[NFBCS] Opinion On AccessiBe's apology

Mon May 15 06:34:09 UTC 2023

I'm not so onboard with this.  While transparency and control are important, and "breaking" websites to facilitate accessibility is not ideal, it isn't what has most people upset and what has put them in so badly with the blind community.

Jim

On Sun, May 14, 2023 at 11:28:18PM -0700, Nicole Torcolini via NFBCS wrote:
> And stop doing things that end up breaking functionality of websites, particularly by removing pieces of the web page.
> 
> Nicole
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Jim Barbour via NFBCS
> Sent: Sunday, May 14, 2023 10:30 PM
> To: NFB in Computer Science Mailing List <nfbcs at nfbnet.org>
> Cc: Jim Barbour <jbar at barcore.com>
> Subject: Re: [NFBCS] Opinion On AccessiBe's apology
> 
> Hey Everyone,
> 
> My opinion is that getting the technical part right isn't really the important part.  After all, R and D is an important part of any new product. Finding a niche that your product is aimed at and then building a market for your product is all part of product development.
> 
> My real problem with AccessiBe is that they took advantage of people's lack of understanding of how website accessibility works to sell a product. Our fear was that this would lead to a lot of inaccessible websites and a likely black eye for the blind community when we start calling them on it.
> 
> When we started talking with AccessiBe about this, we were not just ignored, but told we didn't know what we were talking about.  This is, in a word, triggering to many blind people as this is how "blindness professionals" have treated us for years.
> 
> So, to summarize, AccessiBe has been rude, exploitative, and condescending to the blind community.  Their attempts to apologize are not trusted.  Their actions are going to have to speak for them.  So far, they are not.  I think we'd need to see some real attempts to honestly talk about what their product will and won't do, back off on their claims that their product will solve all accessibility needs, and hire blind folks to do usability testing on their product.
> 
> Until then, their apology isn't moving me to feel any differently about them.
> 
> 
> On Sun, May 14, 2023 at 09:39:47PM -0400, Sean McMahon via NFBCS wrote:
> > Opinion?  They can’t even get the technical part right and that was 
> > before they failed to consider our feelings.  I think they should take 
> > some kind of introductory coding class first and I think this is a 
> > challenge for one of us to fill the void that true Internet 
> > accessibility faces.
> > 
> > 
> > From: NFBCS <nfbcs-bounces at nfbnet.org> On Behalf Of Aaron via NFBCS
> > Sent: Saturday, May 13, 2023 5:20 PM
> > To: nfbcs at nfbnet.org
> > Cc: Aaron <blind247365 at gmail.com>
> > Subject: [NFBCS] Opinion On AccessiBe's apology
> > 
> > 
> > "Hello everyone,
> > I wanted to get your thoughts on the recent apology issued by the 
> > founder of AccessiBe, which was published in the May issue of the NFb 
> > Braille Monitor. I also posted the same question on the R/Blind 
> > subreddit for blind and visually impaired people, and most people 
> > there didn't believe the sincerity of the apology. You can find the 
> > link to the Reddit post at the bottom of the apology.
> > It will be interesting to see if AccessiBe issues a similar apology in 
> > the American Council of the Blind (ACB) Braille Forum, which is the 
> > ACB's version of the NFB's Braille Monitor."
> > Braille Monitor               May 2023
> > A Heart-felt Apology and a Chance to Start Again by Shir Ekerling
> > 📷****From the Editor: There isn't much I need to say because this 
> > letter says it all. I admire people who can say they are sorry and 
> > want to start again. I hope and believe this is a real step forward.
> > Dear Members of the Federation,
> > My name is Shir, and I am the founder of accessiBe. I am writing to 
> > address our past actions and to offer our deepest apologies for the 
> > way we previously communicated and reacted. I also want to outline 
> > what we are doing and have done to change and improve in response to 
> > feedback from Federation members and individuals in the broader 
> > disability space.
> > Before I go further, I want to share with you that I have a deep 
> > personal understanding of what it feels like to be dependent on 
> > assistive technology. I am a person who relies daily on multiple 
> > assistive medical technologies due to my Type 1/juvenile diabetes. My 
> > medical journey has been challenging at times, and thus I am driven by 
> > a singular conviction when it comes to my work and accessiBe. I can 
> > personally relate to struggling with assistive technology, and this is 
> > one of the reasons it is essential for me to be the best ally that I 
> > can be to you.
> > When I founded accessiBe, other than in the very technical aspects, I 
> > was a newcomer to the accessibility and disability communities. As 
> > software engineers, we incorrectly believed that the technicalities 
> > were all that we needed to know. When some community members voiced 
> > their concerns, my colleagues and I became defensive and resistant, 
> > and we mistakenly treated it with dismissal or, at times, even anger. 
> > As the founder of accessiBe, I want to take full responsibility for 
> > these reactions, and I wish to outline how, in the past two years, 
> > feedback from Federation members and many individuals and disability 
> > rights activists has guided me and accessiBe through a meaningful 
> > transformative process.
> > After several years of learning, and as I reflect on our choices 
> > during that time, I recognize that the way we reacted to concerns did 
> > not demonstrate my commitment to my conviction. Even though we failed 
> > to respond appropriately, we did hear you. We have been learning a lot 
> > from your feedback and have been changing our approach and how we do 
> > things because of it. For our improper reactions and responses, we 
> > want to express our deepest apologies to everyone who has been 
> > affected, and we are committed to responding with openness, gratitude, 
> > and accountability going forward. I also want to apologize for 
> > emphasizing our marketing on avoiding legal action, when it should 
> > have been on making one's website usable to users who would otherwise be left out.
> > We have many things to do until we get there, but I hope that soon, 
> > you will trust us enough to call us your ally and bestow that honor 
> > and responsibility on us. I am committed to that goal and to receiving 
> > all available guidance and learning to support that work.
> > At the core of what we do is our belief that creating an inclusive 
> > environment for all individuals requires work from each of us 
> > individually and from us as a collective. As a company handling 
> > digital accessibility, it is our responsibility to work alongside you, 
> > to demonstrate why it is so crucial for businesses to provide online 
> > access at all times, especially in a rapidly changing digital space.
> > This is why we strive to provide solutions that make it easier for 
> > businesses, from the smallest family business to the biggest 
> > enterprise, to provide equal access and opportunities to all their 
> > users and customers, with or without a disability. We want to provide 
> > businesses with tools that help them recognize that accessibility and 
> > usability are possible for them, and that even if they lack resources, 
> > providing accessibility will be a positive decision that drives their 
> > business forward. I'm not writing this to advertise accessiBe, but to 
> > provide background on what we are trying to do.
> > I'm writing this letter to ask you, Federation members, for a second 
> > chance to build a relationship with you. I am aware of your concerns 
> > about overlays, privacy and security, advertising, and more. Some of 
> > these concerns are addressed here; others are too complex for a short 
> > letter, and I wish to remain focused on the communication and people 
> > aspect, and on our commitment. I am, however, going to address these 
> > and any other concerns you bring to my attention as we move forward in 
> > our communication, conversation, and the work we put out to the world.
> > Over the past two years, we focused on seeking guidance and training 
> > from disabled leaders, activists, individuals, and disability-led 
> > organizations willing to teach us where we fell short and what we 
> > needed to do to revise our approach. This work is ongoing.
> > We took the time for a deep review and are making significant changes 
> > that include complete employee training, disability history, civil 
> > rights activism, disability justice workshops, and guidance on 
> > accessibility and disability communication. We are committed to 
> > building an inclusive culture from the core and to being directed by 
> > the disability community in the work that we do. We want disability to 
> > be present in all aspects of accessiBe.
> > Making significant changes takes time, and we understand that building 
> > trust is a lengthy process. We strive to continue learning and making 
> > further improvements that demonstrate our commitment as we move 
> > forward. The experience of every individual is unique. We cannot 
> > capture every perspective or understand every situation. Therefore, we 
> > will continue to learn and improve.
> > Accessibility is not only about technology but mostly about people, 
> > culture, and education. We are committed to inclusion both internally 
> > and externally.
> > We are also committed to being transparent about our journey, and I 
> > want to begin by sharing our "Purpose statement"
> > (https://accessibe.com/purpose-statement). This twenty-page document 
> > details the journey we have been on, delving deep into the changes we 
> > have made, and our focus for the future. We encourage you to read it 
> > to learn more about our efforts. Here are some highlights:
> > Our marketing department has undergone a significant overhaul that 
> > encompasses communication, activities, and team structure. We have 
> > replaced our chief marketing officer and discarded previous campaigns.
> > We have shifted our focus toward education, and our goal is to provide 
> > a platform for the disability community to reach our customer network 
> > and directly educate the business community without us speaking for or 
> > representing the community in any way, yet providing it an opportunity 
> > to educate millions of people and businesses directly. We are 
> > committed to supporting, elevating, and amplifying your voice and 
> > advocacy efforts. We strongly believe that educating people and 
> > businesses about disabilities, accessibility, and inclusion is crucial 
> > to creating an inclusive society.
> > By offering individuals and businesses education, in cooperation with 
> > the disability community, we can collectively take steps toward 
> > bringing the digital world closer to where we all want it to be.
> > We recognize that web accessibility is not a one-size-fits-all process.
> > Therefore, today, our approach is to provide a variety of 
> > accessibility tools and solutions to help businesses address 
> > accessibility comprehensively. We are creating an ecosystem of tools, 
> > services, products, and educational platforms for businesses of all 
> > sizes to develop and implement inclusive business practices and 
> > successfully incorporate web accessibility in their projects. We also 
> > provide comprehensive accessibility services, including human audits, 
> > accessibility consulting, technical accessibility training, user 
> > testing, and ongoing support to ensure that accessibility is 
> > maintained over time.
> > We are incorporating talented professionals from the disability 
> > community and their expertise into every aspect of our company.
> > Everything we do is made with, and often by, a person with a 
> > disability in the process. This is true from research and development 
> > to the way we deliver services, build products and solutions, and come 
> > up with campaigns and communications for businesses and customers. 
> > Every layer of accessiBe relies on leadership and talent from people 
> > with disabilities, including input, education, guidance, and review.
> > As the founder of accessiBe, I have a responsibility to lead by 
> > example. I am committed to listening to your feedback and concerns and 
> > to taking actions that reflect that. I am also committed to being 
> > accountable for our reactions and to being a part of the solution. For 
> > that reason, I want to offer a direct line of communication with me 
> > for your concerns or questions. Please do not hesitate to email me 
> > directly at ekshir at accessibe.com.
> > We have a long way to go, but we are committed to making the necessary 
> > changes and doing better. We believe that accessibility and inclusion 
> > are critical foundational components of society and should therefore 
> > be essential and achievable for businesses of any size. We must create 
> > resources, solutions, and services that support this goal while 
> > providing the best user experience to each person. We look forward to 
> > working with you on creating a more accessible and inclusive future 
> > for everyone.
> > Sincerely, Shir
> > Braille Monitor Source link
> > https://nfb.org//images/nfb/publications/bm/bm23/bm2305/bm230503.htm
> > Reddit Link
> > https://www.reddit.com/r/Blind/comments/13eno41/what_is_your_opinion_o
> > n
> > _the_apology_issued_by_the/
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> NFBCS mailing list
> NFBCS at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBCS:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/torcolini%40comcast.net
> 
> 
> _______________________________________________
> NFBCS mailing list
> NFBCS at nfbnet.org
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/listinfo/nfbcs_nfbnet.org
> To unsubscribe, change your list options or get your account info for NFBCS:
> http://nfbnet.org/mailman/options/nfbcs_nfbnet.org/jbar%40barcore.com
> 