ADA Compliency

[Curry Kenworthy]

Rick:

 > I have a couple of questions for you.

Thanks Rick! I do appreciate the concern. But in my post, your questions 
were already either answered or otherwise addressed before you asked. I 
anticipated them; I know what makes people tick! So I'll "re-answer" 
partly by quoting myself.

But when certain memes are burned so deep into community psyche that 
answers bounce right off, I feel like we're heading back toward the old 
failed group think. The same old patronizing ideas and faulty 
assumptions, while actually ignoring both the main point and the details 
of what I posted about UI.

Somehow we have to SHOUT louder than those old memes to get through!

 > Is a trackpad or a trackball any better of an experience for you?

Heck no! Emphatically no. Much, much worse. Much more difficult. That's 
why I emphasized my mouse use already, to avoid precisely this type of 
inevitable question. Just be aware that the old oh handicap people 
should use blah blah mindset - the memes are sometimes true, but more 
often not.

Mouse = good. For handicap man too!
Trashing a UI to replace scientific arrangement with lickable = bad.

I said: "I'm very comfortable using the mouse if set up correctly. I 
switched to Windows for my main work, and that helped save energy and 
improve accuracy."

Thus, problem mostly solved on my end, at least when using apps and web 
sites with non-crappy UI. Pretty easy solution. Handicap man happy.

But problem not solved on Apple's end. Handicap man sad for Apple!
It really was a lousy move, destroying a once superior interface.

 > Have you tried using the mac OS voice commands or controls?

Strike two! Think carefully about the implications of what I said: "I 
can only say a few words without getting out of breath."

For people with good breathing, this is a very good thing for typing or 
for no-hands computer use. But imagining it would be more efficient than 
mouse for the ability levels I described - and imagining I'm suffering 
here because I just haven't tried trackpad or voice recognition (I've 
built Mac apps with voice recognition) - no way. Totally unrealistic!

Now, a mental interface might be good, that's another story. Some 
interest there, for the future. But I'm not anywhere near ready for that 
yet. Privacy concerns etc, plus very importantly - use it or lose it. 
Without that exercise, the fingers are toast, and I need those guys. 
Maybe when I'm 80. Maybe I'll design it myself now and use it then.

 > Apple has the money and resources to do it.

No, probably they don't. They can't. They don't have the brains (or the 
paradigm) to allow them to do it, not anymore. Not for any amount of 
money; mental assets are the most crucial. It's sad. I was a huge fan.

But enough about Apple - as I said, this is a pretty-much universal 
problem. Only using them as a small example of the problems:

- Binary thinking about physical abilities
- Trotting out the same faulty memes and assumptions
- Placing form above function, subjective over objective
- Ignoring handicapped voices that don't fit the mold
- Why being "compliant" will still fail many users

Ignoring the reality that abilities vary - and not even just a range 
along one continuum, but a real mixture of strengths and weaknesses in 
many mental and physical areas. I actually feel like a superman in some 
areas. I bring heavy strengths to the table, as my clients know.

Here's one more attempt to break through the group think. Really THINK 
HARD about this, and don't let it automatically bounce off, try to allow 
it into your mind. You may have to adjust some old assumptions, and if 
so that's good:

In certain ways, I might use a mouse more skillfully than you. It's 
possible; I'm pretty good, and I'm one heck of an adept user. At 
computer 16+ hours a day for both work and rest; I rely on it a LOT for 
all things, since I can't go out and about. In other ways I'm definitely 
worse than you, guaranteed. Some misclicks and doubles. Neurology.

But it's NOT so simple - and in fact so backwards - as oh, he's 
handicapped, he shouldn't use a mouse. (Even though he just said he does 
it well; he's handicapped, so we'll just ignore most of what he says.)

No, no, no, NO! Quite the opposite. This is missing the point, tossing 
most of the actual content, and adopting assumptions that are exactly 
opposite of the real situation. I MUST have a good ergonomic full-sized 
mouse or I can't use the computer at all. I have several backup mice in 
storage for instant swap. With a track pad I'm exhausted in a few 
minutes. Of course I've tried it! That is the reality.

If these popular but faulty memes are so appealing that actual reality 
must be discarded to uphold them, that's sad too. Don't let reality 
bounce off. If we are open to improving our knowledge and perceptions, 
life can improve so much, and progress can happen much faster!

BTW, this mouse versus window UI issue dates way back, to the time of OS 
X introduction. And my muscle and neurology impairments date back, 
likewise. It has been the case for the majority of my many years on this 
list (think carefully how long that has been) and during that time I've 
produced more than the average person! I've done pretty well with my mouse.

That problem was mostly solved long ago - to a reasonable extent. I 
probably couldn't send these message, much less be one of the top coders 
in this community, otherwise. Right? Think about it! Like I say, these 
popular memes and assumptions are so strong that they seen to just 
short-circuit the thinking process at time. But that's OK!

Nowadays the bigger problem is overall energy being sapped by the 
neurology, and I'm working on some next-gen dev solutions for that. 
It'll help people with normal physical ability too; good things are 
coming but it takes some time.

People instinctively tend to assign less weight to info from handicapped 
voices, and ignore whatever bucks the popular trend. That's how society 
works. But that's OK; I'm very much in the business of bucking trends 
and disproving faulty assumptions, and over time I'm winning. It's worth 
it to get new thoughts and improvements out there.

As always, I'm just popping up here to share some accurate and 
potentially valuable ($$$) info from one who really knows and has the 
FIRST-HAND experience plus the tech expertise, to benefit open minds and 
further good projects. Physical abilities are not all-or-nothing! And UI 
matters!

I hope it helps some people. Whether it's OS or app, big corporation or 
lone coder, good solid logical UI is always worthwhile, and bad UI is 
like a disease that keeps on giving. Just like bad code - avoid both 
like the plague they are. Your good code and UI can make a much bigger 
difference than you think. Thanks again....

Best wishes,

Curry Kenworthy

Custom Software Development
"Better Methods, Better Results"
LiveCode Training and Consulting
http://livecodeconsulting.com/