Accessibility

For design of products or environments for access by all users, see Universal design. For design of websites etc. for access by all users, see Web accessibility. For measures of spatial accessibility, see Accessibility (transport). For the logical notion, see Accessibility relation. For the process in agenda-setting theory, see Agenda-setting theory § Accessibility.
For Wikipedia's accessibility guideline, see Wikipedia:Accessibility.
Panel on an elevator showing the floor buttons with Braille markings
Elevator buttons with Braille markings
A woman with a baby carriage uses a platform lift to access a station above street level
The public transport system in Curitiba, Brazil, offers universal access via wheelchair lifts.

Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to be usable by people with disabilities.[1] The concept of accessible design and practice of accessible developments ensures both "direct access" (i.e. unassisted) and "indirect access" meaning compatibility with a person's assistive technology (for example, computer screen readers).[2]

Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity. The concept focuses on enabling access for people with disabilities, or enabling access through the use of assistive technology; however, research and development in accessibility brings benefits to everyone.[3][4][5][6][7] Therefore, an accessible society should eliminate digital divide or knowledge divide.

Accessibility is not to be confused with usability, which is the extent to which a product (such as a device, service, or environment) can be used by specified users to achieve specified goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use.[8]

Accessibility is also strongly related to universal design, the process of creating products that are usable by the widest possible range of people, operating within the widest possible range of situations.[9] Universal design typically provides a single general solution that can accommodate people with disabilities as well as the rest of the population. By contrast, accessible design is focused on ensuring that there are no barriers to accessibility for all people, including those with disabilities.

  1. ^ Henry, Shawn Lawton; Abou-Zahra, Shadi; Brewer, Judy (2014). The Role of Accessibility in a Universal Web. Proceeding W4A '14 Proceedings of the 11th Web for All Conference Article No. 17. ISBN 978-1-4503-2651-3. Retrieved 2014-12-17.
  2. ^ "What is assistive technology?". washington.edu. Archived from the original on 2019-01-19. Retrieved 2018-07-02.
  3. ^ "Federal Communications Commission". FCC on Telecommunications Accessibility for the Disabled. 1999.
  4. ^ Goldberg, L. (1996). "Electronic Curbcuts: Equitable Access to the Future". Getty Center for the History of Art and the Humanities and the Getty Art History Information Program, Cyberspace/Public Space: The Role of Arts and Culture in Defining a Virtual Public Sphere. Archived from the original on April 27, 1999.
  5. ^ Jacobs, S. (1999). "Section 255 of the Telecommunications Act of 1996: Fueling the Creation of New Electronic Curbcuts".
  6. ^ Valdes, L. (2003). "Accessibility on the Internet".
  7. ^ Brewer, J. "Access to the World Wide Web: Technical and Policy Aspects". In Preiser, W.; Ostroff, E. (eds.). Universal Design Handbook (1st ed.). New York: MacGraw-Hill.
  8. ^ "Accessibility, Usability, and Inclusion". Web Accessibility Initiative. Retrieved 2020-07-05.
  9. ^ "The Concept of Universal Design". udeworld.com. Archived from the original on 2018-07-04. Retrieved 2018-07-02.