Interview - Kynn Bartlett

SP: I read with interest that you are working on a book about CSS. Can you explain how that came about and do you have any advice for aspiring writers?

I've been doing technical editing for several years now, and quite enjoyed it. I also had the opportunity to write a few chapters here and there for various books, most of which you probably haven't, and probably won't ever read.

After the most recent tech edit, I was approached at almost the same time by SAMS, asking me to submit a proposal for a "Teach Yourself CSS in 24 Hours" book, and by Studio B, a literary agency specializing in computer books. While not everyone enjoys having an agent, I found that the folks at Studio B were quite helpful in the financial negotiations, which has always been an uncomfortable hurdle for me. Both the SAMS and Studio B people have been great, and quite patient with me on my first book.

I feel a little odd about giving advice to aspiring writers before my first book is even finished, but I'll try anyway. Be good at writing first. Be good at research next. And most importantly, be disciplined and write consistently.

SP: And finally, what's next for Internet accessibility? Can you predict what things will be like 2 years from now, five years from now? Will XML be changing the face of things to come?

Accessibility of the Internet is still a very young discipline, and is going through many of the growing pains that fields of study experience as they're being developed. In the next few years we'll see a greater incorporation of other disciplines, from graphic design to usability, into the core body of accessibility knowledge. Our understanding of certain disability types, such as users with dyslexia, or photosensitive epilepsy, will expand as we encompass a view of accessibility which isn't simply "alt text for blind guys."

The growth of the Internet to all aspects of society -- American and internationally -- will only increase the need for accessibility for all. As more of the older generations get online, Web developers will need to gain an understanding of the age-related changes experienced by people as they grow older, both physical and psychological. Would you design a site the same way for a user born in 1986 as one born in 1926?

International growth of Internet services will result in a broader group of people, many of whose needs will be met by the same techniques that enable access by disabled users. Slower connections, minute charges for access, or lack of English proficiency are all solved problems on a Website designed to be accessible to a broad audience.

XML has already started to change the Web accessibility landscape, from SVG and SMIL to XSLT and XForms, and we'll continue to see XML play a key role in accessibility. Work at the W3C to produce "the Semantic Web", while tending toward head-in-the-clouds dogmatism, also has the potential for some particularly neat innovations.

One technology which I've been watching develop (and helping a little) over the years is the idea of adaptable Websites that specifically reconfigure themselves to meet the needs of their users. This can be done through a variety of ways, from simply offering different template choices at a database-driven site, to pure XML solutions using XSLT driven by CC/PP to dynamically create a unique user interface. This kind of adaptivity allows us Web developers to have our cake and eat it too -- design an optimal appearance for visual users, and still ensure that all users with disabilities receive a site that's optimized for their use as well.

The Web barely existed 10 years ago. The concept of Web accessibility barely existed 5 years ago. The next few years as the Web continues to change will be crucial, not only for the sake of people who currently have disabilities, but for those of us who don't. As we grow older, will we be able to use this new information medium we've built? I sure hope so. Let's build it right, for everyone's benefit.

SP: Thanks for talking to SitePoint Kynn, good luck with all your plans!