Last weekend I attended Big Omaha, a conference for technologists, innovators, and entrepreneurs where I
promoted Beer and Blog Omaha, my newest side project.
I'm working with Danny Schreiber from Silicon Prairie News
to bring Beer and Blog to Omaha. This geeky happy hour will help keep the ideas, collaboration, and incredible energy from Big
Omaha alive throughout the year. Everyone who can attend is welcomed to join us for
Beer and Blog Omaha on Thursday, May 20, from 4-6pm at
Brazen Head Irish pub. It will repeat every first and third Thursday of the month. I look forward to seeing you there!
Back in 2004, I spoke about accessibility for mobile devices at the
SXSWi conference.
Mobile accessibility was the future then and the future is here. The article,
"Making the mobile internet accessible for all",
recognizes this increasing need. It cites a October 2009
WebAIM survey of the preferences of screen reader users that found "53% of those with disabilities
use a screen reader on a mobile device". (By the way, there's lots of other great information in the WebAIM survey results, including commonly-used accessiblity software and hardware, surfing habits, and the most problematic items people face.)
As we address accessibility challenges for mobile devices, we must not forget that we still have not
perfected Web accessibility for sites typically accessed via desktops or laptops. I think accessibility improvements for mobile sites will eventually translate into improvements for traditional sites, and visa versa, as site developers track usage and discover what works best. These improvements should benefit all mobile users because accessible sites tend to be more usable (simplified, task-based, etc). Each will drive the other forward until the point we have true convergence and more universal access. Or at least, that's my hope.
