Accessible Content Creation
Significance of accessibility
There are many reasons why people may be experiencing functional limitations such as auditory, cognitive, physical, speech, and visual at varying degrees of levels. These limitations could be sometimes temporary or situational. People have diverse abilities. Their talents, preferences, and expectations can play a significant role in how they access and use digital content / tools /technologies.
Sometimess users with age related problems may have similar requirements as users with some functional imapairement. Situation may demand certain accessible features. A good example for this can be a person accessing the web or digital content in the computer with a fractured hand or an injured palm. Where some assistive technologies like screen reader may play a significant role.
We have to ensure that the content we produce is available to *every one, including addresssing people with disabilitiess or with special needs. The content should be flexible enough to meet diverse learners requirements and preferences.
“Disablity is a physical, mental, cognitive, or developmental condition that impairs, interferes with, or limits a person’s ability to engage in certain tasks or actions or participate in typical daily activities and interactions” – Merriam-webster online dictionary. (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disability)
Disabilities (https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/disability)can be Visual, Auditory, Motor Skills, or Cognitive.
Suggested Readings:-
Read more about Diverse Abilities and Barriers (https://www.w3.org/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/)
People use various Assistive technology devices, software like screen magnifiers, alternative keyboards, special needs mouse, mouse sticks etc. to access the digital content.
While designing content, to organize and to beautify appearance of the text and images usually various colours, sections, headings are used. But, all users may not see the way you designed. Your users needs might be different and may use a variety of technologies and strategies in a variety of ways based on their needs. Some may have multiple disabilities so they might need a combination of assistive technologies to access the content.
Screen Readers:- Might be used to read the content or Braille display options are used by some people with vision problems. A screen reader reads out everything appears on screen. This tool is not only used by blind people but could also be used by people with cognitive or learning disabilities.
Screen Magnifiers:- These are used to change the appearance of the content. Screen magnifiers help people to magnify the content of the screen. This will help people with low vision to enlarge the content to read it. Some others might need to change the appearance and other aspects of text display like font size, space between lines etc.
Did you ever observe this?
While browsing most browsers allow a user to change the appearance of the content like text size, page zoom (which zooms everything on the page, such as text, images, buttons) through settings. Only text zoom functionality is also available in some browsers. Which will zoom only text of the web page.
If the content is not designed properly to support the screen magnification, then it will become unusable when the text size is changed or if some zoom functionality is used. We must make sure that when the content appearance is changed, the information is not lost.
Sometimes text overlap happens or the space between lines disappear, lines of text become too long, and when text size is increased parts of the content is not visible and learners must scroll horizontally to read the content. It is very difficult to read the content / text that requires horizontal scrolling. Sometimes it is impossible to read. One must make sure that pages/ content designed will not cause these kinds of difficulties.
We can address diverse learners needs by choosing content-creation tools, delivery platforms which are accessible friendly. While designing and after designing, test the content for latest Web Content Accessibility Guidelines. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines or WCAG offers internationally recognised specifications and guidelines to prepare more accessible content.
Discussion Point
Regardless of ability many of us might be using various assistive technologies either knowingly or unknowingly. For example, voice recognition in the mobile phones. sometimes we use only keyboard to access the content on the screen and using tab key we navigate. We use subtitles while watching a movie when we are in a crowded place or we may need some help in understanding the language spoken.
Can you think of any other example of such kind?
Feedback/Errata