What is Accessibility?

“Accessibility is when the needs of people with disabilities are specifically considered, and products, services, and facilities are built or modified so that they can be used by people of all abilities.” — CDC

Why Accessibility is Worth Striving for Even If You Do Not Know There Will Be Disabled People Present

“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

Employing Universal Design when planning experiences and environments makes them better for everyone. When these are designed with such accessibility in mind, they are more convenient for people with a variety of needs and preferences. For example,

• Ramps, curb cuts, and clear pathways make it easier to travel both for those with mobility disabilities and for people who need to transport carts or strollers.
• Media accessibility techniques often result in interfaces that are easier to navigate and the presentation of information in a way that is easier to understand.
• Customizable features allow Disabled people to adjust what they are using to fit their specific access needs, but customization also lets everyone adjust media and objects to fit their preferences.

Essentially, when we plan, from the beginning, for people with disabilities, we tend to make decisions that lead to something better for people in general. 

For more information on Universal Design, check out SLDS’s resources (here) or the Centre for Excellence in Universal Design’s website (here). 

Other reasons why we should try to make spaces accessible when we do not know if any Disabled people will be there: 

• Disabled people who would otherwise not consider attending may be more likely to do so
• People with invisible disabilities, who we may not realize are Disabled, may feel more comfortable somewhere where accessibility has clearly been considered
• Asking for accommodations all the time may be difficult/exhausting
• Some people with disabilities may not know what accommodations they can ask for or what they can realistically expect to be accommodated (if they do ask)

… But it is Impossible to make a Space Perfectly Accessible

“Complete” accessibility is not realistic. We will not successfully think of every possible access need that a person could have. Furthermore, depending on factors like budgets or requirements of some activities, some accommodations may not be financially or logistically feasible.

Moreover, different people may have conflicting access needs. For example, some people need bright lighting or louder audio to better understand what others are saying—but some people are sensitive to light or sound, and too much of it can be painful.

Consequently, while accessibility is important to consider, not successfully accommodating every possible Disabled person is not only understandable but also inevitable.

General Ways to Increase Accessibility

• Plan for people with disabilities from the beginning (changing plans to be more accessible later is often less feasible/more difficult)
• Research accessibility tips for what you are doing specifically (e.g., designing a website involves different knowledge than designing a building)
• Let people know what you plan to do to make things more accessible (so they know what to expect)
• If someone asks for an accommodation, do not demand they explain why (unless they want to)
• Clear pathways and avoid the need to cross grass/uneven surfaces
• Do not choose locations that someone must use stairs to get to
• Ensure there is sufficient seating based on the number of people that will be there
• Use captions/subtitles and/or a sign language interpreter (when relevant and possible)
• Provide specific content warnings (for example: flashing, sudden loud noises, discussions of racism and homophobia, panic attacks)

Media Accessibility

General Tips:

• Involve multiple senses:
  • Use alternative (alt) text/image and video descriptions
  • When presenting, read and describe what is on the slide
  • Provide captions and transcripts
• Allow for keyboard navigation
• Remember to include warnings for flashing lights, sudden loud noises, and potentially triggering content
• Provide presentation materials/slides before the presentation
• Use accessible styles:
  • Large text sizes
  • Easy to read fonts
  • Spaces between lines
  • High-contrast colors (and, if possible, customizable color options)
• Avoid “walls of text”—use bullet points or small paragraphs with spaces in between
• Use headings and other organizational features that help assistive technology find information
• Use formats that allow users to select text (for example, PDF versus image formats)

Media accessibility is very broad, so it helps to do more specific research. Here are some resources to get started: 

• Posters on designing websites/media for specific categories of disabilities
• How to write alt text (based on the specific context)
• How to add alt text in Microsoft products
• How to make accessible PDFs
• Automated tools for checking accessibility

What Teachers Can Do

In general:

• If a disabled student has needed to specifically request an accommodation in the past, and you can realistically have it for everyone, providing it to everyone is usually best.
• Be open and flexible with students.
• Clearly and completely state at the beginning of the course (in the syllabus and/or during the first class) what you are willing to be flexible with and what resources you will make available.

Some more specific tips:

• Be flexible with deadlines and attendance (including for when students are stressed out/have mental health concerns).
• Provide slides/notes before class.
• If slides or the board are frequently written on during class, provide filled out slides/images of this to students after class.
• Record and post lectures for students to reference later.
• Be okay with students leaving the room at any point (many disabilities may require someone to step outside without notice, such as from sensory overload or because they must take care of something in the restroom).
• Be okay with students arriving to class late (many disabilities cause chronic lateness for reasons like executive dysfunction, time blindness, or physical obstacles in travel routes).

It is also important to understand how to appropriately apply accommodations that students formally request. SLDS has resources explaining how to do so here.

Exploring some of this fantastic set of resources from SLDS (here) is also recommended.

What Organizations Can Do

• Be open to accessibility requests from members/prospective members.
• Have at least some events/meetings that are online/virtual.
• When having an in-person event, ask those who plan to attend if any accommodations need to be made, such as:
  • Does anyone have difficultly with stairs?
  • Does anyone need a sign language interpreter?
  • Are there any food sensitivities or dietary restrictions?
• Have a variety of events and activities.

Check out this resource from DO-IT at the University of Washington (here) for more tips and guidelines.

What those Planning Large Events Can Do

• If possible, hire a sign language interpreter and/or someone to provide accurate live captions.
  • The ADA Coordinator’s Office may provide such services for some university events. Information on these services can be found here.
• If providing food, try to provide some allergy-friendly food and accommodate common dietary restrictions.
• Let people know early to contact you to request specific accommodations that will not already be provided.

Check out this resource from the OSU ADA Coordinator’s Office on planning accessible events (here).

The ADA National Network has this detailed document for planning accessible events (here).

 

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