I’ve recently changed jobs; I’m no longer on the front-line and having to tell people they can’t do that and it’s a great relief. I’m also glad that I can take a break from the argumentative world of accessibility – or at least I feel and be far more selective about what I choose to be involved with, rather than it being my job to try and get involved with everything.

Liz Ball’s article is interesting and I shall certainly keep it my arsenal of links to send people who don’t get why it’s important. It is, however, not the answer for every situation (of course, and there is no reason it should be). The frustration and difficulty I find is arguments like “blind people can’t join the [armed forces or similar career], so none of that matter, we don’t have to be accessible”, ie. people like Liz are not in the target audience and therefore accessibility is not relevant. The counter argument I, and others I’m sure, trot out is the “right to everyone to access the information”, seems a little tired.

I think the main problem is the lack of understanding or appreciation about “reasonableness”. Personally I try to take the middle link and posit that it is not necessarily appropriate that everything is totally accessible. This has been even more difficult though; I sometime feel like being persecuted from both sides (rather like I understand bisexuals are).

I should probably stop ranting now before I start getting into a dozen examples – perhaps you’re right Jack I need my own blog, but I’m trying to get away from the accessibility debate for the moment. Hmmm, I don’t think that’s going to happen somehow…