Using computing platforms without sight
I am tired of hearing that a website or app is “accessible” just because a screen reader can technically read the labels. For those of us navigating with VoiceOver, the real test isn’t technical compliance. It is how much the interface drains our mental battery. This is the hidden tax of cognitive load—the exhaustion that sets in when we have to fight the computer just to find where we are.
The Speed of a Clear Path
When my Mac is structured correctly, I don’t browse. I jump. When the structure is right, I can move without hesitation. I can leap across a page using single-letter commands or the Item Chooser, landing exactly where I need to be without any extra steps. When these structural markers exist, the technology disappears. It allows me to focus on the email I am writing or the data I am analysing instead of the tool I am using.
Efficiency is not a luxury. It is a necessity for preserving energy. Reaching a destination in 1 or 2 keystrokes means I can actually do my work. When that rhythm is broken, the mental map I’ve built of the screen starts to fall apart.
Dealing with Auditory Clutter
The fatigue starts when the interface becomes noisy. It’s like trying to have a conversation while someone is whispering random numbers in your ear. When I hit a button that simply says “button,” or a link that says “click here,” I have to stop and guess. I have to listen to the text around it, try to remember my location, and hope I’m making the right choice.
This clutter comes in many forms. It’s the “image 402” labels, the redundant descriptions that repeat the same title 3 times, or the notifications that pop up and steal my focus without warning. Every time this happens, I have to manually filter out the rubbish to find the 1 piece of information I need. By the time I find it, the creative energy I had is often gone.
Designing for Human Energy
Reducing cognitive load isn’t about code; it’s about empathy. It’s about a developer realising that their choice to skip a heading or a label has a real-world cost on my exhaustion levels. When a site is built right, it feels like the technology has finally stopped shouting and started listening. I’m not looking for a tool that works; I’m looking for one that lets me think clearly.
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