On Thu, Nov 19, 2020 at 10:08 AM, Dave wrote:

I find all the Operating Systems to be lacking when it comes to Accessibility.  Seems like we move ahead one or two steps, then take a step or two back.

-
Then you will find Apple, iOS, and OSX no different.

Accessibility, as a whole, is a workaround.  It is the substitution of one sensory modality for material designed for another, and that substitution will never be "perfect" or even close to it.  All sorts of compromises have to be decided upon when trying to make something intended for one sensory modality accessible in another.

And while I'm entirely in agreement with the "one or two steps forward, then a seeming step or two back" feeling, it's not the truth in actuality.  It's been a steady march in one direction, forward.  But the problem is that technology, and particularly that related to the web and web coding, continues to move at an insanely rapid pace, so those in the business of providing accessibility are always in the position of playing catch-up.  Even if accessibility is "as close to perfect" as it can get today, a couple of small changes breaks that near perfection, creating stumbling blocks.  But that's not the same as true reversion - a true couple of steps back.  It's that the pace of what's new that has to be caught-up to, and how quickly (or not) that can be achieved ebbs and flows.

The arc of accessibility is, and has been, going in only one direction for decades now - forward.  That there have been some pretty darned frustrating bumps in that road, and that those will continue to occur at times, is undeniable.  That doesn't mean, in any true sense, that accessibility is getting worse.  The pursuit of accessibility will always include an element of break-fix, particularly with the introduction of truly novel constructs.
 
--

Brian - Windows 10 Pro, 64-Bit, Version 2004, Build 19041  

If your joy is derived from what society thinks of you, you're always going to be disappointed.

        ~ Madonna