cmarshall - 1:39 pm on Jun 7, 2007 (gmt 0)

I think that many designers just plain don't like to add any more factors into what they consider an already complex project, especially if this is for a relatively small cross-section of their target.

They also (somewhat correctly) assume that accessibility design constricts them, and prevents them from implementing kewl new stufph. For example "Accessible AJAX" is -almost- an oxymoron, yet AJAX can drastically improve the usability of a site.

I have found that accessibility and usability are not always congruent.

I will often have an accessible "core set" of features for my site, ensuring that all capabilities can be accessed and used in an accessible manner. I don't "fork" the user experience into "for accessibility" and "not for accessibility." If I do that, the "for accessibility" ends up in a badly-implemented "ghetto." Instead, I make sure that the principal system is accessible.

I will then add "luxury interfaces" to add ehanced usability to the accessible "base."

Anyway, that's what works for me.