Summary
Starting out with a ten-minute live demo from an expert screen reader user, Samuel Proulx will introduce you to not only how they work, but the thought processes behind using the Internet with a screen reader. What are some of the most important things to take into account when attempting to construct a mental model of a screen reader user? How do these effect the way you think about designing for accessible, public use? How can civic designers learn to move beyond thinking visually, to create designs that work for everyone? After this introduction, the floor will open to your questions! If you have burning questions about how people who are blind use the Internet, or what design patterns work best and why or why not, this is your chance! Ask any question at all in an open, safe learning environment.
Key Insights
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Screen reader users do not navigate web pages linearly like listening to a podcast; they jump between semantic landmarks like headings and regions.
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Assistive technology settings are heavily customized by users and rarely used in their default configurations.
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Proper semantic HTML usage is critical because screen readers rely on code structure, not visual styling.
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Hover-only interactive elements are inaccessible unless they provide keyboard-accessible alternatives or are always visible.
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Moving keyboard focus programmatically is essential for announcing changes like expanded menus or dialog pop-ups to screen reader users.
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ARIA attributes like aria-pressed and aria-expanded communicate visual state changes to assistive technologies.
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Error messages for form validation must be concise when announced automatically but allow users to get details at their own pace.
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Custom hotkeys must be designed carefully to work well with screen reader interception and consider user familiarity.
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Screen readers can use different voice profiles for metadata, but these are user-controlled settings, not controlled by websites.
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Accessibility responsibility should be distributed across design, development, and content teams, not isolated to one person.
Notable Quotes
"The experience that I’m having is probably 10 times faster than the experience of having the voice at a slower speed."
"Assistive technology is not a one-size-fits-all solution."
"We’re not going to start from the top. We’re going to use headings and landmarks to quickly scan a webpage."
"If something is only visible via hover, it needs to be visible to the screen reader at all times or have an alternative."
"If you press a button and the semantics haven’t changed or the focus hasn’t moved, as far as I’m concerned, nothing has happened."
"It can be very useful to put key status information, like new messages, into the page title so screen readers can alert users automatically."
"Visual states like an upvote button being pressed must be communicated with ARIA attributes or focus changes."
"Accessibility has to be distributed throughout the team — it can’t be just one person’s responsibility."
"There’s a balancing act with error messages: short enough to be processed immediately, detailed enough to explore as needed."
"Screen reader hotkeys can intercept keys, so when creating custom hotkeys, you have to ensure they work smoothly for screen reader users."
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