Introduction to Digital Accessibility
This chapter lays the foundation for understanding what digital accessibility is, why it matters, and who it benefits. You’ll explore how accessibility impacts real people, how accessibility best practices improve digital experiences for everyone, and why it should be a core part of any design approach.
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What is Digital Accessibility?
In today’s increasingly digital world, it is essential that everyone can effectively use websites, mobile apps, documents, and other digital tools.
Digital accessibility means creating digital spaces that allow people with disabilities to perceive, understand, navigate, interact, and contribute online with a similar amount of time and effort as someone without a disability. Accessible design considers various disabilities that affect hearing, sight, cognition, speech, touch, or movement.
Digital accessibility is about designing and developing websites, mobile apps, documents, and other digital tools so that people with disabilities can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with them.
More simply, it’s about removing barriers and ensuring equal access to information, services, and opportunities online for everyone.
What is digital accessibility?
Try again! Think about the goal of accessibility.
Why Digital Accessibility Matters
Everyone deserves equal access to online spaces regardless of ability. Ensuring online spaces are accessible allows everyone to fully participate in society and major life activities. This includes activities such as employment, searching for jobs, paying bills, managing healthcare, shopping online, requesting government assistance, managing transportation, and so much more. That’s why digital accessibility is so important.
Consider the following numbers:
16%
of the world’s population has a disability; that’s roughly 1.17B people globally.
28.7%
of U.S. adults, or 61 million adults, have a disability.
65+
There will be more adults over 65 by 2035, meaning there will be more people over 65 than over 18.
70%
of people who identify as having a disability have no visible disability.
Without equal access to critical online services and spaces, individuals with disabilities would be unfairly and illegally excluded from public life. Digital accessibility removes barriers to these key spaces and empowers individuals to fully participate online and off.
Why does digital accessibility matter?
Hint: Remember the goal of digital accessibility.
Who Benefits from Accessibility?
One of the biggest benefits of digital accessibility is that it’s multidimensional; those with and without disabilities benefit from accessible design best practices. In terms of usability, accessibility increases the chances of someone being able to use a digital product or design, regardless of their abilities.
The bottom line: Accessibility benefits all users. However, making digital content more accessible unlocks additional benefits for other parties.
True or False: Digital accessibility only benefits people with permanent disabilities.
Hint: Think about some of the major inventions created originally as assistive devices
Business Benefits
Businesses that offer accessible and inclusive digital content, products, or services open their doors to a highly loyal customer base that controls $18 trillion in disposable income. Additionally, the disability community is large, with roughly 1.3 billion people worldwide. Combined with friends and family, organizations that enhance accessibility open the doors to a huge audience.
Technological Benefits
Accessibility demands a higher quality of code, design, development, and creation. By making digital content more accessible, websites become more usable and easier to navigate. This also helps improve Search Engine Optimization (SEO).
Litigation
Digital accessibility is a legal requirement. Several laws, including the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the European Accessibility Act (EAA), require online content (such as websites, mobile applications, online documents, digital products or services, etc.) to be accessible to individuals with disabilities. Following digital accessibility best practices lowers the chances of litigation and expensive legal disputes (i.e., fines, penalties, and lawsuits).
Put simply, digital accessibility benefits everyone, no more so than individuals with disabilities. When online spaces are accessible and usable, users with disabilities can do what they need in the same amount of time and effort as people without disabilities. Accessibility empowers people. They can be self-sufficient and can fully participate in society.
Families and society benefit from the increased independence of more people, cost savings, and improvements to physical and online spaces that improve access for everyone.
Schools, employers, groups, and organizations of all types also benefit from the increase in innovation and improvements to problem-solving that accessibility brings.
Who can benefit from accessible websites and mobile apps?
Hint: Think beyond permanent disabilities.
Which of these is a business benefit of digital accessibility?
Hint: Remember, accessibility goes beyond just improving the user experience.
Digital accessibility can improve customer loyalty because:
Hint: Think about why people go back to brands.
Digital accessibility can help businesses avoid:
Hint: Think about the biggest risks that come from inaccessible digital content.
Keep Learning
Move to the next chapter: Understanding Disability