The Accessibility Song

Your application is a tiny little server
Of information of its user interface
It dishes out the dirt with such a quiet fervor
You might not even realize it’s taking place

The client gets a lightweight representation
Of your app’s UI element tree
Then it’s just elementary my dear Watson
Your app’s an open book, no more mystery

Some folks ain’t got much use for bitmaps on screens
They get the lay of the land through this alternate means
If you want to build your app for maximum utility
Then take a little time, implement accessibility

Tell the story of your application
Describe the glory of its interface
So we can know sight unseen what’s going on, on the screen.
Share your app with the whole human race

There’s an object behind each UI element
NSAccessibility methods compute
The response to each request that the client sent
for any action or attribute

The client also registers to be notified,
As things are happening, blow by blow.
Like when key focus changes where it resides
Or windows come and go

For standard controls this is built right in
But for a view of your own, we need your help for the win
This isn’t rocket science in some government facility
So take a little time, and implement accessibility

Tell the story of your application
Mine the quarry of its interface
So that it’s easy as pie to automate your UI.
Share your app with the whole human race.

(Instrumental)

Well a picture is worth a thousand words they say
I don’t believe that ratio any more
‘Cuz just a word or two goes such a long, long way
To describe what an icon is for

You can add descriptions to match your style
You can set ‘em right in IB
You can put ‘em in an image descriptions file
Or set them programmatically

Regardless of the way you get things done
You know accessible apps really have more fun
It’s rumored to greatly enhance male virility
So take a little chance, implement accessibility and

Tell the story of your application
Describe the glory of its interface
So we can know sight unseen what’s going on, on the screen.
And we can know right away, all of the things we should say
So give us every detail that should be rendered in Braille
Share your app with the whole human race.

The Accessibility Song debuted at WWDC 2011. James worked on accessibility at Apple for half a decade. The song is an invitation for developers to ‘share their app with the whole human race’ by making their apps accessible to assistive applications such as the VoiceOver screen reader. Darren Minifie, who works on the accessibility team at Apple, played guitar in the debut performance and reprises his performance on the album.

( OS X )

Vocals: James Dempsey
Acoustic Guitar: Darren Minifie
Electric Guitar: Gordie Freedman
Percussion and Bass: Russell Bond

Music and Lyrics: James Dempsey
Recorded and Produced by Russell Bond at The Annex Studios and HowlingPoint Studios