Accessibility isn’t Optional

Warning This article was written over six months ago, and may contain outdated information.

A new, lightweight datepicker widget, Pickadate.js, was released recently, and caused a few people to contact its creator, @Amsul, regarding a lack of accessibility features in the code. His reply was quite depressing:

Our target market doesn’t need it [accessibility], so its safe for us to use.

Most of us, I’m sure, would admit that we could do a better job of making our websites accessible, but to actively state that a11y isn’t required seems wilfully stupid. I don’t know how you get to serve pages only to your target market. I mean, this is the web; it’s public; stuff gets everywhere.

Through sheer serendipity I read an article by Karl Groves about an hour later, which states clearly why a11y should be something you concern yourself with: Yes, actually, it may be you one day. He sums it up perfectly:

If you market or develop ICT products and services and you’re still ignoring accessibility, you’re ignoring the coming reality. One day it will be you, or someone you know and love.

5 comments on
“Accessibility isn’t Optional”

  1. RT @stopsatgreen: Blogged: Accessibility isn’t optional http://t.co/oAVwMrCh

  2. RT @stopsatgreen: Blogged: Accessibility isn’t optional http://t.co/oAVwMrCh

  3. RT @stopsatgreen: Blogged: Accessibility isn’t optional http://t.co/oAVwMrCh

  4. RT @stopsatgreen: Blogged: Accessibility isn’t optional http://t.co/oAVwMrCh

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