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"The future is here, it's just unevenly distributed" is something we say about why people on instant connection devices walk past people sleeping on sidewalks. Let's talk about how we can provide more power to users to customize, configure, streamline, and understand what they are getting from us. Let's explore some accessibility settings that turn out to be just good universal design. You're going to leave this talk inspired to build an infrastructure that can support the glorious diversity of the future, instead of assuming that everyone is the same. H. Waterhouse Heidi is a developer advocate with LaunchDarkly. She delights in working at the intersection of usability, risk reduction, and cutting-edge technology. One of her favorite hobbies is talking to developers about things they already knew but had never thought of that way before. She sews all her conference dresses so that she's sure there is a pocket for the mic.
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In her talk titled "The Future Should Be Uneven" at RubyConf 2020, Heidi Waterhouse, a developer advocate at LaunchDarkly, explores the concept of accessibility within web development and the inherent disparities that exist in our current technological landscape. She starts by referencing William Gibson's quote about the uneven distribution of the future, arguing that the internet is tailored to a privileged user base while neglecting diverse needs. **Key Points Discussed:** - **Definitions of Accessibility:** Waterhouse differentiates between equality, equity, and justice, illustrating how designing for presets leads to exclusion. She advocates for liberation, which involves dismantling access barriers for all users. - **Philosophical Frameworks:** She introduces the "veil of ignorance" concept, encouraging designers to build technology without preconceiving their societal position, thereby creating a more inclusive environment. - **The Paradox of Tolerance:** Citing Karl Popper, she warns that unlimited tolerance can endanger a tolerant society, emphasizing the need for strategic tolerance in web design. - **Improving Accessibility:** Waterhouse suggests strategies like cross-browser accessibility, customizable user preferences, and consistent experiences across devices. She emphasizes user-driven design, making tools and settings easy to personalize and access. - **Examples of User Needs:** Waterhouse shares her personal experience with keyboard layouts like Dvorak and adaptive devices, highlighting how these choices enhance her usability and comfort. She discusses the importance of accommodating users with temporary or situational disabilities, asserting that designing for flexibility is key. - **Semantic Design and Flexibility:** She promotes semantic web principles that categorize design according to function rather than appearance, allowing greater adaptability for future technologies, especially with anticipated developments like augmented reality. **Conclusion:** Waterhouse challenges the audience to envision a more equitable and inclusive future by designing web experiences that celebrate diversity. She calls for a mindset that embraces variability and customization, ensuring that all users can interact seamlessly with technology. Her main takeaway emphasizes the importance of building for an unimagined future, reinforcing that while the future is here, it remains unevenly distributed. The talk encourages a collaborative effort to make the web accessible to all.
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