Re: Steps in developing technology

Hi, Ann

I didn't mean to convey the idea that a single prototype will include
all members of an addressed group.  The strategies can vary and depend on
the purpose of protyping.  Prototyping can be helpful to point out holes
in guidelines.

I believe that you are jumping to conclusions.  There is a difference
between "Common wisdom" and asking blind users what they need.

Scott

> Scott,
> 
> 	I would think that the problem with your solution is that a single
> prototype isn't going to include ALL members of the addressed group. When
> developing a product, somewhere along the line, a decision is made as to
> the people who will and will not be served by the product, and the
> prototype follows this mission. Guidelines cannot be restricted to a small
> definition of the prototype of a disabled person, no matter which, or how
> many disabilities they are affected by. "Common wisdom" of what the
> visually impaired folks, those with limited vision "need", yet I know some
> online "visually impaired" folks who would be bored if the web were limited
> to their presumed "needs". Another presumption is that "learning disabled"
> folks are accommodated by including more white space and omitting
> animations, yet despite the fact that I've a career full and family full of
> LD folks, not a one of them is drawn to web pages with "more white
> space"... yuck!.. and several seek out the animations as the reason the web
> is worth $20 a month! If a prototype is clearly impossible for the learning
> disabled and the visually impaired, is there a group of disabled persons
> for which is IS possible?
> 
> 	Even tho there are many blind folks who use screen readers with
> synthesized speech, how many more blind folks would come online if they
> could access natural human speech instead of synthesized???
> 
> 					Anne
> 
> 				Anne

Received on Thursday, 2 March 2000 16:08:35 UTC