People First

...when teams “approach accessibility as a checklist to meet [the WCAG] standards, the focus is only on the technical aspects of accessibility. As a result, the human interaction aspect is often lost, and accessibility is not achieved. Combining accessibility standards and usability processes with real people ensures that web design is technically and functionally usable by people with disabilities. This is referred to as 'usable accessibility' or 'accessible user experience (UX)'.” - WAI

By focusing on the experiences certain groups of people have and not focusing on reaching legal requirements, it becomes much easier for us to create user experiences that are better for everyone. It's not that we ignore the legal requirements but we don't go to them as our first source when we are trying to think about how to optimally design something so it's more accessible and usable.

In this section we're going to look at some of the technologies and its advantages.

Technology

People use a variety of technologies to assist them:

• Alternative web browsers
• Braille for the web
• Eye-tracking software
• Head wands
• Mouth sticks
• Screen magnifiers
• Screen readers

1. A Screen Reader isn't only useful for blind people. Having what's on the screen read out-loud has been shown to help with reading comprehension, focus, and concentration.
   1. It's great for people with cognitive or learning disabilities.
   2. People learning a new language.
   3. It's very useful when you have eye fatigue, or you're busy multi-tasking (and your eyes are needed elsewhere, but your ears are available!)
2. Closed Captions on videos are useful for people who are deaf or hard of hearing - but closed captions are also useful if you can't find your headphones and you don't want to disturb your sleeping household (or a quiet library, or subway, or bus.)
   1. You're in a quiet waiting room watching their TV and the show is on mute but you're able to watch it because they have closed captions turned on.
   2. You're at a loud event and wouldn't be able to hear the video even if you turned the volume all the way up.
3. Mobile-Friendly - This is vital for people with mobility impairments and those living with paralysis who have use of only their fingers — for them they can use a small, close-sitting smartphone, but they can't reach out to use a keyboard and mouse. So a website that is mobile-friendly is very important for accessibility, but as we know, mobile-friendly websites are also very useful for those without disabilities.
   1. People who live in areas where the internet is prohibitively expensive, or the internet speeds are poor, or there is no WI-FI at all (like in remote areas). Those people access the internet ONLY through their smartphone. (Using mobile data, not WI-FI.) So they don't have health-related disabilities, but yet they benefit greatly from accessible sites that can be easily accessed via a mobile device.
4. Circumstances Change - You might have a hand or arm injury and be temporarily unable to use a mouse; now you have to work from the keyboard in order to continue doing your job. Or you break your glasses and now you can't see very well. Another changing circumstance is our age. If we are so fortunate to live long enough to become “elderly”, the chances that we get an age-related impairment are very high. And the aging population goes through a wide range of changes in their physical and mental capabilities.

Watch head tracking hardware and software in use. Meet Elle and see how she communicates to others. Technology in Action - Youtube video (3m 41s)

Statistics

Around the world, more than one billion people have some form of disability. That's about 15% to 20% of the world's entire population. How that relates to us is that: up to 20% of people who use the digital products we design, rely on accessibility — otherwise, they would not be able to access our digital product at all! This doesn't even include all of the people who do not have a disability, but benefit from accessible websites because they're nicer and easier to use. Source: World Health Organization

Although accessibility awareness is on the rise, and more companies are getting on the accessibility-train, there is still plenty of room for improvement. Google detected nearly 60 million distinct accessibility errors across 1 million homepages. That's an average of 60 accessibility errors per page! Source: WebAIM

In the United States, 61 million adults live with a diagnosed disability. That is 26% or 1 in 4 adults. As we get older, disability becomes more common, affecting about 2 in 5 of us once we pass the age of 65.

Top disabilities Americans have are, in order of prevalence:

• Mobility (so that would include difficulty holding or operating things, like a mouse, keyboard, headphones, cell phone, and so on)
• Cognitive (so that's difficulties concentrating, remembering, or making decisions).
• Independent living (like not being able to do tasks or errands alone), deaf or hard of hearing, vision, and self-care.

Those are some of the top disabilities people live with. Source: CDC

Categories of Disabilities

1. Visual disabilities (this includes photosensitive epilepsy, so people who experience seizures due to flashing lights).
2. Motor disabilities — physical and neurological (physical is relating to the body, and neurological is relating to the nerves).
3. Auditory disabilities (which has to do with your hearing).
4. Speech disabilities (this has to do with your voice, your tongue, or even an inability to hear your voice so you can't form words very well despite your voice, mouth, and tongue working just fine).
5. Cognitive / learning disabilities (“cognitive” means relating to cognition and the brain, so the mental act of acquiring knowledge and understanding it, that is your cognitive ability).

Accessible products also benefit those who do NOT have a diagnosed disability. Impairments can be situational, temporary, or permanent.

Visual Impairments

Visual impairments vary in their severity and impact on an individual's ability to access digital content. Here are some of the main types of visual impairments that necessitate accessible software and websites:

1. Blindness - People who are blind have little to no functional vision. They typically rely on screen readers, which convert on-screen text into speech or braille output.
2. Low Vision - This includes a range of conditions where individuals have some degree of vision loss but still have usable sight. Low vision can include conditions like macular degeneration, glaucoma, and diabetic retinopathy. People with low vision may use screen magnification software or screen readers with magnification capabilities.
3. Color Blindness - While not considered a visual impairment in the traditional sense, color blindness can affect a person's ability to perceive certain colors accurately. Websites should ensure that color is not the sole means of conveying information and that there is sufficient contrast between text and background colors.
4. Cataracts - Cataracts cause clouding of the eye's lens, resulting in blurred vision. People with cataracts may benefit from websites with adjustable font sizes and high contrast options.
5. Glaucoma - Glaucoma damages the optic nerve, leading to peripheral vision loss. Individuals with glaucoma may require websites with clear navigation structures and options for adjusting text size and contrast
6. Retinitis Pigmentosa - This is a genetic disorder that causes a gradual loss of peripheral vision and can lead to blindness. Users with this condition may rely on screen readers and websites with simple layouts and predictable navigation.
7. Nystagmus Nystagmus - Causes involuntary eye movements, which can result in reduced visual acuity and depth perception. Users with nystagmus may benefit from websites with clear, consistent layouts and options to customize text appearance.
8. Retinopathy - Diabetic retinopathy is a complication of diabetes that affects the blood vessels in the retina, leading to vision loss. Individuals with retinopathy may require websites with adjustable font sizes, high contrast options, and alternatives to visual content like images and charts.

Accessible design principles, such as providing alternative text for images, ensuring keyboard accessibility, and using semantic HTML, benefit users with various visual impairments by making digital content perceivable, operable, and understandable through assistive technologies.

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