2. Being accessible
Accessibility benefits everyone, but how can we determine if content is accessible? And how can we enhance its accessibility for everyone?
Universal design
‘Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability or disability.’ (Centre for Excellence in Universal Design, 2014)
Universal design involves creating with everyone in mind.
For example, historically many tools were designed only for right-handed people, and today, you still might need to buy special scissors if you’re left-handed. Universal design principles suggest that these scissors are poorly designed due to the right-versus-left-handed issue and the repetitive movements required to use them.
Some research suggests that design may not be equitable for different genders. Read The world is designed for men by Kat Ely on Medium.
Can you think of anything you’ve tried to use which didn’t work for you because the designer didn’t have you in mind?
Universal design may also be considered inclusive design This approach involves considering your users and actively working to remove systematic barriers that hinder the use of environments, tools, and platforms.
Experiencing accessibility
Understanding issues around accessibility can be challenging if you haven’t personally experienced them. To gain insight into access challenges faced by specific groups of people, online simulators are available to explore. The Web Disability Simulator (Chrome extension) tries to simulate how people with disabilities experience the web.
Perhaps the most commonly discussed web accessibility problems are experienced by people who are blind or who have impaired vision. Developers have a greater understanding of ways to make content accessible for people with visual impairments because of the availability of screen reader software.
Screen readers read digital content aloud and allow for navigation of content via keyboard. They are very specialised software and require a lot of practice to become proficient. The Overview of screen readers (LinkedIn Learning, 2m52s) has a great explanation of what screen readers do.
Using a screen reader (YouTube, 7m45s) demonstrates the use of a screen reader on an accessible and inaccessible website.
How would using a screen reader make your online experience different?
Try using Voiceover (on Mac and iOS), TalkBack (Android) or NVDA (Windows) to look at one of your favourite websites. Is the website you chose accessible?
Screen readers aren’t the only tools available to help check accessibility. Funkify, a free extension for the Chrome browser, allows you to select different simulators to view the web from different perspectives, including as someone with a visual impairment, dyslexia, or poor motor control. This provides pretty extreme examples to give you an insight into the obstacles many people have to overcome online.
Accessible web content
It is essential that all people can access the internet.
The Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI), part of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) identifies four key principles of accessibility relating to web content:
- Everyone should be able to access the website and information on it.
- Everyone should be able to use the website and navigate around it.
- Everyone should be able to understand the website and the information on it.
- All websites should be consistent across different platforms so that equitable information is provided whether you are using a browser window or a screen reader.
Read Principles of accessible design from Web Accessibility in Mind (WebAIM).
How many of these principles have you noticed in action on websites that you use regularly?
Accessibility and the law
Accessibility is a component of good digital citizenship and a legal responsibility. View the timeline below or check out the text only version.
Accessibility at Charles Sturt University
Charles Sturt University is committed to delivering high quality learning experiences for all students.
Services available at Charles Sturt
- The Accessibility and Inclusion Services Team can help organise study adjustments tailored to your needs to help you succeed in your studies, such as in-class support, assistive software and equipment.
- The Library Accessibility and Inclusion Liaison Team can provide personalised support to make our collections more accessible. Contact the Library for more information.
- Assistive technology rooms can be found in the Learning Commons at Albury-Wodonga, Bathurst and Wagga Wagga campuses and there are designated Assistive Technology computers for students with disability at Dubbo, Orange and Port Macquarie. Assistive Technology facilities are available at other Charles Sturt campuses. Email the Accessibility and Inclusion support team for more information.
Text version of Accessibility and the law
Timeline of accessibility laws and policies for UQ, Queensland, Australia and Worldwide.
1977- Anti-Discrimination Act 1977 (NSW)
This Act aims to render unlawful racial, sex and other types of discrimination in certain circumstances and to promote equality of opportunity between all persons.
1992 - Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth)
This Act aims to eliminate discrimination against a person due to disability in Australia. It covers work, education, accommodation, facilities, services and more. It also aims to promote recognition and acceptance within the community that persons with disabilities have the same fundamental rights as the rest of the community.
2005 - Disability Standards for Education 2005
The Standards clarify the obligations of education and training providers in Australia, and seek to ensure that students with disability can access and participate in education on the same basis as other students.
2006 – United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
The CRPD protects the rights and dignity of people with disabilities and closed the gap in protecting human rights. Article 9 of the CPRD says that we should remove barriers to people with disabilities accessing the internet and ‘promote access for persons with disabilities to new information and communications technologies and systems, including the internet’ (CRPD, 29.2.g). Article 21 of the CRPD states that people with disabilities have a right to freedom of access to information.
2014 – Charles Sturt University Disability and Work or Study Adjustment Policy
The Charles Sturt Disability and Work or Study Adjustment Policy outlines a commitment to provide an accessible and inclusive work and study environment that enables staff and students with disability or caring responsiblity for a person with disability to participate in university life on an equitable basis with other members of the University community.
2016 – 2019 – Charles Sturt University Disability Action Plan
The Plan presents a framework mapped against the Disability Standards for Education 2005.
2020 – 2023 – Charles Sturt Accessibility Action Plan
The Action Plan outlines a university wide strategy to prevent and address disability discrimination for current and prospective students and staff. This plan reflects the University’s ethos and values and its obligations under the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 (Cth) and Disability Standards for Education 2005.
Return to the section after the timeline or continue on to the next chapter.
