This week we’ll be talking about accessibility. Take a moment and think of a time when there was something you wanted or needed but didn’t have access to it for some reason or another. Being denied access to something you want or need can feel beyond frustrating.
The internet is a very powerful tool. So many businesses give extra discounts to people with accounts on their sites; government offices keep forms on their sites now instead of keeping paper copies; medical offices now use client portals for people to be able to access and pay their accounts, scheduled appointments and services. Not being able to get around and use any of these sites can make something that was supposed to be a better/easier alternative seem like a huge stumbling block.
Accessibility focuses on making sure that those of us who are helping building these structures build them in a way that EVERYONE can use them easily. Last week you got an introduction into the challenges some people face when trying to use and interact with websites. This week, finish reading the WebAim site starting with the “Implementing Web Accessibility” section then check out the A11y Checklist. We strongly recommend bookmarking a tool you can run your code through to help check for accessibility compliance (Wave from WebAIM) or a simple tool you can add to your code to help you check accessibility features on your site (like totA11y from Khan Academy).
Accessibility is a way bigger topic than we can cover here, but hopefully this starts your wheels turning about how to be sure that the awesome things you build throughout your career can be easily used by everyone.
Please answer the below prompts in your assignment submission:
- When you’ve had limited or no access to something, what did you do? Were you ultimately able to get what you needed? If not, how did your lack of access impact your life?
- Now that you’ve read about accessibility, and hopefully considered some of the challenges others face using the internet, are there things you can/will do differently in your current/future project(s)? Give examples/specifics.
When you’ve completed your Coding Assignment, and have read and thought about the mindset questions above, submit ALL of your assignments (coding and mindset) using:
