Cambridge: Usability vs Accessibility? No contest (Monday 28th November)
Our speaker for this meeting will be Donna Smillie, Senior Web Accessibility
Consultant at RNIB.
Accessibility and usability are sometimes presented as different things, even as principles which conflict with each other at times, and are often addressed separately in the design process. Many would argue, however, that they are closely linked, and that they ultimately address many of the same issues, albeit from different angles. In this presentation, Donna discusses the overlap between accessibility and usability in web design, and how these specialist areas rely on each other for maximum effectiveness.
Date: Monday 28th November
Time: 6.30 for 6.45
Venue: Microsoft Research, Cambridge map and directions
Cost: The event is FREE and you do not need to be a UK UPA member to attend
Please email cambridge.usability@gmail.com to reserve a place.
About the speaker:
Donna Smillie, RNIB's most experienced web accessibility consultant, has had a varied career, from writing data analysis programs on early desktop computers in the 1970's to providing technical support to customers of a CD-ROM publishing company in the 90's. A contract post at British Airways then led to her creating and managing several department websites on the company intranet. She has been an enthusiastic user of online systems for over 20 years, and has seen at first hand the positive impact they can have on the lives of people with disabilities. This, combined with her work at BA, made her aware of the barriers that can be created by inaccessible web design. Donna joined RNIB in March 2000, creating RNIB's 'See it Right' accessible website consultancy. In 2001, the 'See it Right' Accessible Website logo was launched, and has been very successful in encouraging companies to improve the accessibility of their websites.
Donna is an experienced public speaker, and has given talks about web accessibility at many seminars and conferences in the UK and Europe.
Cambridge Usability Group website: www.ukupa.org.uk/cambridge