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JustA11ya11y

Level 1

Lesson 03

Accessibility Is for Everyone

Accessibility helps people with disabilities — and often makes technology easier for everyone.

  • About 7 min
  • No experience needed

Learning goal

By the end of this lesson you should understand:

  1. 1.Accessibility helps people with disabilities.
  2. 2.Accessibility can also help people without disabilities.
  3. 3.Situations can create barriers too.
  4. 4.Good accessibility often means good usability.
  5. 5.One accessibility feature can remove barriers for many different people.

Lesson 3 of 10

Section 3.1

A different way to think about accessibility

Accessibility is often described as something built “for people with disabilities”.

That is true — and it matters.

But it is not the whole story.

Many accessibility features also make technology easier for people who do not have a disability.

Essential for some. Useful for all.

Source: W3C — Web Accessibility Perspectives(opens in a new tab)

Section 3.2

Accessibility in everyday life

You have probably used accessibility features already — maybe without noticing.

  • Turning on captions because the room is noisy.
  • Listening to an article instead of reading it.
  • Zooming in when text feels too small.
  • Using voice commands because your hands are busy.
  • Using a keyboard shortcut instead of a mouse.

None of these situations require a disability. They only require a barrier.

Section 3.3

Meet Sarah: the multitasker

Sarah’s situation

Sarah is holding a baby in one arm.

She wants to read a long article, but she cannot hold her phone still.

So she listens to it instead.

Built for:Text-to-speech was built with blind users and people with reading difficulties in mind.

Also helps:It also helps Sarah, whose hands are simply full right now.

Section 3.4

Meet Ahmed: voice instead of a mouse

Ahmed’s situation

Ahmed broke his arm last week.

Using a mouse is painful and slow.

He controls his computer with his voice instead.

Built for:Voice control was built for people with physical disabilities.

Also helps:It also helps Ahmed during a temporary injury — and anyone worried about repetitive strain.

Section 3.5

Meet Omar: the screen in bright sunlight

Omar’s situation

Omar is outside, waiting for a bus.

The sun is bright and the text on his screen is pale grey.

He cannot read the departure time.

Built for:Good contrast was designed with people who have low vision in mind.

Also helps:It also helps Omar, who is only standing in the sun.

Section 3.6

Small target, big problem

A tiny button is hard to tap accurately.

You tap once. Nothing happens. You tap again and hit the wrong thing.

Built for:Larger targets help people with limited dexterity or tremors.

Also helps:They also help anyone tapping on a moving bus or using a phone one-handed.

Section 3.7

Good design helps everyone

A confusing layout slows everybody down.

Clear headings, clear navigation and a predictable structure make a page easier to follow.

Built for:Clear structure helps people using screen readers and people with cognitive disabilities.

Also helps:It also helps anyone in a hurry.

Section 3.8

“Did it work?”

You press Submit.

Nothing changes on the screen.

Did it send? Should you press it again?

Built for:Clear confirmation messages help people who cannot see visual-only cues.

Also helps:They also help everyone else who just wants to know what happened.

Section 3.9

Make text easier to read

Text that is too small, too tight or too long on a line is tiring to read.

Being able to change text size, spacing or colours removes that barrier.

Built for:Text customization helps people with low vision and people with dyslexia.

Also helps:It also helps tired eyes at the end of a long day.

Section 3.10

Plain language is accessible language

Complicated language creates a barrier.

Short sentences and familiar words make content easier to understand.

Built for:Plain language helps people with cognitive or learning disabilities.

Also helps:It also helps language learners, and experts reading outside their field.

Section 3.11

What if your mouse doesn’t work?

Imagine your mouse stops working right now.

Could you still finish what you were doing using only the keyboard?

Built for:Keyboard navigation is essential for many people with physical disabilities.

Also helps:It also helps anyone with a broken mouse, an empty battery, or a preference for speed.

Section 3.12

Accessibility grows with us

Our abilities change throughout life.

Vision, hearing, dexterity and concentration can all change as we get older.

Built for:Accessible design supports people whose abilities change permanently.

Also helps:It also supports the person you will be in twenty years.

Section 3.13

Accessibility in different situations

Ten short situations. Choose what could remove the barrier — you can retry any of them.

Situation 1 of 10You are watching a video in a noisy environment. What could help?
Situation 2 of 10You are holding a baby and cannot hold your phone still to read. What could help?
Situation 3 of 10Your arm is injured and using a mouse hurts. What could help?
Situation 4 of 10You are reading your screen in bright sunlight. What could help?
Situation 5 of 10A button on your phone is too small to tap accurately. What could help?
Situation 6 of 10A page layout is confusing and you cannot find what you need. What could help?
Situation 7 of 10You submitted a form and nothing seemed to happen. What could help?
Situation 8 of 10The text on a page is difficult to read. What could help?
Situation 9 of 10The language on a page is complicated and hard to follow. What could help?
Situation 10 of 10Your mouse stops working. What could help?

Section 3.14

The accessibility multiplier

Choose a feature to see who it can help. You can use the arrow keys.

Captions can remove barriers for:

  • Deaf/hard of hearing
  • Noisy environment
  • Quiet environment
  • Language learners
  • People who prefer reading

One accessibility feature can remove barriers for many different people.

Section 3.15 · The big idea

Accessibility isn’t about making a special Web for some people.

It’s about making the Web work for more people.

Essential for some. Useful for all.

Knowledge check

Check what you understood

Four short questions. You can retry any question — this is for understanding, not for scoring.

Question 1 of 4Someone is watching a video in a noisy place. Which feature helps most?
Question 2 of 4Someone cannot comfortably use a mouse because of an injured arm. Which feature helps most?
Question 3 of 4Which statement is most accurate?
Question 4 of 4Someone wants to listen to an article instead of reading it. Which feature helps most?

Quick challenge

Who benefits?

Choose a feature and select everyone who may benefit from it.

Captions
Text-to-speech
Voice control
Good contrast
Keyboard navigation

Lesson 3 takeaways

By now, you should know:

  • Accessibility helps people with disabilities.That remains the core purpose, and it matters.
  • Accessibility can help everyone.Many accessibility features make technology easier for people without disabilities too.
  • Situations matter.Noise, sunlight, injury and busy hands can all create barriers.
  • Good accessibility can mean good usability.Clear structure, clear feedback and readable text help everybody.
  • Don’t ask “Who is this feature for?”Ask: “What barrier does this feature remove?”
Back to Level 1

Explore the sources

Explore the sources

This lesson is written in our own plain language, based on the concepts explained by these resources.

You don’t have to be an accessibility expert to start designing more accessibly.

Start noticing barriers.

Continue to Lesson 4