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Accessibility Manifesto

We’re almost a decade past the web’s initial foray into accessibility and the US government’s attempts at legislating accessibility standards, and web accessibility still sucks. Current standards and guidelines don’t go far enough. (Sure, some come close, but we’re nowhere near where we need to be.)

Rumors and ignorance still dominate how people approach accessibility. Often people assume that accessibility is somehow not worth the effort—that accessibility costs too much in terms of time or money; that accessibility translates to spartan, utilitarian, even ugly design; or that accessibility is something that can be considered as an afterthought. Sometimes people even assume that accessibility only means passing some automated test. None of these beliefs are accurate. In reality, the opposite is true.

We’re here to change the situation. At Tanagram we are committed to accessibility in every aspect of our work. We are convinced that the internet can truly be the great equalizer. We are committed to providing rich, egalitarian experiences for all users, including people with visual impairments and members of the Blind and Deaf communities. To reflect this attitude, we make accessibility part of our entire process.

• We research our work’s cultural and functional implications for various differently-abled communities.
• Our IA and UX approach takes into account different affordances and the needs of user groups.
• Design especially addresses the way we communicate visual information, including for low-vision and colorblind users, while maintaining high artistic standards.
• Development assures that our designs are implemented in semantically rich HTML and carefully-constructed CSS. When our work calls for the use of JavaScript, Flash, and other “rich media” environments, we approach those technologies with accessibility as a core principle.

No one deserves or should have to make do with a substandard online experience. Accessibility isn’t just about helping people different from us. It enhances all of our online experiences and has benefits beyond doing the right thing, including improved usability and more reliable SEO. Good things happen when we begin a project with an accessibility-oriented mindset.

The little “508” badge at the bottom left of our site only signifies our commitment to accessibility. To get a better taste of where we want to take accessibility, fire up a text-only browser, JAWS, or your favorite assistive technology. We think you’ll like what you experience.

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Posted by Joseph Juhnke on August 19, 2008

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