Why Learn/Why Teach Accessibility?

Why is Digital Accessibility Important?

• Approximately 1.3 billion people in the world experience some form of disability (1).
• In the United States, more than one in four adults lives with a disability (2).
• Disability is a universal experience that any individual may encounter at any point in life, specially as they age.
• There’s been an increase in accessibility standards and regulations.
• Over a thousand accessibility lawsuits were filed in the first quarter of 2024 alone (3).

What is Accessible Technology?

Accessible technology uses content and interfaces that meet the diverse needs of people with disabilities through flexibility and customization features. You’re probably already using some accessibility features without even realizing it! Think about closed captions or subtitles, voice assistants, text-to-speech for reading articles aloud, dark mode or high-contrast themes for your screen, and handy tools like predictive text or autocorrect. These features were originally designed to make technology more accessible, but they’ve become popular because they’re so useful for everyone. 

Why is Inaccessible Tech a Problem?

Technology that isn’t accessible creates numerous barriers for people with disabilities in everyday tasks such as:

• Shopping for clothes, groceries, or anything else online
• Ordering food from a restaurant
• Finding directions to a new place
• Joining or participating in an event
• Booking a ride through a rideshare app
• Searching for and applying to jobs
• Using software and digital tools at work
• Booking a flight or a hotel
• Taking an online class or using digital course materials 
• Connecting with others on social media
• Scheduling appointments
• Checking a bank account balance or managing finances

How Can We Address This Problem?

Accessibility can become the standard in digital products if we equip everyone with fundamental accessibility knowledge and skills. However, few organizations and institutions are actively supporting people in acquiring these essential skills. Accessibility skills enable us to design, evaluate, and choose digital products that are fully usable by people with disabilities.