Paraquad’s Guide to Digital Accessibility
The world has increasingly turned to digital communications, entertainment and beyond. While digital content has many benefits, it must adapt for people with disabilities to be truly inclusive. The Paraquad team created the following guide to answer one question: What is digital accessibility and why is it important?
The Importance of Digital Accessibility
The internet has placed many facets of life easily in reach. Education, healthcare, employment and ecommerce are all available with the click of a button. Beyond that, social media gives us access to friendships and social fulfillment. People of all abilities deserve access to all the opportunities the internet offers.
Digital accessibility creates universality online — making websites and digital services usable for everyone. It opens the door for people with disabilities to participate in the online ecosystem. With a little thought and care, websites can enable people with diverse abilities to complete tasks like shopping, reading and staying connected without assistance.
But what is digital accessibility’s importance to the general population? Accessible content ultimately benefits everyone. Many accessibility features make content easier to navigate, access on multiple devices and read — regardless of whether you have a disability or not.
On an added note, meeting online accessibility standards is in the best interest of website owners. An estimated 71% of web users with a disability will leave a website that is not accessible, leading business owners to lose potential customers.
The Legal Guidelines
Many people with disabilities use assistive technology and software to access the internet. This could include screen readers, magnification software, braille keyboards, speech recognition systems and beyond. However, business owners must meet requirements to be compatible with assistive technology.
You may be asking yourself: “What is digital accessibility determined by?” The Americans with Disabilities Act inspired the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). This resource provides recommendations for making web content more accessible to people with disabilities, including everyone from people who have blindness or low vision to people with low mobility.
The guidelines fall under four categories:
Perceivable: Content should be perceivable by multiple senses. For example, there should be text alternatives that can be read out by a screen reader.
Operable: The websites should be user-friendly, meaning it's easy to navigate and perform all actions. For example, users should be able to use a keyboard instead of a mouse to scroll.
Understandable: All website content should be easy to read and not overly technical. For example, the font on a website should be big enough for people with low vision to read.
Robust: Content be easily interpreted reliably by a wide range of users and assistive technologies. For example, a highly accessible website may be compatible with sip-and-puff systems used by people with paralysis.
The Common Signs of Digital Accessibility
Yet another question we get is: What is digital accessibility in action? Well, you would likely know if a website is inaccessible almost immediately through your interactions with it. However, when visiting a website, there are a few elements to look out for that signal positive accessibility:
Alt text. Screen readers use this to describe images to people who have visual impairments.
High color contrast. Text elements should stand out against their background. Contrast makes it easier for users to read, especially if they have low vision.
Keyboard navigation. Some users can’t use a mouse. Keyboard navigation provides an alternative way to skim through website content.
Closed captions. Adding captions to videos allows users who are deaf or hard of hearing to watch a video and get the same information.
Learn More About Accessibility
We hope that our simplified guide answered “What is digital accessibility” and all other questions you may have had. Though Paraquad’s focus includes the digital world, we often go well past it. Our team shares wide-reaching information with the hopes of promoting an inclusive society free of systematic barriers for people with disabilities.
Our Public Policy and Advocacy Team educates our communities and advocates for change in our public policies. If you’re interested in learning more about disability equality, disability equity or our legislative priorities for the year, contact our team at 314-289-4200.
