Digital technology and content has greatly enhanced peoples’ abilities. But some in our community can't access a lot of what’s out there for a variety of reasons.
A Few Examples
Blind people use software that speaks digital screen information. This software requires specific coding in docs, web pages, etc., to work properly.
People with low vision, learning disabilities, or mobile devices may need to zoom their screens, which works best when pages automatically reformat.
Colorblind users may have difficulty distinguishing colors that others see as very distinct.
Many middle-age people and users in poor lighting conditions can have difficulty reading smaller font sizes.
Someone with motor control issues (e.g., muscular dystrophy, arthritis, or a broken hand) may not be able to use a mouse or easily click on a small button.
Deaf individuals and those in noisy environments may have difficulty with video and audio files, as well as with participating in videoconferencing.
We can solve these problems
There are things we can do when we write, design, and code that will solve these problems and help everyone use our tech and digital content. That set of techniques is called accessibility, or accessible design.
Yet some people might still ask: why put effort into accessibility?