Actually, we should be doing both. The screen reader usage paradigm, even with good screen readers, requires a site to have considered that case. For instance, translating icons popups, and other graphic information is a very hard problem to do without hints from the site developer. Some types of layout are very nice from a visual view, but terrible from a textual/reading point of view. It is problem that needs to be approached from all angles.
To work it into an analogy: What is the point of having good, easily available wheelchairs, if there are no ramps (or equivalently wheelchair accessibility means) for people to use?
> To work it into an analogy: What is the point of having good, easily available wheelchairs, if there are no ramps (or equivalently wheelchair accessibility means) for people to use?
Because the millions of dollars spent adding rubberized material to some-but-not-all street corners sounds-based UIs for some-but-not-all intersection lamps could easily buy those who need it a vehicle to climb stairs?
Yeah, I'm sure you could engineer a wheelchair that fits into existing spaces reasonably AND climbs ALL stairs. </snark>
Also: perhaps you are forgetting a few very important benefits of those street corner ramps that have nothing to do with wheelchairs:
* People pushing strollers and carts now have an easier and safer way of getting out of the street.
* Old folks who can walk but not climb stairs very well can get across the street easier.
* Everyone has a non-0 probability of tripping as they cross the varied height curbs in cities - ramps reduces that significantly, saving society a lot of lawsuit and medical costs, this is a continuing benefit.
Not a benefit, but a solid argument:
* Since almost all of the money spent on putting these in is part of normal road/curb/sidewalk maintenance anyway, its probably not as expensive as you suggest, and since the tooling exists, why not do it right this time, rather than the old way?
* Since the government is building sidewalks, do you really want your government to actively exclude people from participating in basic "for everyone" stuff because of reasons like wheelchair bounding? I can understand if it is a result of choices they make (e.g. keep sex offenders out of parks), but telling someone "sorry life sucked for you, no more participation" is not a function of a democracy.
I have noticed that accessibility features often help usability even if not strictly needed, just like in your argument.
For example for restrooms, instead of a dime-sized button for soap, there can be an accessible button big as a palm that is easy to hit and light to push.
I was going to write most in my original post, but I figured most reasonable humans know that climbing stairs does not mean climbing all stairs in the world ever.
It seems like it's been a while since you read the HN guidelines. It might be good to read them again.
I'm not sure that it was at all obvious. You suggested that all ramp building and such accessibility activity should be replaced by a stair climbing chair. I, via a bit of snark, pointed out that such a suggestion is impractical.
You and I will have to disagree on whether or not my 1 line of snark (respectfully labeled as such) in an otherwise civil and respectful reply about the practicalities of ramps constitutes incivility. I personally would say that in a conversation face to face, and very few people find me offensive (and many of those who choose to be insulted by my views not my conversational style).
To work it into an analogy: What is the point of having good, easily available wheelchairs, if there are no ramps (or equivalently wheelchair accessibility means) for people to use?