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Accessibility 101

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Alanna Burke edited this page Sep 23, 2019 · 9 revisions

What is accessibility?

The ability for everyone, no matter their ability, to use to the fullest extent, your website, product, device, or service.

Accessibility Alphabet Soup

A11Y - shortcut for accessibility (a + 11 letters + y)
ACT - Accessibility Conformance Testing
AG WG - Accessibility Guidelines Working Group
AIM - Accessibility in Mind (Generally seen as WebAIM)
ARIA - Accessible Rich Internet Applications Suite
ATAG - Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines
EARL - Evaluation and Report Language
EOWG - Education and Outreach Working Group
IEC - International Electrotechnical Commission
ISO - International Organization for Standardization
ITC - Information and Communication Technology
JTC - Joint Technical Committee
UAAG - User Agent Accessibility Guidelines
WAI - Web Accessibility Initiative
WAVE - Web Accessibility Evaluation Tool
WCAG - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
W3C - World Wide Web Consortium
18F - 18F is a gov't digital services agency, its office is on 18th and F Streets
508 - Section 508 is the law requiring accessibility for various gov't & other websites

Who needs accessible websites?

Everyone! Not just about disability - inclusive design thinks about everyone (think gender inclusivity, etc) think stress cases instead of “edge” cases - this is about humans! don’t develop for the average user, develop for everyone.

Why is accessibility important?

  • Everyone deserves equal access to the internet - it’s our main source of information, communication, business, access to services
  • It’s the law in many situations
  • If your site/talk/etc isn’t accessible, you are saying that X people aren’t important
  • “Am i represented on this site” - Inclusivity

Why Web Accessibility Is Important and How You Can Accomplish It
There are three Modes of Disability:

  1. Permanent Disability: This is when you are completely disabled. Example: blind, deaf and so.
  2. Temporary Disability: This is simply a physical or mental disability which hinders your discharging of responsibilities for a short period of time.
  3. Conditional or Situation Disability: This is simply when you are not able to do things due to the situation you find yourself in. Example: slow internet connection.
    A11y provides equal access and opportunity.

Social Factors in Developing a Web Accessibility Business Case for Your Organization

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