Several issues back, we noted the appearance of the accessiBe.com icon on the website of a flower and plant catalog. Disability rights lawyer Lainey Feingold spoke frankly about overlays and widgets in an article on her website exhorting companies to honor the ADA. “These tools do not focus on the needs of people with disabilities to participate in the digital world. And they do not involve disabled people in creating the accessible technology and content they need. Instead, they leave people with disabilities out of the equation and ignore well documented evidence that installing one line of code does not eliminate barriers to digital inclusion.” In several sections of the article, Feingold interviewed experts, like Chancey Fleet, a technology user and trainer, who had words of caution for companies. “…overlays are often accepted by organizations as a guarantee that the websites to which they are applied will be accessible for customers and employees.” Find links to many articles regarding AI accessibility tools here, too.
Menu
