SME Interview Summaries

“I focus on accessibility, but I do all the checking by myself (and do not use AI tools). I take pride in being an advocate for the disabled community, so I've been relying on my knowledge. We’re designing for humans, after all.“

“The biggest challenge now and going forward is getting the whole world on board. I don't think that enough stress is placed on accessibility.”

“Nowadays I’d say there’s nothing I can’t do. It’s just a matter of whether or not I can do it efficiently.”

“Accessibility currently is driven by legal obligation not by social justice. There is not enough sincere interest in the topic.”

‘Overlay’ accessibility solutions are increasingly popular. It is a software solution that claim to detect and fix web accessibility issues by injecting code into the existing website, however, makes the website less usable for who are already using screen reader technology.

According to UsableNet, 2023 saw a 60% increase in lawsuits against websites using overlays and that increase means that overlays contributed to 30% of all accessibility lawsuits.

AccessiBe, a technology company working to solve challenges of web accessibility through AI, faces a class action lawsuit over alleged misrepresentation of ADA compliance and AI accessibility capabilities (July, 2024).

Law companies that file ADA lawsuits without using actual individuals as plaintiffs, often referred to as "serial plaintiff" firms, are sometimes called "predatory" or "drive-by" lawsuit firms, as they frequently target businesses with alleged accessibility issues without demonstrating personal harm or a genuine attempt to use the business's services by the listed plaintiff.

In the light of litigation-driven accessibility, how might we promote the importance of digital accessibility to junior designers by focusing on the human experience.