Blind Leading the Blind

Corporate Standards. You know, all those rules created over time by bureaucrats who think that they're making things better by mandating consistency. The ones that force you to take time to change an otherwise properly-functioning system to comply with rules that don't really apply in the context of the application, but need to be blindly followed anyway. Here are a couple of good examples.

Kevin L. worked on an application that provides driving directions via device-hosted map application. The device was designed to be bolted to the handlebars of a motorcycle. Based upon your destination and current coordinates, it would display your location and the marked route, noting things like distance to destination, turns, traffic circles and exit ramps. A great deal of effort was put into the visual design, because even though the device *could* provide audio feedback, on a motorcycle, it was impossible to hear.

One day, his boss, John, called him into a meeting. "I was just read the riot-act by HR. It seems that our application doesn't comply with corporate Accessibility Standards, specifically the standard regarding Braille Literature In Need of Description. You need to add screenreader support to the motorcycle map application. I estimate that it will take a few months of effort. We don't really have the time to spare, but we have to do it!"

Kevin thought about it for a bit and asked his boss if the company really wanted him to spend time to create functionality to provide verbal driving directions for blind motorcycle drivers.

That head-desk moment you're imagining really happened.

Of course, common sense had no bearing on the outcome, and poor Kevin had to do the work anyway.

While self-driving cars will eventually be commonplace, and no one will need directions, audible or otherwise. For now, though, Kevin at least knows that all the visually impaired motorcycle drivers can get to where they're going.

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