Throwing it out there — With Titanium and x5 zoom being some of the standout features for ’23, below are the software and hardware changes that are on my wishlist. 1. Guest photo mode Picture the scene, you want to take a group photo. You hand your phone to a random person nearby to take a picture. However, you’ve…

It’s the role of the platform to prevent accessibility issues — LinkedIn is a business and employment-focused social media platform that works through websites and mobile apps. It was launched on May 5, 2003, Linkedin’s revenue was $15 billion in 2023, it’s also part of Microsoft. Summary Strip out fancy fonts (𝒻𝑜𝓃𝓉𝓈) Automatically add capital letters to #HashTags ❌ Warn about overuse…

It benefits voice control users — While at GOV.UK I got the opportunity to watch a renowned Accessibility Specialist test with Dragon. Dragon is voice control software that allows a user to interact with a computer using just their voice. Not everyone uses a mouse or even a keyboard to interact with websites. Some people use…

Have you heard of prefers-reduced-motion? — Web animations when done well can be very effective. Micro-interactions, subtle changes in colour and motion, they can really enhance the user experience, make interactions enjoyable, clearer, delightful even. However, it’s crucial to ensure that these animations are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. What people are impacted by animation?

They purchased a separate website thinking it would protect them — it didn’t — In February 2017 in the United States, the Department of Transport (DOT), found that Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) didn’t make their website accessible to people with disabilities. Instead of building their main website so that it was accessible inline with WCAG 2.1, SAS purchased a separate website from a third-party company.

Some suggestions — Companies should prioritise accessibility, however this is not the reality. Below are 20 ableist statements companies might make, along with counter responses to promote accessibility: “It’s not our target audience” How do you know? 22% of people in the UK, have some form of disability, you’re potentially excluding 22% of potential customers. Accessibility benefits everyone…

Why should people with disabilities have to pay more? — Follow up to the Apple Books article. Read more about the concept called the disability tax and the types of people that benefit from audiobooks. Audiobooks on Google Play UK Store can be on average 67.83% more expensive than its written counterpart. This disproportionately impacts customers with disabilities that wish…

Precedent for other companies — Target is an American retail corporation that operates a chain of discount department stores and hypermarkets, headquartered in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 2006, Bruce Sexton Jr., a student at the University of California-Berkeley and president of the California Association of Blind Students, took legal action against Target because their website wasn’t…

Audiobooks can be on average, 114%+ more expensive — Summary: Audiobooks on Apple Books can be on average 114%+ more expensive than its written counterpart. This impacts customers with disabilities that wish to consume the same content in a different format. The solution is to make these the same price. Disability tax The ”disability tax” or the “disability price tag refers…