"I was suffering from a design trend."

[cosmolinguist]

I also found this article on the unreadability of the internet interesting (partly because I actually think things like how many points of contrast there are between two colors is interesting...).

When you build a site and ignore what happens afterwards — when the values entered in code are translated into brightness and contrast depending on the settings of a physical screen — you’re avoiding the experience that you create. And when you design in perfect settings, with big, contrast-rich monitors, you blind yourself to users. To arbitrarily throw away contrast based on a fashion that “looks good on my perfect screen in my perfectly lit office” is abdicating designers’ responsibilities to the very people for whom they are designing.

Of course this is another time I was ahead of the curve; I've been using browser extensions for years to make web pages sufficiently readable for me. Here's what I said about them a while ago; I had reason to share this today and thought I might as well put it here too.

‎So my main browser is Firefox, and the extension I use for that is called Tranquility. https://addons.mozilla.org/en-GB/firefox/addon/tranquility-1/

Chrome I don't use as much for browsing any more, but that still has the extension I used to use for Firefox, it's called Readability. https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/readability/oknpjjbmpnndlpmnhmekjpocelpnlfdi?hl=en

Both of these are really good for getting rid of all the ads and stuff too. You can set font and size too, and you just get one lovely column of black text on a white background. Like the old days of the internet!

Tranquility is sometimes annoying for also taking away images you do want (photos that are part of the news story, etc) but I still find it's ‎worth it. It's very easy to toggle between "readable" and "original" modes so you can look at the diagrams or photos if need be with, overall, still less hassle than trying to parse modern Web pages. :)

And Tranquility does have the advantage of keeping the URL the same so it's easy to copy/share the link (Readability changes the URL when it changes the webpage, which just means you have to remember to change it back before you copy the link or something).

Comments

[nou]

Have you got a link to the article? It sounds very interesting!

When I last built a website, I got some very useful accessibility tips from squirmelia.

[cosmolinguist]

Oops, it should have been in the entry! I've fixed the link now, thanks for pointing that out. But here it is, anyway: https://backchannel.com/how-the-web-became-unreadable-a781ddc711b6#.oe9lhwtlx

[nou]

Thanks!

I suppose at least designers have mostly stopped using tiny text now. I had soooo many arguments about that in the early 2000s.

[lilysea]

I have a friend, Grant, who likes to get sanctimonious about people who use ad blocker. "You're stealing revenue from the writer(s)/creator(s)" etc etc etc.

He also gets smug and self righteous about software that blocks adblockers (stops people accessing sites unless they turn off their ad blockers.)

I constantly want to rant at him about how, between
a) needing reading glasses

b) flashing = migraine trigger

c) limited concentration / limited executive function / easily distracted

sites are LITERALLY UNREADABLE for me without ad blocker.

Ad blocker = access issue!!!

His wife has MS and he is pretty clued-in about access for people with difficulty walking/wheelchairs,

but for some reason it has never occurred to him that ad blocker is ALSO an access issue!

[cosmolinguist]

Sometimes I think my whole life is summed up by "THERE'S MORE TO ACCESSIBILITY THAN WHEELCHAIRS!" :) It frustrates me so much that people don't think of other aspects of their environment.

The WI committee role I mentioned working toward basically does consist of me saying "...and that's an access issue too!" Even I'm getting bored with that. :) But luckily I think enough people are receptive to hearing about it.

[lilysea]

Sometimes I think my whole life is summed up by "THERE'S MORE TO ACCESSIBILITY THAN WHEELCHAIRS

Yes!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I AM a wheelchair user. I have SO MANY NON-wheelchair access needs:

Too-loud music = headache or migraine

Too-loud music or too-loud background noise (too many loud conversations, coffee machine) = can't hear/understand speech

Strobes/flashing lights = headache or migraine

Perfume/deodorant/air freshener/strong-smelling cleaning products = headache or migraine

Cigarette smoke = headache or migraine

For reading: I need ebooks not print books because
a) need large print
b) I have hand/wrist/shoulder pain made worse by paper books

[lilysea]

Example: Subiaco library has an "accessible" toilet.

Except

1) the wooden door is so heavy that I have to ask a librarian to open it for me every time, because if I open it myself I'll injure my hand/wrist/shoulder

2) It has an electronic auto-dispense air freshener that squirts noxious fragrance every 10 minutes (and no open window, and no openable window), so the built up air freshener fumes from 4hours+ of auto dispensed air freshener give me headache/migraine.

[jesse_the_k]

Grant is a PITA, evidently.

His family may be in for a rude awakening. MS is famous for impairing your vision and hearing, at random.