Week 6's Readings

Accessibility and User Experience

 

The final module for the ENGL 307T course revolves primarily around three concepts: accessibility (allowing for a disabled populace to properly access and use an online space, via alternate settings for the movement, sight, or hearing-impaired), usability (designing a webpage to be effective and satisfying for the general population, which often doesn't include the disabled community), and inclusion (ensuring that everybody gets an equal experience in the online space, regardless of education, age, place of birth, etc.) (Henry et. al, 2010). As times have started to grow more tolerant of the disabled, these three qualities are rapidly becoming major priorities for companies, with online businesses being no different. After all, alienating a good portion of the population (read: potential customers) would lead to a loss of profit and poor PR for the company. In fact, it brings to mind an article that I have read in the past, in which a blind fan of Beyonce ended up suing both Beyonce and her official website for not being able to properly cater to neither her nor any other of the sight-impaired individuals of the fanbase (Baer, 2019). Considering that music is one of the few mediums that the blind population can enjoy, not being able to access the official website of a medium that caters especially to them just seemed especially callous. This is especially cruel, considering the fact that usability (which is the model that a good majority of businesses follow for critiquing their websites) hardly has the disabled in mind, compared to the other two business models.

This module also focused on one certain tidbit regarding how most web users read online articles: they barely do so, in favor of merely skimming through the article. As a result of this, they end up leaving the webpage only remembering around one or two things about it (Steffen, n.d.). I particular find this tidbit fascinating, considering that I dream of becoming a novelist in the future. In a way, much like a book, it's notably difficult for someone to convince a naysayer (especially if they're a novice, regarding the subject matter) to give an online article a read (especially compared to a piece of art or music), especially if it gives a poor first impression via poor digital design, incoherent writing, etc.. Steffen's (n.d.) PowerPoint presentation points out further that design is one of the primary things that can establish trust amongst consumers. In a way, the design of a website's homepage functions much like the opening "hook" of a book (or even a school paper), with both of them being the main things that helps keep the audience's attention. Utilizing both this, and the many times in middle school where I was told to start off with an amazing "hook", I knew that I had to keep the homepage simplistic and linear, as to not confuse and alienate any novice audience members of my blog, with the rest of the blog being equally as consistent. Was there ever any time that a website instantly hooked you in from, just looking at the front page alone? Has the opposite ever happened, with the front page instantly turning you off from the whole website?

Sources:

Baer, S. K. (2019, January 6). A blind woman is suing Beyoncé’s company, alleging the singer’s website is in violation of the ada. BuzzFeed News. https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/skbaer/blind-woman-sues-beyonce-website-accessibility 

Steffan, V. T. (n.d). User-centered Design & Aesthetics [Powerpoint Slides]. Retrieved from usability research findings.pptx

(WAI), W. W. A. I. (2010, March). Accessibility, usability, and inclusion. Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI). https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-usability-inclusion/