Non-Usable Accessibility
Jacob Neilson's latest Alertbox article, "Accessibility is Not Enough," details his criticisms of marketing accessibility. Just because a program or a web page strictly adheres to a 508 "scorecard" or meets all of the accessibility guidelines does not imply that it will be understood or easy to use. Simply meeting accessibility criteria is not sufficient for building a successful web site or application.
Jacob mentions that accessibility does not "live within a vacuum." Accessibility alone does not create instant success. Much the same as develop a standards-compliant website does not automatically create a usable, accessible, or well-designed website. The goal of any web site is to sell; be it products, a service, an idea, whatever. In building a site to persuade users, users must be able to understand the purpose of the site and use it easily. While accessibility makes the site open to users regardless of disability, it still needs to be understood and easy to use.
Overall, it is a very short, but succinct article in warning people to be wary of software or applications that are sold as accessible, yet do not take user behavior into account. Accessibility is best applied with usability. This is a theme that seems to be developing. Accessibility, Usability & Optimization – all are interrelated and interdependent in building a successful web site.
