Digital Accessibility
What is Digital Accessibility?
Digital accessibility is a practice where websites, online tools, web applications, documents etc. are designed, developed, and maintained in a manner that people with disabilities can use them with accessibility features turned on as well as with assistive technologies. Web accessibility makes it possible for people with disabilities to access the content, interact with the functionality, understand the content, and use the content with their assistive technology.
The evolution of the web has made life very easy for all of us and more so for people with disabilities as they can accomplish their tasks independently. People with disabilities use different assistive technologies to access the web either using a computer, tablet, or mobile device. Digital accessibility ensures access to people with any of the following constraints:
- Auditory Sense
- Cognitive Ability
- Motor Function
- Speech
- Vision
Dim Sum Design System
Dim Sum is committed to providing components that are accessible and inclusive. We are actively working to increase accessibility and usability that adhere to many of the available standards and guidelines.
Accessibility Standard
Our design system is based on Web Content Accessibility Guideline created by WAI (https://www.w3.org/WAI/), which is a set of standards that define best practices for making digital content more accessible to people with disabilities. By adhering to specific levels of WCAG 2.1 level AA, or better, we will be able to meet ADA and Section 508 standards for our digital content.
The goal of these requirements is to provide content and services that are Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust:
Perceivable
Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. When users understand what is happening in an application and on their screens, they can decide how to interact with the content properly.
Operable
User interface components and navigation must be operable. If users can perceive what is happening, they will be able to use the application using different tools and want to take some kind of action.
Understandable
Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable. Application content and interactions should be easy to understand.
Robust
Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. Ensuring our applications are developed according to standards that include well-formed, semantically valid code helps us adapt to future technologies.
Assistive technologies used by people with disabilities
Visual Disabilities
Screen magnifiers
- Screen magnifiers enlarge the information displayed on a web page for their users.
- Users can access the information by either using a mouse or a keyboard.
Note - Since users access the information in an enlarged form, not all the information is visible on the screen. This requires users to scroll a lot to access the information.
Screen readers
- Screen readers read out the information displayed on a web page for their users.
- Users can access the information by listening to the screen reader and using a keyboard to input the data or give commands.
- Screen readers rely on semantic markup to identify the information for their users.
Refreshable Braille Displayers
- Refreshable Braille Displayer is a piece of hardware which can be attached to a computer, tablet, or mobile phone. It works in combination with a screen reader. The information read out by a screen reader is refreshed on the braille displayer and users can touch the braille pins and read the information.
- Users can read the information using the braille displayer whereas they can input the data using a keyboard.
- Refreshable braille displayers are used by blind and deaf-blind users.
Hearing Disabilities
Synchronized captions help people with hearing disabilities access videos and text transcripts help them to access audio-only content with ease. They do not require any assistive technology as such to access the web content.
Learning Disabilities
- Text-to-speech software
- Assistive Technology for Math - Notation tools, graphic organizers, digital graphing tools, and drawing tools are the best assistive technologies for math.
- Memorizing & Note-taking - Recording devices can eliminate the need to take written notes during lectures, Mind mapping tools visualize and structure your thoughts.
Mobility Disabilities
- Adaptive keyboards
- Sip-n-puff devices
Dyscalculia and low numeracy
It makes it hard for someone to read, understand and work with numbers. It impacts the ability to handle money, like counting change, telling and managing time, estimating how long things take, understanding percentages, and remembering number facts.
Intellectual disability and mental health conditions
Mental illness is a general term for a group of illnesses that affect the mind or brain. These illnesses, which include bipolar disorder, depression, schizophrenia, anxiety and personality disorders, affect the way a person thinks, feels and acts. A person with an intellectual disability may have significant limitations in the skills needed to live and work in the community, including difficulties with communication, self-care, social skills, safety and self-direction. They do not require any assistive technology as such to access the web content.
References
Updated 10 months ago