Know About Accessibility

  • Colorful mosaic of a tree with swirling branches, surrounded by birds, butterflies, and flowers against a vibrant blue and yellow background.

    All of us should know about accessibility.

    Welcome to Know About Accessibility. We’re happy you’re here! We are Sarah Horton and David Sloan, co-authors of the book, What Every Engineer Should Know About Digital Accessibility. We created this website to support and extend the themes and topics from the book. All of us have a role to… continue reading

  • Digital Inclusion

    By Sarah Horton and David Sloan — As someone designing and building digital products, you have a responsibility to avoid introducing barriers that might inhibit or prevent disabled people from using digital products. We can think about digital accessibility as an intentional effort to meet our responsibility for avoiding creating… continue reading

  • Disability Language and Representation

    By Sarah Horton and David Sloan — A deeper understanding of disability involves an awareness of how disability is represented in everyday life. In particular, we want to look specifically at the language of disability and how disability is represented in media, which are both significant and dynamic areas of… continue reading

  • Disabled people are digital creators and consumers. We need accessibility in design and development tools.

    By Yasmine Elglaly — People with disabilities are not solely end‑users of software; they also create software and digital content. Therefore, it is crucial to consider accessibility during the development of all types of software, including software development tools like integrated development environments (IDEs), version control systems, build tools, and… continue reading

  • • Illustration of Emily, a woman with light skin and shoulder-length brown hair, traveling down a sidewalk using a wheelchair with a black service dog walking alongside.

    Emily: Cerebral palsy, living independently

    An accessibility persona from A Web for Everyone — Emily is determined to do things for herself, so she’s tried a lot of different keyboards and joysticks over the years, looking for the right kind of interaction. Speech is difficult for her, so she uses a communications program with speech… continue reading

  • Everyone should know about neuro‑inclusive digital accessibility.

    By Lē Silveus — In the ever‑evolving world of web development, crafting online experiences that are accessible and user‑centered is vital. However, the concept of accessibility extends beyond complying with WCAG guidelines. We’re going to dive into an important aspect that often gets overlooked: neurodiversity. As product creators, understanding and embracing… continue reading

  • Everyone should know accessibility requirements for neurodivergent people.

    By Lē Silveus — While adhering to Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is a significant step, it’s not the whole picture. Neurodivergent individuals often face unique challenges when interacting with websites and applications. Some common issues include: Next steps for advancing support for neurodivergent people include: The principles of simplicity,… continue reading

  • Inaccessible design is the problem, not the user who raises the issue.

    By Erich Manser — Another thing I’d encourage engineers who are concerned with digital accessibility to understand is that when barriers exist, the issue lies with the design, and not with the person experiencing the barrier. This may seem obvious, but too often when someone reports an inability to access something,… continue reading

  • Inaccessible software does not only eliminate or limit access, but it can also cause harm to some users.

    By Yasmine Elglaly — Inaccessible software prevents users from accessing the digital information or the functionality it provides. This can result in limited or no access to educational services in the case of a learning management system or job search functionality in the case of an inaccessible job search platform.… continue reading

  • Illustration of Jacob, a man with light skin, short dark hair, and dark glasses, at a desk working at a computer using headphones and a braille keyboard.

    Jacob: Blind paralegal and a bit of a geek

    An accessibility persona from A Web for Everyone — Jacob is a paralegal in a large law firm. He reviews cases and writes summaries, cross-referencing them to the firm’s own cases and clients. He’s building expertise in his area of law and is hoping to go to law school in… continue reading

  • • Illustration of Lea, a woman with dark skin and dark curly hair, at a desk wearing a microphone headset and resting her chin on her hand while looking at a computer monitor. There is a wrist rest keyboard, a mug, and sheets of paper on the desk.

    Lea: Editor, living with fatigue and pain

    An accessibility persona from A Web for Everyone — Lea was on track to become the editor of the magazine she worked for when she started having numbness in her hands and feeling completely fatigued by the middle of the afternoon. She tried medications and exercise and getting enough sleep,… continue reading