{"id":6012,"date":"2022-12-22T08:50:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-22T11:50:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/?p=6012"},"modified":"2023-05-29T16:08:32","modified_gmt":"2023-05-29T19:08:32","slug":"digital-accessibility","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.handtalk.me\/en\/blog\/digital-accessibility\/","title":{"rendered":"Digital accessibility: what is it, importance and what are the different kinds?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Ever since the turn of the century, in the early 2000s, we are told that we are living in the digital era. Today, over 20 years later, we are living more and more immersed and dependent on technology. The internet is almost a synonym for work, practicality, how to get around, education, relationships and much more. But have you ever stopped to think that it may not be accessible for everyone? That\u2019s where digital accessibility<\/strong> comes in!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is digital accessibility?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Including digital accessibility in a website is as important as an architect planning elevators in buildings for people in wheelchairs to have access to it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It is a set of solutions that make it possible for people with disabilities to browse the web with autonomy and independence.<\/strong> It is the tool that breaks down these <\/strong>barriers that complicate<\/strong><\/a> their internet access. <\/strong>This is why it must be taken seriously in website creation processes<\/a>, and also in your business\u2019 entire communication or even so in personal social networks. Besides, it is worth remembering that digital accessibility doesn\u2019t only benefit people with disabilities. It improves the daily lives of everyone!<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Digital accessibility in the US<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

In the United States, there are over 61 million adults<\/a> living with a disability. Although there are current laws that aim to ensure accessibility and inclusion for people with disabilities, such as the ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act)<\/strong>, and the collective awareness has increased over the last years, advances are still very slow in America due to lack of specialized professionals in the area.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the 2020 Web Accessibility Annual Report<\/a>, currently only 2% of American websites are totally accessible to people with disabilities. This means that an audience that represents over 18% of the country\u2019s population, is being excluded from digital environments.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

During the pandemic, our lives that were already very connected to the technological world, became even more digitized. Despite already existing super updated digital accessibility tools<\/a> to keep up with this pace, its implementation is still far from ideal. It is everyone\u2019s job to practice inclusion in our country<\/strong>, so count on Hand Talk\u2019s blog<\/a> to keep on learning related tips.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is the importance of digital accessibility?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Digital accessibility is indispensable for people with disabilities to be able to perform their basic tasks online in an independent manner<\/strong>. Such as shopping online, keeping up with news from the US and all around the world, connecting through social media, studying, working, etc. But, in fact, many accessibility solutions are useful for all kinds of audiences<\/strong>, like the elderly, children and people with momentary physical limitations. Think about it, one day you may have your dominant arm immobilized, how to browse the web with only one hand? Keyboard shortcuts, for example, are an accessibility feature that improves the lives of many people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

And of course, legally speaking, digital accessibility is mandatory! Inclusion is a right for people with disabilities and there is even a law for it. <\/strong>The Americans with Disabilities Act<\/a>, which we mentioned earlier, prohibits discrimination against people with disabilities<\/strong>. It also encourages private and public corporations to follow and guarantee accessibility guidelines, ensuring that this group of people will be able to enjoy integration into economic, political, social, cultural and educational aspects of American society.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Besides that, Google understands how important digital accessibility is for people with disabilities to be able to browse autonomously. <\/strong>Therefore, its algorithms validate ranking (the page\u2019s position in the search engine). It also values and benefits accessible pages<\/strong>, because it understands that that content is useful for more people. So, if you want to appear at the top of Google rankings, accessibility may be a great asset.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

What are the different kinds of digital accessibility?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The WCAG 2.2 (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines)<\/a> is a set of guidelines to ensure a global standard of accessibility online<\/strong>. It determines that there are 4 main kinds of accessibility:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Perceivable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All elements, including the page\u2019s graphic and textual information, must be perceivable to the senses. Nothing can be invisible or hidden.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Operable<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The page\u2019s buttons, controls and other interactive elements must be operable with clicks and other adaptations, such as: scrolling, sliding, voice command and other assistive devices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Comprehensible<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

All available information, including buttons and its directions, must be presented in a logical and comprehensible manner for all users.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Robust<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

The page\u2019s content must be compatible with all devices, including assistive technologies<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to ensure digital accessibility?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The only way to ensure digital accessibility is by following the WCAG 2.2 guidelines. This guide contains important specifications on how to build an accessible web. It is important to remember that the guidelines are constantly updated to cover more and more issues related to the promotion of autonomy for the highest number of users possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Another crucial thing is to rely on people with disabilities to be a part of the construction of an accessible website.<\/strong> After all, who is better than themselves for this validation? There are super qualified professionals with disabilities to integrate your technology team. It is also interesting to perform tests with people with different disabilities<\/strong>, ensuring that the resources cover different accessibility issues.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Apart from that, count on assistive technology<\/a> and make sure that your communication is also accessible for all audiences.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Understand what are assistive technologies<\/h3>\n\n\n\n

Assistive technology<\/a> is the term used to describe all tools that make life easier for people with disabilities. That is, solutions in accessibility for physical or digital environments.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Some examples of assistive technologies are:<\/p>\n\n\n\n