Giving a Damn About Accessibility

by Sheri Byrne-Haber

“Good accessibility professionals speak at accessibility events. Great accessibility professionals speak at design events."
Sheri Byrne-Haber, CPACC

Genres: Design, Nonfiction, Coding, Technology

49 pages, ebook

Published January 1, 2021

Reviews

[mrs rhys · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sheri has definitely succeeded in making me give a damn (pun intended).

Notes to self:

1. Technology doesn’t make accessibility hard. People who don’t give a damn do.
-People who are allergic to change
-People who want to see “the business case”
-People who want to see detailed proof for every accessibility recommendation
-People who prioritise the creation of inaccessible new features over making old features accessible
-People who believe “well, it only impacts a small number of users”
-People who don’t believe that disabled people are part of the product’s target audience/demographic/customers
-People who brought you accessibility plugins, overlays and widgets, plus the people that believe their claims

How do we solve this problem?
-Make the investment and embrace the change
-Reward employees for releasing accessible software, not just making their deadlines with whatever they hurl over the fence
-Have more people with disabilities participate in the process
-Solicit vocal executive support

2. Your first attempt at making anything accessible will be awful.
-No one starts a new skill at the expert-level
-Perfectionism is a bad approach to accessibility
-Even people with disabilities can’t represent the needs of everyone with any disability
-To be successful at accessibility requires opening yourself up to criticism
-You need to keep that needle moving forward

3. Accessibility is not an add-on service.
-New arrivers assume that you can wave a magic wand over people and turn them into accessibility testers
-They rarely employ people with disabilities
-They tell people they can do every type of accessibility testing on the planet in their initial contact messages

4. Turning good accessibility into great accessibility
-Good accessibility is about compliance, great accessibility is about empathy
-Good accessibility looks at the product, great accessibility looks at the entire UX
-Good products do user research, great products incorporate accessibility feedback from people with disabilities
-Great accessibility uses accessible design systems
-Great accessibility is included as a product release gate
-Good accessibility managers speak at accessibility events, great accessibility managers speak at design events

[Ashley Holstrom · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of helpful resources!

[Imran Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read and useful to start the convo in your company about accessibility. Many times people just aren’t aware of things they don’t face naturally until they get sued. There are some resources at the back to get started.

[Ian · Rating 1 out of 5]

This was horribly written. Many of the sentences were structured strangely (was this even edited?) and the writing was just all over the place with no focus. It's just a long rant that makes the reader feel like they're being screamed at (and getting nothing in return). And she should have left the political opinions out. All this does is make the author look pathetic with unnecessary filler to a very flat "guidebook".

[Stephanie Clemens · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was excellent. Though digital accessibility isn't my area of strength, I was able to glean a lot from it about making accessibility front and center, not just an "oh yeah, we have to do that" My favorite quote was "Good accessibility is about compliance, great accessibility is about empathy." My twin brother became paraplegic in 2016. He quickly got to the mindset of this is the new me and I WILL go back to work in 4 months. And he did. This company was exactly that. It wasn't about what the minimum requirements were, it was about ALL that he needed to do his job effectively. They went above and beyond and asked him lots of questions. This book goes into that at great length. It's not about checking the accessibility "box", it's about making the experience the best it can be for people with disabilities. Looking forward to the next read!

[William Gilreath · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book "Giving a Damn about Accessibility" by Sheri Byrne-Haber packs alot of ideas and concepts in 49-pages. The author Sheri gives a mix of principles, approaches, and thoughts on accessibility.

She is both a mentor and also a coach for accessibility. The core theme is accessibility is that is not about technology, but people and their attitude about accessibility. The wisdom, thoughts, concepts, and ideas are a mix of motivation, pragmatism, and just good old-fashioned insight.

The only thing is that I'd love to see some accessible examples, but perhaps that's a future book Sheri?

Yet the book is a great guide for putting your foot in the realm of accessibility, and Sheri is your guide and coach in the pages as you read and learn from her insights and perspective. Just be warned, there is alot of information packed in this book, so its read, and re-read again.

[Samantha Evans · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great starting point for anyone hoping to get a baseline of how and why to keep disability rights and equity at the core of your efforts in accessibility.
The title should set the stage for you, we do have to continually ask people to “give a damn about accessibility.”
Sheri’s writing is refreshing by and should stir you to do more one step at a time.
Join us in making the world more accessible.
This is a great resource to get you started.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're looking for a quick intro to the accessibility, look no further.
This book is a greater starter pack for those who are interested in, or tasked with, creating inclusive, diverse environments especially digital environments. Sheri provides a thorough, practical introduction to the very human reasons why accessibility isn't an add-on but a basic necessity with great business benefits. And in keeping with its principles, it's available as a free download and an audio-book.

[Europa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had hoped there was more about next steps to take in providing better accessibility than just the entire thing being about reasons why to care about it. I thought for sure the last section would be about that. That might have been my bad for not understanding that in the first place, but it was still a disappointment to only have the last page talk about resources.

[Imelda M · Rating 5 out of 5]

I recently read this book, and I highly recommend it. Specifically, it is a great tool to help designers understand the importance of creating experiences for all.

The book discusses examples and solutions to keep in mind when creating a digital experience.

Sheri drives the point that accessibility has become a vital element to keep top of mind from the onset of creating an experience.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great perspective on designing for accessibility. It’s fun to read, provides instances of roadblocks against inclusive design and how to mitigate them. What a great and invaluable resource. And moreover, it’s free! Thanks Sherri Byrne-Haber for your candor, humor, and knowledge on accessibility and inclusive design!

[Jesper · Rating 2 out of 5]

Good and true (if at times a little condescending) words about the importance of accessibility in software. However, after reading it, I couldn't think of anything new that I actually learned from this that I could apply to make the things I make more accessible. Perhaps I'm not the target audience. Also ironically, an epub version (rather than pdf) would've made this more accessible for me.

[Pia Zaragoza · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such an amazing resource on accessibility! My book club at work loved it and it provided a lot of great fodder for discussion. It also has influenced our thinking around UX methodological considerations and Inclusive Design trainings.

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading it for the second time; I could not put it down, having discovered it only a few days ago. This book speaks to the critical intersections of the accessibility divide. Accessibility isn't simply a core component of innovation.
It is innovation. An essential read!

[MARGAUX · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this while in a full time accessibility role in a large corporation. Sheri put into words so many of my day to day experiences! It was affirming, encouraging, practical and a straightforward read. Highly recommend for anyone who is trying to get people to give a damn about accessibility!

[D Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Giving a Damn About Accessibility unapologetically and methodically addresses each of the most frequent objections to making things work for everyone. It's a simple read and I recommend it to anyone who calls themselves a human-centered designer.

[Kyle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Helpful primer for those who want to understand *why* accessibility design is a necessary move for their organization, but I would recommend other resources to those who are ready to get started. The final page of the PDF has additional recommended resources.

[elstaffe]

This is both a good starting point and not an intro to designing with an accessibility mindset. Makes me want to learn more.

[Jason T · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fearless and heartfelt book about accessibility that is a must read for any digital professional who is passionate about including all users.

[Adam · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is the reason I made a change in my career and started working in the accessibility field. Thanks Sheri!

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is essential to anyone who wants to make a more accessible world.

[Sebastian Stan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Poorly written and with an obvious political agenda. I recommend the courses from frontendmasters on accessibility, way better that this. ChatGTP could write a better book.

[Mike · Rating 1 out of 5]

0/10 HR made me read this. Incredibly boring. Incredibly judgmental. The only reason people read it, is because they are forced to. Nobody gives a damn about accessibility.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent book if you want to get started with accessiblity within an organisation; it's pragmatic and clearly written from experience and an easy read!

[Dave Woz · Rating 5 out of 5]

A really good wake-up call about accessibility.

[Kelly Risser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This short, free book is one that I reference often. It makes the concept of digital accessibility understandable and approachable for all.

[Marcela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Quick read and gets to the point on why you should care about accessibility. Great way to get into the right mindset.

[Zoe · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was really helpful when writing about web accessibility. I love the resources the author offers the readers at the end too.