's
> commitments to accessibility; in fact, I think it would fundamentally
> distract people from just "getting the work done."
>
> Jennifer
>
> Notice that this article's title suggests it'll be about people with
> disabilities, but really, as far as I recall, it's primarily about screen
> reader users. It would really be a good idea if people stopped perpetuating
> the myth that the main people with disabilities we help with web
> accessibility are blind people. I know most on this list know that, but
> please help combat this kind of ongoing and misleading use of terms.
>
> https://www.mightybytes.com/blog/how-many-people-with-
> disabilities-use-my-website/
>
>
>
> > > at http://webaim.org/discussion/archives
> > > > > >