The State of Web Usability
Sparking from a recent IRC conversation about usability, I've decided to write a rant/informational post regarding my feelings on usability in the web today.
First of all. I don't like usability. Not in the current form that most people see it as today. I think usability should relate to the masses. Not the minuscule percentages that tend to plague my hoptoad log. If an app I develop can be used by 80% of the visitors, I've succeeded in usability (IMO). Those people who have disabilities and need screen readers to use the web are not my problem. I don't have the time nor the desire to code for every possible situation. I cover the majority of my bases, and move on.
Now, I'm not saying that those people don't deserve to use my app, I'm saying that they need to get a better screen reader. Imagine if we started putting up road signs in EVERY SINGLE LANGUAGE just because at some point, some time, somewhere, there might be someone who doesn't know English. Heaven forbid, right? It's impossible to think that we should have to do that, and we don't.
Instead, usually, those people purchase a translation book, or some other cipher for English-to-whatever, and they process the information themselves. It may take them a bit longer, and be slightly inconvenient, but that's the way it goes.
What if that person turned the wrong way down an off ramp and caused a huge accident. Could they sue the government for not making a road sign in their language? NO! They would be told they should have gotten a better translator.
I'm all for better usability in websites, but do not sacrifice functionality to do so. If you absolutely must, make a seperate, text only, no JS version of your site. But don't spend 20% of your time, working on something that only 1% (if that) of your audience will use.