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Digital Accessibility (for websites, webpages, social media, mobile apps, email, and electronic documents)

Many icons for technology circling around computer devices.

Above image by Yishak Mus from Pixabay.

 

“It has taken all of us to build the web we have, and now it is up to all of us to build the web we want – for everyone.” - Tim Berners-Lee

What is "Digital Accessibility" and why is it important?

Digital accessibility means accessibility in cyber space. That covers websites and webpages, mobile apps, social media (like Facebook and YouTube), and emails. It includes documents that we attach to emails, like Microsoft Word documents and Portable Document Formats (PDFs). If the content lives "in a computer," "on the web," or "in the cloud," it's a digital space or product and it needs to be accessible.

There are a different ways to describe digital accessibility and why it matters. Here are a few thoughts:

  • "Digital access is described as the ability for users, including those with disabilities, to easily navigate and understand content on websites, mobile applications, and other electronic-based information." - ADA National Network
  • "Accessible means that disabled and nondisabled people acquire the same information, engage in the same interactions, and enjoy the same services in a manner that is equally effective, equally integrated, and with substantially equivalent ease of use." - Sarah Horton
  • "Web accessibility means that websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them. More specifically, people can perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with the Web and contribute to the Web." - WC3 Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI)
  • "Inaccessible web content means that people with disabilities are denied equal access to information." - U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
  • "The ways that websites are designed and set up can create unnecessary barriers that make it difficult to impossible for people with disabilities to use websites, just as physical barriers like steps can prevent some people with disabilities from entering a building." - U.S. Department of Justice Civil Rights Division
  • "People who use websites and web applications, digital documents, software, online videos, kiosks, and other digital resources have a growing variety of characteristics. As people who are responsible for digital resources, we can not assume that all our users are the same or are accessing or content using the same tools and methods." - University of Washington Accessible Technology
  • "Most internet home pages have accessility barriers, spawning much litigation...Most cases settle because businesses with inaccessible websites have few defenses." - American Bar Association
  • "nearly three quarters of disabled online consumers (69%) will simply click away from websites that they find difficult to use..." - AbilityNet
  • "83% of participants with access needs limit their shopping to sites that they are know are accessible and 86% have chosen to pay more for a product from an accessible website rather than buy the same product for less from a website that was harder to use." - AbilityNet
  • "Including accessibility across your business strategy can have many benefits. Reaching a wider audience, improved income, legal compliance, and brand loyalty." - Scope

How can I learn more about digital accessibility?

There are many leaders in this field and resources to help us learn about digital accessibility, including related laws and best practices. Here is a list to get you started. (Please keep checking this webpage for updates.)

Partner with ADII to meet your digital accessibility needs and goals.

Check out ADII's frequently-asked questions page to learn more about how we can help you with digital access.