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from the too-many-don't-see-the-problem dept.
Submitted via IRC for Bytram
Why much of the internet is closed off to blind people
As our everyday world moves increasingly online, the digital landscape presents new challenges for ensuring accessibility for the blind. A recent court challenge against Domino's pizza may be a watershed case guiding the rights of disabled people on the internet, writes James Jeffrey.
Each swipe 17-year-old Maysie Gonzales makes on her smart phone is accompanied by what sounds like the famous Stephen Hawking voice barking out orders at a relentless pace.
"Sometimes I speed it up to 350 words a minute, it depends what mood I am in," says Ms Gonzales, who lost her sight when she was two years old through retinal cancer.
Screen readers translate on-screen information into speech or Braille. They have broken open the internet for people who are blind or visually impaired, and for those with other disabilities.
But the device only works effectively on websites that are compatible.
"Sometimes it can be horrible, it depends on how the website has been set up," says Ms Gonzales.
If a website's digital infrastructure hasn't been correctly labelled, a blind person can be met with a barrage of "button! - button! - button!" or "link 1,752! - link 1,752! - link 1,752!" from that hyperactive mechanical-sounding voice.
Hence the case Guillermo Robles, who is blind, brought against Domino's Pizza after he was unable to use his screen reader to use the company's website and mobile app.
A federal court agreed with him, and now Domino's has petitioned the Supreme Court to hear Robles' case, in what could prove a landmark battle over the rights of disabled people on the internet.
"This isn't just about ordering the likes of pizza or surfing Amazon," says Chris Danielson, a representative with the National Federation of the Blind (NFB). "People are doing everything online nowadays, so it's about blind people being able to access the likes of online banking, applying for employment and doing the necessary online tests, accessing cloud-based tools in the workplace, and all the rest."
(Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 30 2019, @12:58PM (4 children)
Because of Brendan Eich's "wonderful" contribution, Javascript.
(Score: 2, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 30 2019, @01:13PM (3 children)
As much as I also dislike pointless JavaScript on websites, there is no technical reason why accessibility could not have been an integral feature of the JavaScript frameworks that we all use these days. my Siri said there are two reasons why there is no accessibility support:
Number one minimum viable product
number two The people writing these frameworks tend to be pretty young and it never crosses their mind that anyone might have less than perfect vision or fantastic fine morning or skills or any of that. Not their problem!
(Score: 1, Touché) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 30 2019, @01:15PM
above: " my Siri" should've been "my theory".
Stupid voice to text.
(Score: 2) by barbara hudson on Monday September 30 2019, @01:35PM
SoylentNews is social media. Says so right in the slogan. Soylentnews is people, not tech.
(Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on Monday September 30 2019, @04:31PM
"fine morning" -> "fine motor"