Accessible Content Creation

Technological advancements eliminated many of the barriers to communication and contact that many people confront in the real world. However, poorly designed digital content, web sites, applications, technology, or tools might create barriers that prevent people from using digital assets.

We usually address diverse group of learners / users. Accessibility refers to whether or not a product or service may be used by anyone, regardless of how they come across it. As an educator / teacher / content developer we design the content that must be
accessible to all. Meaning providing equal access and equal opportunity to everyone. Everyone here means people with diverse abilities.

The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognises access to information and communications technologies, including the Web, as a basic human right. While designing content for e learning, not only the content, the platform that is used to deliver the material should be accessible and support accessibility. Should be reachable to diverse group of learners. For example learners with vision impairment, hearing or cognitive impairment might be accessing the content.
They should be able to access the content as regular learners.

Why do we consider designing accessible e-content?
According to WHO (World health Organization) 15% of world population are living with some disability. According to its report on blindness and vision impairment (as on Feb 2021) Globally, at least 2.2 billion people have a near or distance vision impairment. (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/blindness-and-visual-impairment)

As on 2 nd mar 2021 WHO report says: “Over 5% of the world’s population – or 430 million people – require rehabilitation to address their ‘disabling’ hearing loss. It is estimated that by 2050 over 700 million people – or one in every ten people – will have disabling hearing loss.” (https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/deafness-and-hearing-loss) These numbers alerts us to focus on accessible content design practices.

Accessibility definition

The quality of being easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with, use, or adapted for use by people with disabilities – from dictionary.com

In simple words accessibility is
• The ability to get something easily
• The quality or characteristic of something that makes it possible to approach, enter, or use it
• Ensuring content/device/environment etc. is available to *everybody

The power of the Web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect. – Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and inventor of the World Wide Web