The Severely Disabled Fellow

It's kind of significant of us modern people that we happily embrace silly arguments, while we tend to kick aside the smart ones. We can't be bothered to bend down and have a closer look — we might be seeing disconcerting details, after all.

Such a harsh statement needs to be backed with a solid example, or you won't take it so well, right? Fair enough. Here goes: A still popular argument is “If they are a minority, why should I bother?” It is often used by those who can't see anything but trouble addressing accessibility issues. Why should any poor web designer care for web standards and the likes, if it's only for the good of (at most) 20% of all users?

In real life, history has taught us more than one hard lesson as to what comes of stubborn indifference. In the virtual world, the masses have yet to rise and claim their title, it seems.

It is really annoying to hear the same complaints and excuses over and over again. If you don't like to care for minorities, then go ahead with what funky plans you have, and see how far you get with them — but stop bitching already. “Someone needs to do something about it” is no approach to any matter!

Of course, you are perfectly right: somebody needs to do something about it. The one I'm talking about is the one who reads this article right now: You! Now, that the body is identified, let's focus on the thing. What is it you need to do?

First off, I would recommend to see whether 1 and 1 is still giving 2. I'm assuming you to be the average modern, multi-media person, the proud owner of a personal Internet experience — be it a vanity site, a blog or whatever.

If that is what you are, you did consider doing something about your claim to fame already. You wouldn't have come forward to remain invisible and unknown; I refuse to believe anyone being that unreasonable. So chances are, you have been working on your site's popularity with search engines in particular, and every other visitor in general.

Oh, wait a minute! If that was the case, you would have realised that search engines are visitors (of sorts). Of course, you have, and like many other proud owners of Internet presentations you would agree that search engines are among the most valuable visitors to have.

Those nice and curious robots that never complain about your design or content, that never post silly comments, or send ugly e-mails. All they ever do is spreading the word, telling the world of your site's existence. So, let's not tarry, and optimise our sites for the search engines, right?

Here, me, I have a question? What do you think you are doing by optimising your Internet experience for search engines? Are you possibly trying to get the attention of a minority?

Oops, stupid me, you are, of course, trying to address the majority of Internet users — the more the better. Your efforts to make search engines happy leaves no time to care about blind users, or deaf ones, or those who can't use a mouse, or those who find it hard to fully comprehend what they are reading, sorry to say.

Well, we can't have it all, can we? Those who might gain from accessible web sites make up only around 20% of Internet users, as the myth goes. Surely, a minority compared to the vast number of relevant search engines (which is at least ... Two, or even Three?).

All right, stop it. I'm not completely out of my head, I'm just trying to make a point. I know to appreciate a mighty multiplier just as much as you do. So, what is my point then?

My point is: a search engine is a severely disabled visitor. It is blind, it is deaf, it can't use a mouse, and it has no clue as to what to make of your content. You may not have realised it so far, but now it's out, and you can't say no one told you. If you seriously want to optimise your web experience for search engines, there is no way around accessibility.

26.02.2010. 17:31