What is Accessibility?

A General Definition

Accessibility is the practice of making information, activities, and/or environments sensible, meaningful, and?usable for as many people as possible.

A common example of accessibility that we have all likely encountered, is in the context of?architectural design. Consider the “accessible entrance”?to buildings. Railings, ramps, self-operating doors, lifts/elevators, signs,?lighting, even the width and height of steps of a staircase?all represent accessible design elements. Each function to increase, improve, or eliminate a barrier to a person’s access to a building or structure, and, therefore, that which is housed inside.

In some cases, these design features are explicitly for persons with disabilities, but as with accessible design in other contexts, designing for accessibility can significantly?enhance user experience for all of us. Think curb cuts used by a parent pushing a stroller, or utilizing a ramp with a small child. In fact, accessible design choices can and should complement or extend the value or function of other design elements (e.g., a handrail or a properly placed and worded sign).

In the case of?content accessibility, which is what we specialize in at SeeWriteHear, from the heading structure of a document to its?formatting and layout, to the use of visual media and graphical and typographical elements, design choices are applied to increase the usability of documents for the largest number of people as possible.

A Philosophical Definition

In defining and promoting accessibility, it’s important to properly differentiate the problem and purpose of accessibility. Let’s return to architectural design for an example. When a person utilizing a wheelchair for mobility encounters a curb, there clearly exists an instance of in-access (a lack or limitation?of access). It’s important to note here, that the wheelchair, or even the need for the wheelchair, is not the problem. The wheelchair is the legitimate means of mobility; the curb is the problem. This may seem obvious, but this distinction is seldom translated to the realm of content accessibility. Rather than viewing improperly formatted content, or poorly written code as the problem, a person’s disability and use of assistive technology is seen by some as the issue to overcome. However, writing, coding, and designing for equitable access is not about solving disability as a problem; it’s about accepting and respecting the solutions and technologies that enable alternate means of access, and then not constructing obstacles to their use.

Accessibility is about Equity

Accessibility is a practice in equitable, responsible design.

Accessibility is about identifying and responding to conditions of in-access, about providing?equitable?opportunity, regardless of?a person’s abilities or circumstances.

Note the emphasis on?equity. Understanding the difference between?equal?and?equitable?is paramount.?

Accessibility is about Usability

Compliance standards cover a wide range of accessibility concerns, but it’s important to understand that where a document may be compliant, it may not always be usable.?

There’s no?such thing as 100% accessibility in documents. As accessibility is a condition of user experience, and no two users are alike (i.e., any two users may have varied and even competing needs for accessing information based on their conditions of in-access), we must be particularly mindful of user experience and usability of content based on the specific conditions of in-access for a given user or user community.