Under New Management
Late in 2005 I had the notion that most people felt accessible web sites are boring and basically without merit offering only the most simplistic functionality and style. As long as that notion persisted, I thought, it would effectively hold back the masses from embracing the needs of all users, not just those they felt were important. I thought that I could perhaps alter that notion, dispelling the myth, by showcasing sites that are accessible yet still look and work great.
I don’t know if Accessites is a success. Anytime I’ve had doubts many people quickly stepped forward to change my mind, lifting my negativity, and convincing me that we matter and have made inroads. At the same time, though, others would do nothing but criticize our efforts stating that some of our demands are unrealistic. Some told us this directly, others mumbled it within their circle of chums not wanting to man up, so to speak.
Regardless of how people feel about Accessites, we will continue. We will persist. We will try to affect a change for good on the web. We’ve had a recent discussion about our Criteria — as we’ve done once-a-year since we started — and we still choose to support the original requirements. But things do change. We did a reboot a couple years ago opting for an easier to manage back-end (WordPress). And other things change as well. In this case and at this time, it is Accessites’ management.
Last year I made some personal changes. Growing weary of web development, because of the constant tech changes and client difficulties mostly, I decided to become a photographer and have been successfully selling stock photos on iStockPhoto. (I’m a creativity junkie so photography works better for me.) These changes have been on-going. It takes time to scale back and shift gears without grinding them. The most recent change is happening here: I am stepping down.
I may still write an article or two for this site, I will likely stay on the bottom on the Team page (sort of as a nod to my starting it), and if asked I may take on a site grading when the time comes. Time will tell and new management will call the shots. The day-to-day management of Accessites — and actual domain ownership in fact — is being handed to long-time team member Mel Pedley.
The site, for now, will still be hosted by my hosting company GBHXonline, but aside from that, what the future holds is entirely in Mel’s able hands. Mel is passionate, involved, and capable of amazing things. I would expect great things from Accessites in the future. The specifics I cannot say because I do not know, but this is where I step aside and give the floor to Mel.
Before I do, I do have these sentiments for the Team, as quoted from an email message:
I love you guys. You’ve been great, and it’s been an absolute honor to serve with you. I will stay on the roster, but only in the bottom-most position. I have shifted gears as you know, so occupying any other position would not be fair to you, to Accessites, to myself (stressing out about not doing all that needs doing), and to the cause we fight for. — Me, from an email
Good luck to all. Over and out.
Tommaso Baldovino responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 8:13 am →
Keep up the good work!
You reviewed my website some years ago, and I’m totally proud of it. Accessibility is the future.
Steven Wallbank responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 9:54 am →
With popular magazines like .net continually pushing the need for accessibility, more and more people are becoming aware of the need to produce accessible but vibrant web sites. I count myself amongst that number, even though I have only produced one small piece of work to date.
I do personally think a lot of “accessible” developers sometimes tend to ignore what may be referred to as the “majority” by simply sweeping such exciting developments as, for example, jquery, under the carpet and pretending they don’t exist. Thus, to my eye at least, a lot of “accessible” web sites are not so much “boring” as, well, slightly old-fashioned looking and over-simplistic in scope.
Even old whatsisname, Zeldman, recently came out with something to the effect that it is now time to embrace javascript. Accessible developers now have to be careful not to get left behind and find new ways of keeping everybody happy and interested.
Having said that, I thought that the recently submitted Raspberry Frog site was a breath of fresh air. I thought it would stand out in any company, let alone amongst the work of cranks like me who go bleary eyed trying to fix our work for legacy browsers so that Janice Brown from HR can faff about on the web during her lunch break on her antiquated Windows ME pc that her boss is too tight to upgrade and thus keeps IE6 in business… So maybe there is some hope for the future of accessible design. It is the “beautifully crafted AND accessible” sites like Raspberry Frog that inspire.
But where are all these sites? Why aren’t more featured on these pages? One a month is a bit paltry when you have all those css showcase sites banging their beautiful-looking-but-ultimately-broken web sites in left, right and centre. We, the audience, need to be clicking your RSS link and finding new material to inspire us far more regularly than is the case at present.
This may sound a bit harsh, but it probably needs to be said. Accessites is somewhat less than inspiring. It is 2009, not 1999. As for that banner, I would personally like round it up, put it in a field and bomb the b*****d, to paraphrase the late Kenny Everett. It’s so tatty. Here’s how tatty: I know that you are about to feature a site of mine. I feel an immense personal pride in this. But I don’t want to tell people. I feel that they will come here and go “oh so some shabby-looking tin-pot site has given him an award. Whoopee doo. What’s to brag about?”
And there goes my award, I suppose.
But good luck to you Mel Pedley, here’s hoping that you can deliver…
Mel Pedley responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 10:06 am →
We’d love to feature more sites but the bottom line is that we can only review and showcase those sites that are submitted to us. And submissions have been pretty thin on the ground recently.
Each to their own, I suppose.
That said, Accessites is due for a re-design, so perhaps we’ll be able to come up with something you like in the not-too-distant future. But for now, I think we need to let the dust settle a little.
We wouldn’t be doing our job very well if we weren’t able to differentiate between the singer and the song. Plus the Accessites’ design isn’t sacrosanct and should be as open to constructive criticism as the next site. So the fact that you don’t like the current banner won’t affect your review one jot.
Steven Wallbank responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 10:25 am →
Phew
“Perhaps we’ll be able to come up with something you like in the not-too-distant future”
How about a competition? Might stir up a bit of interest, you never know.
Another idea that might get sadistic rubber-neckers like myself visiting in our sick droves would be an “anti-Accessites” sort of page, whereby tawdry work is ripped to shreds by Kevin Mitchell or someone. There’s enough material out there, take Focus New Media for example. WCAG AA? You’re having a laugh!
Mike Cherim responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 11:03 am →
You hit upon one of the reasons I needed to hand over the reigns in the first place, Steven. I just don’t have the time to take this site and our program to the next level. I agree, it does need a boost. It’s due. Thanks for the confirmation
David Zemens responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 11:11 am →
Good luck with your photos, Mike. I am going to miss your input. The web design world is a bit “less better off”, but the photography world is a bit “more better off” as a result of your change of focus.
Good luck!
Steven Wallbank responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 11:27 am →
“Thanks for the confirmation”
I feel quite bad now. I must add that I have taken great inspiration from your Green Beast site as well as others like The Man In Blue. It’s just that Accessites could be so much more imho .
Mike Cherim responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 12:25 pm →
No worries, Steven. I wasn’t offended by what you wrote. I does confirm my own feelings that we’re probably in need of a reboot. I, too, feel Accessites could be more. The fact that I lack the time and drive to make it so is what prompted my decision. I think the site will be in better hands with Mel at the helm!
@David: Thanks man!
Steve Grobschmidt responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 12:27 pm →
Good luck with your new direction, Mike. I’ve enjoyed your posts here and at Green Beast, and will continue enjoying them even in their limited number.
I’m still relatively new to the accessibility arena, but I have been extremely grateful to Mel Pedley for helping me out in making my own blog more accessible, and in gaining entrance into GAWDS. So indeed, Accessites is in excellent hands….
Thanks again!
Mel Pedley responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 1:03 pm →
With regard to an “anti-Accessites” section, I agree that there’s more than enough material out there to keep us going for a long while. But I’m, personally, not too comfortable with the whole “name & shame” approach. I’m not convinced that it helps anyone beyond creating a bit of novelty and an “Ain’t We Great” elitist impression. There are still a lot of designers out there who think that accessibility is too difficult, creates too many constraints or simply isn’t worth the effort. I’d like to see us win a few of them over the the Light Side rather than alienating them any further.
Steve Grobschmidt responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 2:49 pm →
I agree about the pitfalls of an “anti-Accessites” concept — I remember seeing some notables in the usability world take shots at certain sites, picking on them for their lack of prowess on that subject, and that always struck me as unnecessarily nasty. Ditto for accessibility.
The fact is that there are infinite numbers of bad web sites out there — sites that fail on usability, accessibility, or just plain good aesthetic design. Rather than single out a few of them to make sport of, it’d be entirely more effective to inspire and compel people to the positives of accessibility. Such as it being not as difficult as you think, or why it’s folly to dismiss a whole segment of the population.
A welcoming, engaging, positive approach will serve better in the long run than going with a negative, shock value one.
Mike Cherim responds:
Posted: May 11th, 2009 at 8:55 pm →
Good call, Mel! I agree a “Hall of Shame” type of thing — while certainly appealing to people’s baser instincts, accident rubber-necking and reality television driving that point home — I think it would be distasteful and in no way beneficial to the cause or credibility of Accessites.
steven responds:
Posted: May 14th, 2009 at 3:43 am →
Re critiques of unaccessible web sites - I can see your point but I think that sites (especially those of designers) claiming to be accessible when they patently are not are surely fair game. Such critiques would also provide a public service. You and I may not watch ‘reality television’ but a heck of a lot of people do. They include clients of designers who, in the absence of a watchdog, are free to make as many spurious claims as they like - taking business away from those who really care - with no fear whatsoever of the consequences.
Mel Pedley responds:
Posted: May 14th, 2009 at 6:07 am →
Much as the idea of a web accessibility watchdog somewhere appeals to me, I don’t think it’s up to a site like this to take on the role.
Savoy Smith responds:
Posted: May 16th, 2009 at 2:22 pm →
Mike good luck. Hopefully the new owners can take it to the next level
Cheers
Savoy