Bureaucrats, darkmatter, Administrators
1,459
edits
WikiCED manual: Difference between revisions
→Side effect benefits
| Line 46: | Line 46: | ||
When looking at technical implementations today, there is an "artificial line that views such technologies as assistive rather than normal options, products are designed for or against certain users." (http://asyourworldchanges.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/using-the-curb-cuts-principle-to-reboot-computing/) | When looking at technical implementations today, there is an "artificial line that views such technologies as assistive rather than normal options, products are designed for or against certain users." (http://asyourworldchanges.wordpress.com/2008/10/06/using-the-curb-cuts-principle-to-reboot-computing/) | ||
As many are aware, navigating the world as a person with disabilities often results in frustration or complete denial to everyday services. Resolving these problems | As many are aware, navigating the world as a person with disabilities often results in frustration or complete denial to everyday services. Resolving these problems yields unexpected benefits. When a curb is cut for wheelchairs, navigation is also made easier for those with baby strollers, bicycles (where permitted) and inattentive walkers. The same is true of ramps and elevators - making a change for disabled persons improves the situation for everyone. This leads to a shift in thinking towards [[wp:universal design]] - the idea that instead of treating accessible design as an afterthought, it is instead a way to lead overall design. This provides benefits including greater access to employment, education, culture, citizenship, and information in general. | ||
Using technology, this is enabled by the fact that most information is stored in one way or another in text format. Email is text, most organization content has a text basis. The low level format of Web pages is HTML, which accommodates accessible features. Suddenly, individuals with mobility, cognitive or vision disabilities (estimated to be [http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/facts.shtml 650 million people around the world], or [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/071203/dq071203a-eng.htm one in seven Canadians] - not including the elderly) are on a more equal footing with everyone else - they're tremendously enabled. | Using technology, this is enabled by the fact that most information is stored in one way or another in text format. Email is text, most organization content has a text basis. The low level format of Web pages is HTML, which accommodates accessible features. Suddenly, individuals with mobility, cognitive or vision disabilities (estimated to be [http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/facts.shtml 650 million people around the world], or [http://www.statcan.gc.ca/daily-quotidien/071203/dq071203a-eng.htm one in seven Canadians] - not including the elderly) are on a more equal footing with everyone else - they're tremendously enabled. | ||