Disabilities

Throughout this chapter, you'll learn about the characteristics of each disability category and the environmental and digital barriers people face, along with the assistive technologies and adaptive strategies that help overcome those barriers. This knowledge is essential for the CPACC exam and, more importantly, for understanding how to design inclusive digital experiences that work for everyone.

Assistive Technologies

To fully understand how individuals with disabilities participate in online spaces, it’s important to understand assistive technologies and how they’re used by individuals with various disabilities.

Assistive technologies are products, devices, systems, or items utilized by people with disabilities to perform tasks they could not otherwise accomplish. The technologies of Text-to-Speech (TTS), Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC), and Voice Recognition (or Speech-to-Text) are vital assistive technologies used to overcome barriers for individuals with various sensory, cognitive, and physical disabilities, particularly those involving speech, language, and communication.

A smartphone uses VoiceOver to announce an exit sign.

Text-to-Speech (TTS) Software

Text-to-Speech software converts text and structural information into synthesized speech.

Purpose and Application

Augmentative and Alternative Communication tool (AAC) on tablet, filled with icons to aid in non-spoken communication.

Augmentative and Alternative Communication (AAC) Devices

AAC devices are designed to facilitate communication for individuals with severe speech and language challenges.

Purpose and Application

A man who is nonsighted uses voice to text features to send text messages.

Voice Recognition (Speech-to-Text) Software

Voice recognition, also known as speech-to-text software, converts spoken words into digital text or commands.

Purpose and Application

Seizure Disabilities

Characteristics

Seizure disabilities occur when a seizure disorder interferes with a person’s regular activities. Seizures can range from mild to severe, including loss of consciousness. Photosensitive epilepsy is a condition in which people affected have seizures triggered by flashing or flickering lights or patterns.

Barriers for People with Seizure Disabilities

People with seizure disabilities may face barriers that affect personal safety and access to digital content, particularly when environments are unpredictable or lack appropriate controls. Common barriers include:

• Activities that become high-risk during a seizure, such as swimming, bathing, or using power tools, where a sudden loss of consciousness could result in serious injury.

• Driving restrictions as some people with seizure disabilities are unable to drive due to safety and legal considerations.

• Moving, blinking, or flickering content can trigger photosensitive seizures when visual stimuli exceed safe thresholds.

• Web browsers and media players that do not provide controls to stop or turn off motion effects, video, or animation.

Solutions for Seizure Disabilities

Digital Content Guideline

Web pages and other digital content should not include anything that flashes more than three times in a one-second period, or the flashing should remain below the general and red flash thresholds.

Assistive Technologies

Monitoring and Alerting:

• Smart watches that detect seizures and send alerts or provide GPS location.

• Wearables equipped with an alert button to summon help.

• Mobile digital diary apps with reminders and seizure tracking.

Protective Measures:

• Supportive gear and protective wear in case of a fall.

• Service animals.

Visual/Screen Aids:

• Flicker-free monitors.

• Monitor glare guards.

• Non-glare glasses.

Psychological Disabilities

Psychological disabilities, also referred to as mental ill-health, encompass conditions that impact a person's perceptions, thoughts, feelings, mood, and behavior, and these conditions can be either occasional or long-lasting.

This category covers anxiety disorders (including panic disorders and phobias), mood disorders (including depression and bipolar disorder), and psychotic disorders (including schizophrenia).

Anxiety Disorders

Anxiety disorders involve more than temporary worry or fear; the anxiety is persistent, may worsen over time, and can interfere with daily activities such as job performance, schoolwork, and relationships. Anxiety disorders are estimated to be the most prevalent mental health disorder globally, affecting about 284 million people in 2017. Specific types of anxiety disorders and their characteristics include:

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Usually involves a persistent feeling of anxiety or dread. Characteristics include feeling restless, wound up, or on edge, difficulty concentrating, being easily fatigued, experiencing sleep problems, headaches, muscle aches, stomachaches, or unexplained pains.

Panic Disorder: Characterized by frequent and unexpected panic attacks, which are sudden periods of intense fear, discomfort, or a sense of losing control. During an attack, a person may experience a pounding or racing heart, sweating, trembling or tingling, chest pain, feelings of impending doom, or feelings of being out of control.

Social Anxiety Disorder: An intense, persistent fear of being watched and judged by others. This fear may be so intense that it interferes with work, school, or everyday activities. Characteristics include feeling self-conscious, embarrassed, or awkward, as well as physical symptoms such as blushing, sweating, trembling, or a rapid heart rate.

Barriers for People with Psychological Disabilities

Barriers related to psychological disabilities often stem from systemic issues and social reception. Common barriers include:

Social stigma and misunderstanding: Negative stereotypes and misconceptions that can lead to discrimination, exclusion, or reluctance to seek support.

Limited access to mental healthcare: Mental health services are often difficult to access due to cost, availability, and affordability.

Lack of support for cognitive challenges: People may not receive appropriate accommodations for attention, memory, or processing differences, particularly in digital or educational settings.

Inadequate support in schools: Students with emotional, behavioral, and/or cognitive challenges may lack individualized support, accessible learning materials, or trained staff in school settings.

Gaps in professional knowledge: Some healthcare and education providers lack adequate training to diagnose psychological disabilities or provide effective, evidence-based treatment accurately.

Solutions for People with Psychological Disabilities

Since psychological disabilities often affect mental functions and cognition, many solutions designed for people with cognitive disabilities also benefit those with psychological disabilities. These solutions focus on reducing cognitive load, improving focus, and providing flexibility in how people interact with information and tasks.

Assistive Technologies

Assistive technologies help manage symptoms and support daily functioning, including:

• Apps that help manage mood, stress, and anxiety.

• Memory aids.

• Reminder devices.

• Text-to-speech software.

• Voice recognition software.

• Noise monitoring devices.

Accessible Design

Beyond assistive technology, accessible design choices can significantly improve usability and participation. Because psychological disabilities can impact mental functions and cognition, solutions that provide clear structure and simplify information are beneficial:

• Simplified content and distraction-free interfaces.

• Allowing adequate time to prepare for tasks and take in new information.

• Minimizing background noise to support concentration during tasks or communication.

• Using plain language or easy-to-read materials.

• Enabling personalized settings (e.g., for layout, time management, and content).

• Providing information through different means (text, audio, images).

Mobility, Flexibility, and Body Structure Disabilities

Characteristics

The category of mobility, flexibility, and body structure disabilities encompasses impairments that limit the independent, purposeful physical movement of the body or one or more limbs, including upper or lower limb loss or disability, challenges with manual dexterity, coordination difficulties, and issues related to skeletal structures.

Barriers for People with Mobility and Body Structure Disabilities

Barriers exist across both the physical and digital environments:

Physical Environment Barriers

• Seating that is too small or at the wrong height.

• Appliances and/or controls that are out of reach or require touch instead of voice commands.

• Access limitations such as manual doors, steps, thresholds, and other entry obstacles.

• Lack of maneuvering space due to narrow walkways, doorways, passages, or aisles.

• Inaccessible furniture, such as tables without adequate knee and toe clearance.

• Reaching difficulties imposed by high counters or high shelves.

• Difficult tasks requiring fine motor skills (e.g., small or round door handles), accuracy (e.g., small buttons, switches, or dials), or strength (e.g., heavy doors).

• Inaccessible equipment, like automatic teller machines (ATMs), healthcare, or workplace equipment that requires a standing position or is hard to reach or manipulate.

• Social obstacles, including body shaming and social discrimination.

Digital Environment (ICT) Barriers

• Interface requirements that demand interaction via a specific method, such as a keyboard or mouse.

• Small or tightly grouped touch targets on digital interfaces are challenging to hit accurately.

Solutions for Mobility and Body Structure Disabilities

Assistive technologies (AT), such as wheelchairs, voice control, switch devices, adaptive keyboards, automatic doors, and grab/rail/handlebars, are examples of solutions designed to overcome barriers in both ICT and the physical world.

Multiple or Compound Disabilities

Multiple disabilities refer to a person having more than one disability at the same time, such as ADHD and Autism, or low vision and cerebral palsy. However, this category does not include deaf-blindness. The scope of disabilities is diverse and can also be intersectional.

Disabilities can be compounded by mental health and social discrimination concerns that marginalized people often face. Socioeconomic, geographic, and other factors can also exacerbate individual conditions.

Growing awareness of disability categories is key to recognizing environmental and digital accessibility barriers that must be addressed. The barriers, adaptive strategies, and assistive technologies for compound and multiple disabilities will be highly personalized to each individual.