Who benefits from accessibility
The short answer? Absolutely everyone.
Permanent disabilities can be grouped into four main areas, and many disabilities in these groups affect how people use technology. Here are some examples:
Physical impairments – eg. dexterity issues, arthritis, loss of limb
Vision impairments – eg. blindness, tunnel vision, macular degeneration
Cognitive impairments – eg. dyslexia, ADHD, autistic spectrum
Hearing impairments – eg. deafness, hearing loss
It’s important to note that many people have multiple disabilities, which can be in one or more of these areas.
Some people may also not identify as having a disability, but still have access needs. As we age, permanent disabilities become more and more common, with many people having disabilities they’re not even aware of.
What are the numbers?
One in five people in the world have some form of permanent disability (sources: UK Government and United States Census Bureau).
The definition of a disabled person in the UK 2010 Equality Act is someone who has “a physical or mental impairment that has a substantial and ‘long-term’ negative effect on their ability to do normal daily activities”. There are also many disabled people who are undiagnosed, so these statistics could be even greater.
Numbers to know
1 in 5 people have a disability
80% of disabilities are hidden
Accessibility benefits us all
As well as permanent disabilities, there are other types of disability that can effect anyone at any time.
Temporary disabilities, like a broken arm or RSI in your wrist, can have a huge effect on how you interact with technology. With one of these temporary disabilities, you might find yourself using your keyboard with just one hand, and using the ‘tab’ key to reach different parts of the page. If the website you’re using hasn’t been designed with this in mind, you might face barriers you weren’t aware of before.
Situational impairments can affect us all many times a day. The above example could be true for someone just holding something in one hand (like a baby). Or trying to read your phone first thing in the morning without your glasses on and having to zoom in to see the text. And we’ve all made use of subtitles while watching videos in situations we’re unable to play (or hear!) sound.
For more on this, please see Microsoft’s Inclusive Design Kit.
(Sources: UK Government, United States Census Bureau and Hidden Disabilities)