How to counter arguments against accessibility

When designers and developers have an aggressive, dismissive, or defensive response.

About me

• My name is Anne-Mieke Bovelett, feel free to call me Anne
• I’m Dutch and very direct, I was born and raised in The Netherlands
• In 1998, I created my first commercial website, I have been 100% self-employed since 2008
• I’m part of the target group: ADHD, ASD, dyslexia, dyscalculia

What you will learn today

• How to motivate developers
• How to motivate designers
• How you can use that knowledge to motivate decision makers

About this presentation

• Targeted at people who have a solid understanding of online accessibility and have (to take) the lead
• At times I make very confrontational statements, psychology is an important factor.
• The examples I share are based on my experience. You may have other experiences, that you have questions about. Please don't hesitate to ask at the end of the presentation.

About this presentation

• I refer to blog articles on a few occasions. A QR code is included on every slide where I do so.

You get to share “your” arguments!

• Please make a list of maximum 3 arguments that you find hard to counter.
• If this presentation has not given you the inspiration for countering the argument(s) on that list, you can share them at the end of the presentation.

The obvious: disbelief

Arguments

• It works for me!
• We don’t have disabled visitors / users / customers
• What? I’ve been doing this for X years and no one ever complained!
• Are you saying I am a bad designer / developer? How dare you?
• You know there’s a plugin for that, right?

Fear of restriction

• They’re confronted with “no” and “not”
• You can not do this
• You should not do that
• You can not use that feature
• You can not use that tool
• There’s little that is so decapitating as “no, no, no, no!”

Fear of repercussions

• Legal Liability
• We can get sued if it is not done right
• I might get fired because of that

One more: Fear of the unknown

• It’s overwhelming
• The documentation is dryer than the Sahara in midsummer
• Most feel like they have to know and understand it all.

Everybody wants to be liked

• Most creating people I know identify themselves with what they do for a living.
• Giving them a feeling that they’re not good (enough) at what they do is detrimental.
• This is what shuts them down on you

…because it feels like a personal attack

The basis for countering voiced and unvoiced arguments

Love and empathy

• Your empathy towards them, their worries and their fears
• Their empathy towards the end users they develop and design for
• Clarification of the joy of what can be done, instead of can’t.

Come from yes, instead of no.

Most important: the “why”

• “Because I and the official guidelines say so” is not a great argument
• “Because it is the right thing to do” is not as solid as you think
• Your “why” may differ from their “why” because they are on a different level in the process
• Find out what they understand, and project that

Make them relate

Most are unaware how they too depend on accessibility features.

A great read about this is a blog post by Rian Rietveld from the A11Y Collective, called “Blind people don’t visit my website”.

https://annes.link/rian

What they know

Vision

What they know

Hearing

What they know

Fatigue

What they know

Packaging frustrations

What they know

Shopping frustrations

What they know

Annoying lack of information

It can happen to the best of us, and your economic position has nothing to do with that…

Source: Wikimedia

What they think they know

Even if you feel you sound like Captain Obvious, you’d be surprised how things are not obvious to others, at all!

1. You know a lot of what can go wrong.
2. They do not know what can go wrong.
3. Make them experience that on their own, as much as you can.

What they think they know

You know what can go wrong. They don’t. Make them experience that on their own, as much as you can.

• Find webshops that work great and shops that suck at accessibility. Make your team shop by keyboard. And let them find out on why something worked and why not.

What they think they know

You know what can go wrong. They don’t. Make them experience that on their own, as much as you can.

• Find webshops that work great and shops that suck at accessibility. Make your team shop by keyboard. And let them find out on why something worked and why not.
• Make them see the world through the eyes of people with visual disabilities, and make it clear that this also concerns their grandparents, and at some point, themselves.
• Find great analogies. Some of mine are so graphic, they are not suitable for a public presentation, but they sure are in closed meetings.

What they think they know

You know what can go wrong. They don’t. Make them experience that on their own, as much as you can.

• Find webshops that work great and shops that suck at accessibility. Make your team shop by keyboard. And let them find out on why something worked and why not.
• Make them see the world through the eyes of people with visual disabilities, and make it clear that this also concerns their grandparents, and at some point, themselves.
• Find great analogies. Some of mine are so graphic, they are not suitable for a public presentation, but they sure are in closed meetings.

Show them their power

• Web designers and developers are the kings, queens, and the magicians. Acknowledge that.
• They have the power to change things for the better, make them aware!
• Show them they can take great pride in their work:
• On a human level
• On a creative level
• On a commercial / financial level

Translation and Teamwork!

• Web designers and developers do not always speak the same language. Translate. It helps for mutual understanding and empathy.
• Bring them together. They have to have a basic understanding of each other’s work.
• The story of the € 160 button: https://annes.link/button
• What if that button actually cost $ 20,000?
• You are part of that team. Never forget that. You do this together!

Translation and Teamwork!

• Web designers and developers do not always speak the same language. Translate. It helps for mutual understanding and empathy.
• Bring them together. They have to have a basic understanding of each other’s work. You are part of both teams. Never forget that. You do this together!
• The story of the € 160 button: https://annes.link/button

So… How to convince decision makers

• Appeal to common sense when they throw the “show me the numbers” in an attempt to derail you in the conversation.
• Monetize, monetize, monetize.

Bring on the arguments! I’ll start

• Design: This is how they always used their corporate colours!
• Design: Labels are ugly
• Developer: We will develop the features first and make it accessible afterwards
• Marketing: It takes too much time, so it’s too expensive
• Your turn: