ACM Interactions

Authors:
Jonathan Lazar, Jeff Johnson, Harry Hochheiser

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Designing user interfaces to technology is a political act. It is political because it influences—sometimes even determines—what people can and cannot do. For example, since the days of Mosaic, Web browsers have included an option for viewing the HTML source for a Web page. Including this feature was arguably a political and public-policy decision: It created a more open and inclusive Web. Human-machine interface issues play an important role in a variety of public policy discussions. For example: Accessibility. In the US, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act requires the federal government to purchase or develop technology that is…

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