This is likely to be a running theme - depending on who has wound me up most on any particular day. In the past I’ve included people with pseudo therapies, people with good ideas who bury them in academic papers that no-one reads, marketing executives who insist that a web page cannot be viewed in anything but the corporate style and probably myself for constantly failing to meet my own low standards.
But today I need to turn my attention to people who design inaccessible forms. I am sitting at my computer looking at a form in word format to fill out to support an application to a public funding stream. I really, really want to meet the person who designed it like this
Lets take a few examples of things that are making me fume
If I click on any of the pre-populated text telling me what to do - it leaps 6 pages to the first text entry box !
The spell checker is disabled on the text I’m typing
If I try to navigate around my text using the arrow keys - it leaps to the next text entry box
Copy and Paste do not seem to respond
All the text is in bold
Tabbing between boxes appears to tab between pages
It is truly a hideous document - and its not the first Ive had - is it a test of my commitment (or sanity) is it someone’s idea of a joke on their last day in post ? Maybe it is just me and I upset the developer ( that does seem feasible now I think about it)
And you know the funny thing, the thing that will make you fall off your chair giggling inanely
The application is all about how to help people engage with technology !!!
No.1 big letters EASE OF USE - dont ever ever ever ever ever send them any forms like this !!!!
Oh by the way it doesnt work with screen readers either - clearly blind people dont run projects - Doh !!