Re: The two models of accessibility

Mike,

>In short, Usability _enhances_ a website from an initially accessible
state,
whereas accessibility ensures that the website is first and foremost build
with a foundation that ensures a website will work. Full accessibility is a
key requirement for usability, but usability is not a key requirement of
accessibility.<

I tend to agree. I heard a useful analogy between the two areas from someone
at Bunnyfoot (sorry I can't remember his name). If a library has narrow
stairs and doors, then it is inaccessible to some. But if once you get
inside, the librarian left all the books in random piles on the floor
instead of cataloguing and shelving them, then it's unusable for everyone.

To which I could add that, for people who cannot see the book spines, or
negotiate the piles in a wheelchair, then it is even more unusable, but I
think that's going too far ;-)

Kind regards,

Lois Wakeman

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http://lois.co.uk
http://siteusability.com
http://communicationarts.co.uk
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Received on Wednesday, 2 April 2003 05:51:26 UTC