Dynamically generated web pages and disabled users

Hi,

Dynamically generated web pages provides the possibility of tailoring
the web pages to each user's needs.  (This is one of the goals in the
research being done in adaptive web pages.)  There seems to be differing
views of this capability within the disabled world.

Some disabled people believe that all people should be using the same
web pages.  For some people, there can be a type of emotional
comfort in this point of view that they are not "different" from
non-disabled people.  However, the cost of this emotional comfort is
that they miss out on opportunities of their lives being made easier by
technology.

Other disabled people would prefer to take advantage of technology to
make their lives easier.  It is consistent with the direction that web
technology is going in personalizing the web experience.

As a disabled person, I would prefer that if the technology can be
used to improve the quality of my life, I want it used.  No matter
what I do, I'll never be like a  non-disabled person in many ways.
Being a quadriplegic means that there are some things I have to
do differently than non-disabled people.

Scott


PS  A contradiction I have never quite understand in some people is where
they want to see themselves as not that different from non-disabled
people, but that they also want to have disability-pride.

Received on Thursday, 20 January 2000 18:19:04 UTC