Rebranding Web Accessibility

2016年5月14日著

Here is main transcript of my part (“How We Changed Our Game Plan?”) from joint presentation with Mr. Makoto Ueki titled “Rebranding Web Accessibility - We Changed Our Game Plan” at the 31st Annual International Technology and Persons with Disabilities Conference (a.k.a. CSUN conference). You can download zipped PDF file of the presentation, but I think providing it via normal text can be better, more accessible, so:

Being Right Is Not Enough!

Marketing web accessibility is HARD
- however, making web content accessible is absolutely the right thing to do
How can we promote the benefits of web accessibility in Japan?
- without the support of laws like Section 508/ADA

In our analysis, the reason humans have not been to Mars is, essentially, the result of a marketing failure.

Too much emphasis on people with disabilities
- of course web accessibility is vital for them, but it is more than that
Do we need another, better phrase than “Web Accessibility”?
- another phrase can bring further confusion
Rebranding Web Accessibility is the key for marketing success

If web content is accessible enough, it can be used
- by various types of people
- with various types of devices
- in various situations/contexts
Web accessibility is necessary, not only for those with disabilities, but for ALL
- designing for diversity can benefit all of us

Web accessibility means that people can use the web.

In the multi-device era, every single webpage can be accessed from various devices
- there are overlaps between multi-device experience design and accessible design
- ensuring accessibility is important to avert the loss of business opportunities
Accessibility should be prioritized as the most important quality of web content
- IoT/WoT is coming, we need to prepare for more diverse utilization of web

Web content can be easily accessible, in comparison with other medias
- thanks to machine readability, web content is adaptable by nature
Many web designers/developers have already done a great deal regarding accessibility
- regardless of whether they recognize they're performing accessibility role
- we can further encourage them, work together more, for a better future

It's said that there are overlaps between accessibility and SEO
- can we use “SEO” for the sake of rebranding web accessibility?
In the article “The Accessibility & SEO Myth”
- Mr. Karl Groves states only 5% of WCAG techniques are correlated with SEO
Rather than SEO, accessibility has more better overlaps with user experience

WCAG should be more understandable
- many designers/developers struggle to understand WCAG 2.0
  - WCAG 2.0 seems to be too abstract, like the law
W3C/WAI EOWG is working hard to create better resources
- technologies/standards/best practices change so rapidly

The answer is “NO”
- we can't measure the efficiency of defective products
  - inaccessible web content can't fully display its potential
- ensuring accessibility is a part of web design
  - they are inseparable
Web Standards movement could take-off without ROI discussion
- stop answering the wrong question!

Marketing Web Accessibility, placing more emphasis on User Experience in terms of Multi-device Usage
- rather than on specific types of people/usage
Promoting Web Accessibility as a Quality
- rather than measures for people with disabilities
- rather than measures for reducing legal risks
For Designers/Developers, Better Resources are Necessary
Stop answering the Wrong Question about ROI

Mottainai (もったいない, [mottainai]) is a Japanese term conveying a sense of regret concerning waste according to Wikipedia
Inaccessible content doesn't capitalize on the best characteristics of the web, this is mottainai
- the web is basically accessible by nature (again, thanks to machine readability)
- the more appropriate use of web technologies leads to a more accessible web
Let's avoid “Mottainai” web design and lead the web to its full potential (as the W3C says)!