Accessibility

a brief but mostly true history

Matt May, Adobe Design

5 November 2019

In the beginning...

  • 1990: TimBL invents HTML/HTTP/browser
  • 1994: W3C founded
  • 1995: Trace Center publishes guidelines
  • 1997: Microsoft delivers MSAA
  • 1997: W3C/WAI founded

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 1.0 front page

WCAG 1 in a nutshell

  • alt text
  • no relying on color alone
  • proper use of markup
  • clear language
  • graceful transformation / progressive enhancement
  • device independence
  • clear navigation / operation

WCAG 1 limitations

  • very HTML-centric
  • over 60 checkpoints
  • not very measurable
  • technology outpaced it
    • first in multimedia, then in HTML itself

The world in 1999

  • Reference PC display: 15” CRT, 1280 * 1024 * 24 bit
  • HTML 4.01
  • Browser Wars
  • ECMAScript 2 (!)
  • VR == VRML

Mobile devices in 1999

The Nokia 3210 is a GSM cellular phone, announced by Nokia on 18 March 1999.

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.0 front page

WCAG 2 vs. WCAG 1

  • very HTML-centric pretty agnostic
  • over 60 12 checkpoints
  • not very pretty measurable
  • technology outpaced it (?)

Making POUR decisions

Four principles of WCAG 2.0

  1. Perceivable
  2. Operable
  3. Understandable
  4. Robust

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines 2.1 front page

Where we are strong

  • community(/ies)
  • structure
  • accessible (assistive) technology

Where we aren't

  • space and motion (e.g. VR/AR cases)
  • vestibular disorders
  • environmental captioning
  • new input mechanisms

Thank you