Thread by @wipinsanity

I'm so angry that @ravelry is still trying to sweep their #RavelryAccessibility mess under the rug. By all appearances, it looks like they're banking on the fact that the majority of their audience won't know or care why this is so problematic.

So, in an attempt to combat that dependency, I'm going to talk about why accessibility is important, and why you should care about it, even if you're not disabled, even if you don't think you'll ever be disabled, and even if you don't care much about the needs of the disabled.

I'll start by addressing why Ravelry has to even be accessible. I feel like a lot of folks might think "accessibility" is just about making sure blind people can read a website, and blind people don't knit, so what's the big deal?

There are two major things to know in answer to these assumptions.

First: OH HELL YES THEY DO. nfb.org/sites/www.nfb.…

They really do. webcache.googleusercontent.com/search?q=cache…

And also: They do. invisibleloomcraft.blogspot.com/search/label/b…

Second: Anyone who thinks "accessibility" is just "making a website usable by blind people" does not know what accessibility is. It encompasses much, MUCH more than that. And the rest of this thread will help to explain how!

For instance, I bet most non-disabled people think they've never had web accessibility issues. But, newsflash: THEY HAVE.

No, really! :)

Have you ever had to use a computer one-handed because you had something in your other arm, like a baby or a heavy bag?

Have you ever been somewhere too noisy to hear your phone but wanted to watch a video?

Have you ever had those drops from the eye doctor that make you really sensitive to light and prevent you from reading properly for a few hours? (Me, today.)

Has your Internet ever been slow?

These are all examples of accessibility issues. Temporary issues, yes, but accessibility issues nonetheless. And we've ALL had stuff like this happen. And I bet no one wants to have to wait until the issues go away; they want to do what they want on the Internet RIGHT NOW.

THAT'S accessibility.

And some people have accessibility issues on a long-term basis (e.g. a broken arm) or even permanently (e.g. lost an arm).

And ALL of these people should be able to do what they want to do on the Internet RIGHT NOW, just like folks with temporary issues.

And just for kicks and giggles, I'll add a third major point: FINANCIAL GAIN. :) (Or, the flip side, a lack of financial loss.) Think about it: When you add up all the people experiencing temporary, long-term, or permanent accessibility issues, that's a helluva lot of people.

World Bank states that 15% of the world's population experiences some kind of disability, and I don't think they're even counting temporary or long-term situations. worldbank.org/en/topic/disab….

15% of the world's population equals over one BILLION people. That's not dismissable. That's not an unimportant, fringe population which unreasonably wants to be "catered" to.

Not at all - rather, we're talking about people with brains and experience and knowledge and MONEY, all wanting to participate in this great big Internet. You want to say no to the opportunity to access all those wonderful assets?

Also, you want to open the door to the reputational risk of having all those people start complaining to their personal and business networks about how they can't use your site?

Also also, you want to expose your business to potential lawsuits? Many countries or smaller regions have some form of disability legislation in place now which makes it imperative for many companies to have a certain level of accessibility on their sites.

Right now, some of that legislation only covers the obligations of governments. But in a lot of places, the legislation applies further. And in the future, more and more businesses are likely going to have to comply with these accessibility laws. medium.com/@krisrivenburg…

I'll add a fourth major point for why to care about accessibility - this probably won't appeal to everybody, of course, but it's desperately important anyway and needs to be said - Being A Person Who Cares About Other People.

No matter how you slice it, ACCESSIBILITY ISN'T A NICE-TO-HAVE.

It makes a site better for EVERYBODY. Not just because everybody is going to experience accessibility issues at some point, but because the things that get done on a website to provide accessibility are terrific!

Clear, readable fonts? That's a plus even for people who don't have visual issues. Effective keyboard navigation? Sometimes that's just faster and easier, no matter how good you are with a mouse.

Haptic feedback? That's just plain old fun for a lot of people, even if they can already see that what they were trying to do was successful. The list goes on and on.

(Hey look, I accidentally came up with a fifth point. :)

Making your site accessible isn't easy, but it should never be thought of as a CHORE. It isn't CATERING to a specialized group of people. It's making your site the best it can be for EVERYONE, while simultaneously opening you up to a bigger audience.

Make the switch to that Universal Design mindset, and you open up your horizons to so much more. adaptagency.com/blog/6-reasons…

@ravelry? Your move. To quote your own TOS, "you agree that you will not act in a manner that negatively affects other users' quiet enjoyment of the Services."

Or, alternatively, from the rules for the main 6 boards: "Don't be a Jerk."

Fin.