Ben MillardUser Interface Developer
What inspires you?
On a personal level, I like to do things well. It’s a trait I get from my dad, an engineer who makes stuff out of metal. It may seem odd to apply the values of traditional workmen (such as the late Fred Dibnah) to the hi-tech world of the Internet. In my eyes, it amounts to the same thing: doing a good job.
Why is accessibility important for a website?
Visitors to a website are trying to find something or do something. They may just be browsing to get a feel for what a company is about, or they may have a very specific task they want to accomplish. Making this easier for the visitor makes the website more effective.
And for disabled users?
Discrimination based on disability is a social issue which has entered the mainstream consciousness relatively recently. A badly made website is usually difficult and sometimes impossible to use for people with certain types of disability. Creating an accessible website is an issue of social responsibility, as well as a way to gain customers from a sector which is largely untapped by your competitors.
What are your top websites?
- Accessify Forum: the first serious online community I joined and went on to moderate. It continues to provide an essential hub for anyone eager to learn the right way of making websites.
- Google: it’s probably top of in everyone’s list, if you think about it! That’s a remarkable achievement.
- World Wide Web Consortiumm: the main venue and driving force behind the enormous challenge of sanctioning and developing web standards.
- Internet Engineering Task Force: the nuts and bolts of how the Internet works. I’ve met some of the people who write these. Their intellect and gravitas is quite enthralling.
What do you like to do outside of work?
Get away from computers! Although creating great work is thoroughly rewarding, there’s much more to life than this. Riding my mountain bike around my hometown’s idyllic Hampshire countryside is the normal way I escape. The relaxing company of good friends is always a good thing, too.
What is the best place to cycle in the UK?
My family went to North-West Wales on holiday several times when I was a child. We hired mountain bikes there and rode alongside narrow-gauge railways, past waterfalls and along the coast. That whole region is full of fond memories for me.
