Accessibility and web performance are not features, they're the baseline

Web performance and accessibility shouldn't be afterthoughts; they're foundational elements of good web design. This realization struck me after reading Ethan Marcotte's insightful critique of AMP's accessibility shortcomings. He highlighted how many AMP Stories are practically unusable with screen readers, due to missing alt text and confusing navigation elements. Marcotte argues that the prevalence of these issues suggests accessibility is not a priority for AMP. He points out Google's promotion of AMP as a performance solution, potentially exacerbating accessibility problems and excluding users.

This isn't an isolated incident. The tendency to treat accessibility as a secondary feature is widespread, appearing in various frameworks, design processes, and development practices. This constant need to advocate for accessibility is exhausting, often shifting the argument from the importance of inclusion to the value of front-end development skills themselves.

Craig Mod's emphasis on the importance of lightning-fast software reinforces this point. He argues that speed is synonymous with quality software, and any delay represents a failure. Alex Russell similarly emphasizes the disparity in web experiences based on device capabilities and internet speed, highlighting the need for optimized performance for all users, not just those with high-end devices.

I firmly believe a website cannot be considered truly good unless it's incredibly fast—as fast as human thought. Web performance shouldn't be an aspiration; it should be the standard, the baseline against which all web projects are measured. A slow website is unacceptable.

Fortunately, we have excellent tools at our disposal, including Page Speed Insights, Web Page Test, and Lighthouse, which can automate performance audits. Ire Aderinokun's work on establishing performance budgets demonstrates the feasibility of building fast websites.

The tools exist, yet they're underutilized. This negligence is unacceptable. Deb Chachra's observation that "any sufficiently advanced negligence is indistinguishable from malice" is relevant here. Slow and inaccessible websites aren't just poorly designed; they are cruel.

To create a truly global web, accessible and fast for everyone, we must prioritize kindness. This means making web performance and accessibility fundamental, not optional, aspects of every project.

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