Although this guide is primarily about making accessible web sites, the principles can be applied broadly.
Whatever you are making and designing, think about accessibility from the start. It should not be an afterthought.
Everyone will experience limitations in accessibility at some point in their life.
Disabilities are barriers that occur when this is a mismatch between the interaction of a person's body with life situations.
The World Health Organization uses disability as an umbrella term to cover:
Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that everyone can use them.
More specifically, people can:
Image: "Equality, Accommodation and Accessibility in Education" published in Forward with FLEXibility by Alise de Bie & Kate Brown, McMaster University, 2017. CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
This image is based on a popular meme about equality.
A person in a wheelchair has an obvious, visible disability.
In fact, it is the international symbol of access.
Image: Wikimedia Commons
There are efforts to update that symbol. MOMA has already added the Accessible Icon to its permanent collection.
However, there are many types of disabilities.
Image: Ellen From Now On
They are often categorized by limitations with
Image: University of Omaha
Also, check out the 2019 Disability Awareness Month and Observance Calendar.
Image: Global Reach
Image: Microsoft Inclusive 101 Toolkit | View larger version
Examples where a person is limited to using only one arm:
Look for this type of icon to get to a device's or web site's accessibility information.
Image: WikiProject Accessibility
Read about the Business Case for Web Accessibility
Accessibility has been part of OXO's philosophy since the company started:
Create everyday tools inspired by hands that need extra help, and by helping those hands, you’re helping all hands.
Design for one, design for all
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is an international working group developing standards specifically for the web. WCAG 2.1 is currently in development.
Accessible web sites are often required by law. Each country or jurisdiction may have its own set of rules governing accessibility,
For more information, visit these links:
This page features stories of accessibility barriers in daily life.
Videos showing screen readers in action - on good and bad pages:
Mead, Nick Van. “Access Denied: Wheelchair Metro Maps versus Everyone Else's.” The Guardian, Guardian News and Media, 21 Sept. 2017, www.theguardian.com/cities/2017/sep/21/access-denied-disabled-metro-maps-versus-everyone-elses.
medievalpoc. "Please Stop Requesting my Presence at Your Inaccessible Academic Events." People of Color in European Art History, ca. 2016. medievalpoc.tumblr.com.
McCabe, Kim. "Posters & Talks: Can you read me now?" A Thirty-Something Flying Blind, 12 Mar 2018. flyingblind30.wordpress.com/2018/03/12/posters-talks-can-you-read-me-now/
Selection of short videos (about 1 minute each) from WAI's Perspectives page.
Watch compilation of all 10 videos (7:36 minutes)
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