In May, we observed Global Accessibility Awareness Day with a Lunch-and-Learn. We discussed different accessibility challenges and our takeaways from participating in one of the suggested ideas for raising awareness from the GAAD website.
I am proud to say that I became fairly proficient with navigating the web and working within WordPress to make website updates using just my keyboard. Aside from some keyboard traps that I ran into, the most common and frustrating issue I came across was focus styles being adjusted to the point where I could not tell where I was within the page. That is something I will definitely be scrutinizing and updating on our own website and application for future releases.
Our co-worker, Luke, attempted to utilize Instagram with VoiceOver enabled. He found the majority of people do not post alternative text with their images. We have since made sure that anyone who posts from the DubBot account for social media is educated in best practices for including alternative text when sharing an image, gif, or video.
We also discussed different challenges that people encounter outside of the webspace. The most common complaint involved transit and sidewalks being in bad shape or temporarily blocked by people who seem oblivious to their surroundings. Although it sounds small, we committed to ensuring that we make sure our sidewalk where we live is clear. That includes making sure trash cans do not block sidewalks or curb cutouts.
I learned that there is a best practice for parking a scooter so that someone using a walking cane is not as likely to trip over it. The best practice (if there is no designated parking area for a scooter) is to make sure the scooter is parked parallel as close as possible to buildings out of the walking path, not perpendicular to the building. Parking perpendicular to a building could cause a person with a visual disability, utilizing a walking cane for assistance, to miss the scooter and trip over it if their cane swipes under the scooter. I have never ridden a scooter, but I will be mindful if I see one parked to make sure that it is not as hazardous for a person with a visual impairment.
Did you do anything for Global Accessibility Awareness Day? If so, what did you do or learn?
