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Comment by Ensorceled | Hacker News Reader

When ever there are discussions about accessibility there are always voices calling for "moderation" ... does every building really need a ramp? why does every single restaurant need an accessible bathroom? do those people really need all that contrast?

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...and in response to your initial two questions, however rhetorical they may have been: yes, every building needs a ramp and every restaurant needs an accessible bathroom. You may be fortunate enough never to need the second one, but you likely hope to live long enough to need the first. (I needed ramps long before age would’ve normally dictated it — stuff happens — so I tend to get a bit perturbed when people wonder about the necessity of ramps.)

My oldest friend needs a wheelchair to get around now (lyme disease). It was definitely rhetorical.

But you can exceed accessibility requirements without using absolute black and white.

And for example some people require larger fonts for accessibility reasons - but we don't make all website with 100 point fonts do we? Instead we use tools to magnify the screen - the same way your OS can increase contrast for you if you need it. There's moderation there.

I get the point you are trying to make but ... maybe don't make it?

We don't actually have an issue with "too much" accessibility.

The point is: we should strive to make accessibility parametric. If someone wants 50 pt fonts - let them. If someone wants 100 pt fonts - let them. If someone wants high-contrast - let them. Don't hard-code it, because you're making assumptions about people's accessibility requirements.

Is the maximum contrast always the most accessible, for all people?

No, it isn't. This is not like a wheelchair ramp.

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