What Technology Has Taught Me About Advocacy

What Technology Has Taught Me About Advocacy

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One of the easiest ways I have found to advocate for accessibility is in the realm of technology, particularly with iPhone  apps. I think this is because app developers are fairly easy to contact, it is easy to recruit friends to help advocate, and there are groups who work together to advocate for accessibility in this arena.

It is amazing to be able to find contact information and connect directly with designers and decision makers. This is true especially of apps built by smaller teams. This access should not be taken for granted, though, and it is important to build a relationship based on positivity. Whenever I see a cool app that I wish worked more easily with my screen reader, I reach out to the app developers. Even when I'm frustrated that something isn't working well, I always start off my message by thanking them for the amazing app they have built and acknowledging the work they have already put into it. Saying how much I love the app and how much I want to use it definitely starts things off on the right foot.

Sometimes, though, even with the best of intentions, developers are busy. It takes multiple people saying something to show them how important accessibility can be. There was a Weather app that I really wanted to use to see the UV index for each day. This was important because I enjoy solar cooking, and solar cooking is best when accomplished with a UV index of three or higher. I couldn't access the UV index feature on the Weather app, and so I emailed the developer. I also told one of my friends about it and asked her to email them as well. The developer emailed me back with a vague response saying they were not sure they could fully support screen readers. A few days later, though, the UV index feature of the app was made accessible. My friend said she had emailed them too, and I strongly suspect that having both of us reach out to them made them realize that multiple people cared and wanted the app to be accessible.

With larger initiatives, there can be entire groups of people devoted to making sure an app is accessible. I found this to be the case when I joined an app called Clubhouse. This audio-only app is a great way to connect with people, but some of its features were not screen reader friendly when I joined. As I explored the app, I found communities of blind and sighted people who were committed to making sure the app was accessible. We gathered enough people in our community that Clubhouse took notice and started listening and improved the accessibility of their app.

I am eager to take what I've learned about advocating for accessible apps into other areas of my life, particularly when it comes to making sure that accessibility is recognized as important and is a solid business decision. When you want to advocate for change, do what you can to go straight to the decision-maker. Whenever possible, enlist a friend to help advocate with you. Look for larger groups of people in your community who care about the same thing. Collective efforts can yield greater results, and no one is on the accessibility journey alone.