Blind Web Designers
I am the Disability Services Coordinator at a community college. It is my job to see that students with any disability have equal access to academic programs, activities, curriculum, etc. I have several blind students who want to become web designers. The faculty and staff here are reluctant, skeptical and probably afraid when it comes down to modifying their course curruculm. I would like to know what is the prevalence of blind web designers . I think this kind of info would support the students' goals. Can anyone give me any data , experiences or compelling stories that could help?
Thanks!
Kris
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Hi KrisG,
First thing that springs to mind is this:
| Quote: |
| "For me being online is everything. It's my hi-fi, my source of income, my supermarket, my telephone. It's my way in."
Lynn Holdsworth, screen reader user, Web Developer and Programmer |
from the RNIB's Web Access Centre.
Good place to start - and I know there are others here with lots more experience.
Good luck!
[edit]Actually, I've just been thinking again about this issue. Who is better qualified to design a site for someone with a VI? I'd say a designer with VI!
Aren't the faculty and staff being rather short-sighted in their outlook? Get it right and they could be heading up a centre of excellence for teaching web design to students with VI. OK, so the initial outlay for re-training staff, new equipment, etc, would be high...but surely so could the future returns? Anyway, my thoughts for what they're worth! Again, good luck![/edit]
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Hi Kris and welcome
Are you talking about designers or developers or both?
I'm a partially sighted developer. It definately helps me and my team spot accessiblity issues. I just say "Well I can't see it!"
It saves time compared to using a contrast checker for example. Issues like text size and icon design are obvious to me when they are not for fully sighted people.
I don't use assistive technologies so I can't comment on those. But being disabled definately gives me a passion for accessiblity and by extension, usability too. So I would say that my disability has made me a better developer. Thats not to say of course that fully sighted people can't be be a lot better!
The only thing I would say is with regard to time. Not being able to see (as well) can make it harder to find errors or longer to test.
James
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I think a blind designer is totally do-able. In my art class in college we had a blind sculptor and painter who did great work. A blind designer could use basic logic of CSS to design very functional and accessible sites. I think it's a great idea and goal.
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Hi
checkout this new cool technology
http://www.ifeelpixel.com/
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Some might say that the World Wide Web is the best thing that ever happened to people who are blind or visually impaired. We read newspapers on the day they're published, order groceries and know the prices before we check out, and find out what titles are on a CD before we make our selection.
But not every web page is optimally designed for use by web surfers with visual impairments. When a page is built without regard to proper web design, the technology that keeps users in the Web falls apart.
web design san francisco
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| Gary Miller wrote: |
| Actually, I've just been thinking again about this issue. Who is better qualified to design a site for someone with a VI? I'd say a designer with VI!
Aren't the faculty and staff being rather short-sighted in their outlook? Get it right and they could be heading up a centre of excellence for teaching web design to students with VI. OK, so the initial outlay for re-training staff, new equipment, etc, would be high...but surely so could the future returns? Anyway, my thoughts for what they're worth! Again, good luck! |
I second that! We have several developers who are vision impaired.
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I don't see any problem on this.
I think however that it is more challenging for a VI web designer.
But I have known some VI web developer.
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