Image of the Beinecke Library in New Haven, Connecticut. It is tinted blue with the words “brutal accessibility” in block letters on.
Bruta11y - Brutal Accessibility - is a philosophical approach to accessibility advocacy that doesn’t accept excuses but meets people where they are. Based one brutalist principles in architecture, brutal accessibility provides strong advocacy for using the simplest materials well, with a useful amount of frill, that ensures that everyone can use all the tools available.
Brutal accessibility is strong advocacy that doesn’t accept excuses but still meets people where they are. Everybody starts somewhere on their accessibility journey and sometimes we get to be the concrete foundation that supports them in becoming their own best accessibility advocate.
This philosophy is still developing. Go here for the most recent take.
Accessible. No excuses.
Some Information on Both Design Movements
- Brutalist Architecture: Everything you need to know
- Brutalism in design: its history and evolution in modern website
The brutal approach to accessibility is two fold:
- Accessibility works best with simplicity
- Inaccessibility is a choice.
Accessibility in Simplicity
The best accessibility stems from basic materials used well. Make buttons out of <input>s. Make links out of <a>s. These are well understood by browsers, assistive technology, and people alike.
Stop making everything out if <div>s, dang it! Let buttons be buttons!
Inaccessibility Is a Choice.
It’s the Year of our Lort, 2023 (as of this writing) and technology is both as complex and as simple as it has ever been. Making technology accessible, however, is only getting easier as the support structures around tech gets better and better.
The only reason something is inaccessible is because we have chosen NOT t make it accessible.
And, look, that’s just not ok. For so many reasons, not the least of which it being ableist to ignore it willfully or lack the of understanding. Accessibility education is easy to find. Accessibility experts are becoming easier to find.
Go look and learn. No excuses.