The Folly of Chasing Demographics
summary
Argues that designing for imagined demographics fails and urges designing for tools and equivalent modalities instead. Shows concrete failures: using empty alt text confuses partially sighted users, an ARIA tab pattern copied into dozens of sites performs worse in testing, and live regions can disorient users when focus is effectively stolen. Recommends avoiding browser detection of assistive tech, preferring plain headings or accordions, and embracing simplicity over novelty—a short, practical case for do less and treating screen reader users are not blind users as a rule.
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chapters (17)
- 0:00Welcome
- 1:06Introducing Heydon Pickering
- 8:52Screen reader users not just blind
- 12:50Detecting screen readers problematic
- 14:18Blind users diverse needs
- 16:55Accessibility parity not popularity
- 19:32One user testing insufficient
- 20:56Screen reader users not power users
- 24:56Dangers of ARIA over-engineering
- 25:40Do less simplify interfaces
- 27:29Screen readers tools not disability
- 28:54Human diversity unknowable
- 32:11Convincing clients to simplify
- 40:09Simplifying complex systems
- 44:24Simplicity over assumptions
- 49:52Folly of chasing demographics
- 50:32Q&A
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