Hacker News Reader

Comment by ckardaris | Hacker News Reader

But you can — or should be able to — independently toggle all of those features. For example, the app should work in high-contrast mode with disabled color coding, it should work with touch gestures disabled, etc.

A good common framework helps here. Then, it's up to each user to set their settings properly.

View on HN

Riddle me this - why would you want to disable something that increases usability of an application? (Yes, this is a loaded question - I never said these features are bad, just that usability and accessibility are sometimes at odds with each other.)

Sometimes users may prefer to reduce the degree of accessibility of an application in favor of aesthetics.

I have my opinion on aesthetics of additional ways of repeating information already available by color coding. But to each their own.

Other than that, is enabling/disabling any of the aforementioned features ever a question of aesthetics?

For example, opting to not enable high-contrast mode is a question of aesthetics. Arguably reading text would become easier for the user, but they prefer to sacrifice a little of the readability in favor of looks.

In fact, for some people high contrast is headache-inducing.

I’ve installed a utility on my laptop that supports “sub-zero” display dimming for nighttime use because monitors are now over-optimized for max brightness, with min brightness being retina-searing for eyes adjusted to a dim room.

I am a little confused about your response. Do you disagree with me that accessibility features often reduce usability, or do you agree with me and just feel like nitpicking? I'm all for nitpicking, but I'd rather keep it separate from the real debate.

> Riddle me this - why would you want to disable something that increases usability of an application?

Why don't you run your apps/OS with every usability feature enabled? Share your reasons.

I think you are mistaken which side I am on in the "accessibility is just usability" debate. For the record, I am on the side that says not at all.

Nope! But that you can't answer my question says all I need to know about the type of person you are.

unsure this is quite the same thing, but I often swap my phone to gray scale to reduce brightness overall (and 'reduce whitepoint' sometimes) because at night colors are too stimulating.

There are very few accessibility features that increase usability across the board for everyone.

If they did, they'd just be called "features".

Disabling high-contrast display makes the colors more aesthetically pleasing.

Disabling large-print text allows you to view more text on the screen at one time.

My point exactly. Accessibility isn't "just usability" and the great-great-grandparent was wrong to say that.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com