Banner image. The left side of the image has white text on a purple background that reads, "Meet the Fable Community. Hamid A. Accessibility Tester." The right side features a portrait of Hamid, a man with short, dark hair with some gray, wearing black sunglasses and a light-colored collared shirt, set inside a circular frame.
Banner image. Portrait of Hamid A., a man with short, dark hair with some gray, wearing black sunglasses and a light-colored collared shirt, set inside a purple circular frame.

Meet the Fable Community: Hamid Aitouznag

  • Pronouns: He/him
  • Time zone: GMT
  • Languages spoken: English, Amazighi, Arabic, and French 

Hamid is in his forties, is blind, and also uses a wheelchair. Hamid uses screen reader technology to navigate digital experiences. He primarily uses the JAWS screen reader on desktop (he even taught himself to rewrite code to improve how JAWS functions on certain websites!) but he’s also fluent in NVDA. On mobile he uses TalkBack for Android.

“Blind people don’t have access to the abundance of applications that sighted people do. Sometimes we don’t have a choice. There are many applications available, but none are 100% accessible”

Hamid A.
Accessibility Tester at Fable

Hamid’s background and interests

Born in Morocco, Hamid recently relocated to the UK after a 16-year career as a legal advisor in the Moroccan court system. He holds a master’s degree in penal law and enjoys spending time in nature and listening thrillers and non-fiction stories on audiobook.

“I really like focusing on details,” says Hamid. “That helped a lot when I was a legal advisor. Many stakeholders kept coming back to me because they said I’m a good listener.”

Hamid’s assistive technology and adaptations

Hamid primarily uses the JAWS screen reader. He’s also fluent in NVDA (Nonvisual Desktop Access), which he learned to use through volunteer work in Morocco helping blind people get started with screen readers. He even taught himself to rewrite code to improve how JAWS functions on certain websites. On his smartphone, he uses TalkBack for Android.

“Some programs, applications and websites aren’t fully compatible with JAWS,” he explains. “I can program JAWS to retrieve information that I can’t access. That’s the difference between accessibility and usability. Accessibility may give you access, but sometimes it takes a lot of extra time and that’s not productive.”

Hamid’s top accessibility pain points

Hamid frequently experiences frustration with inaccessible websites and applications. He was forced to switch banks in Morocco because his bank’s website had many accessibility issues.

“Some of my sighted friends would recommend apps. I would download them and realize they’re completely unusable for me,” he says. “Once I find an experience that’s ‘good enough’ I tend to stick with it because trying new ones leads to more frustration.”

What Hamid wishes design and product teams knew about digital accessibility

Hamid wants to be able to use digital products just like any other sighted person. He says the answer lies in accessibility by design.

“When anyone designs a product, be it digital or physical, they should remember that nearly a quarter of the population has some kind of disability,” he says. “Regardless of my disabilities, I should be able to use products without any restrictions.”

Why Hamid chose to work with Fable

Hamid is now exploring a career change that will allow him tap into his passion for digital accessibility. He was introduced to Fable while studying WCAG and doing some user testing work. “I knew being part of the Fable community was perfect for me,” he says. “Being able to make my passion part of my work is the best.”

Connect with accessibility testers like Hamid

Fable’s Community of testers with disabilities is immensely qualified to provide valuable and actionable feedback about the usability of your digital products.

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