The User Is Out There

For people who work with websites and the rest of us who want to use them.

The User Is Out There is a repository project of knowledge on the topics of website usability and accessibility for web design.

Pull Out The Bottom Drawer

This website is a work in progress.  I have stockpiled nearly 25 years of web stuff in various online databases and home computers. This website will grow as I cull and move the good stuff over here. 

My name is Kim. I built my first website in 1995. My kids were little then, and while they slept at night, I watched the X-Files and taught myself a career that went like this:
Webmaster, Website Promotion, User Interface Engineer, SEO, Community Founder, Software QA Usability Engineer, Human Factors, Accessibility, Usability Testing, Blogger, Business Owner, Consultant, Industry Writer, Conference Speaker, Sr. Consultant, Accessibility Advocate
Mom.

From the Blog

• Small Businesses Can’t Afford Website Accessibility ADA Lawsuits
  An ADA accessibility lawsuit for a website can be the kiss of death for a small online business, or startup. Accessibility advocates try to educate anyone considering owning a website for their business, but the reality is that most view accessibility as too expensive to implement, or is taken care of automatically by their theme, host, plugin, or widget. It’s a shock when they learn their website may be legally required to meet accessibility compliance. Most countries address equal rights…
  Continue reading Small Businesses Can’t Afford Website Accessibility ADA Lawsuits
• Coming Next: WCAG 2.2
  It is a myth that website accessibility is a once and done exercise. Similar to how SEO’s follow every Google algorithm update and chase the results to see what blew up, accessibility for websites and apps is also in a constant state of fluctuation. In other words, you can’t make a change in your code and think it will last forever. Computer devices change. Browsers change. Technology changes. Standards change. Rules, guidelines and laws change, in every state, province and…
  Continue reading Coming Next: WCAG 2.2