Technology is still changing at an alarming rate, and whilst the biggest changes may not always be within the most progressive hardware adjustments, there is still often something under the surface with one big focus – user accessibility. It has been at the forefront of software design for years and continues to be a key identifier for how successful many products are – whether that be from the biggest gaming choices as here are some more options for online games of chance that have benefitted greatly from being more accessible, to the recent shift in other entertainment like movies as the box office had a temporary shift to online releases. But just how important is tech for accessibility?
It’s first important to understand the use of accessibility here, and whilst this may cover helping those who’d otherwise have difficult accessing services such as blind users, this is more targeted towards ease of use and how this impacts the day to day of regular users and this is something that modern technology has become so important for – whether doing daily chores like paying the bills, accessing online banking, or buying a coffee, modern technology has become instrumental for accessibility of daily tasks.
(Image from internetofthingsagenda.techtarget.com)
For the future of accessibility, this could have even bigger implications too – homes are already transitioning “smart homes” as all appliances and hardware becomes accessible from an app or from an intuitive touch pad – smart light bulbs that can change hue depending on the time of day and can be activated before even entering the home, thermostats that can be remotely controlled and have adaptable temperature based on the conditions outside, smart locks and front door cameras that alert home owners when at work if somebody is approaching the house. It isn’t just homes either, accessibility is offered further with newer electric vehicles and their connection to our smart phones and apps, entering the car and getting it started without a key or novelty features like summon may seem quite small on the face of it but can be extremely impactful for those who need it the most – these features continually evolve too and increasingly offer something different, making the day-to-day much easier and making previously difficult of the day much easier, and much more accessible than before.
Many of these changes are still quite new and still evolving too so they’ll only get better over time, and finding different ways of exploring options that aren’t yet as easy will be the next big step for tech accessibility and in the future the next big change that is made and how it’s adopted will be much easier than the first set of changes.
