Flexibility is Key (Accessibility Principle 1 of 10)
“What Does it Mean to be ‘Accessible?’ Basically, technology is accessible if it can be used as effectively by people with disabilities as by those without. This doesn’t mean that a blind user will complete a task on a web site as fast as one who can see. Listening takes longer than looking at the screen and reading. But the processes must be comparable.”
Karen McCall. Accessible and Usable PDF Documents: Techniques for Document Authors (2016)
“This is why we adhere to the standards for creating…documents. We can’t possibly build in every specific need and/or preference into our documents; but we can use the tools we have to create our documents to optimize them for accessibility so that we don’t have to spend time repairing them…and can…repurpose them for end-users who may be able to request alternate formats…” (p. 60)
“‘Tool for task and environment, not tool for disability’ and ‘the end-user must have control how they view and interact with digital content and environments’ are my mantras” (p. 35)
What is Digital Accessibility at DMU?
Digital Accessibility relates to the way we format our electronic content (e.g., documents, emails, presentations, and online courses) and select software so anyone can use the tools. Accessible systems benefit everyone, but they are essential for people with visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities.
Making your content accessible directly benefits coworkers, students, and yourself. You’re setting up a safety net for yourself, should your physical ability change due to injury, illness, or aging. You’re also saving effort in the long run because it is far easier to build accessible content from the start than to go back and fix it later.
Why is flexibility important?
People have varying needs, and sometimes those needs are completely opposite. For example, some people may need large text while others need smaller text. Some may like a certain font while others consider the same font hard to read. Some people navigate using the mouse, others a keyboard, and others using voice activation. For almost every element within the content, people have differing needs. There is no one-size-fits-all approach to how people access electronic content.
You might think, “Yikes! So how many different versions must I create?!” Fortunately, the answer is, “Usually, one accessible version can meet many different needs.”
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How do I make my digital content flexible?
1. Meet digital accessibility standards. Assistive technology manufacturers use accessibility standards as “hooks” for their devices to recognize the content. Users can use the assistive technology to control how they view and interact with your digital content. By following the standards, you help your readers access your digital content in alternate ways while avoiding having to create a bunch of alternative formats for the same content. Everybody wins.
Please refer to the Accessibility Handbook (PDF) for guidance on making your content accessible.
2. Choose digitally accessible applications. Selecting applications built upon accessibility standards ensures electronic systems are useful to the widest possible audience. Try to select technologies that you know work for most everyone. Avoid requiring particular software with known accessibility problems as the only way to complete a task. If possible, allow your audience to accomplish the goal through various methods.
- Example 1: Sally has found two YouTube videos with similar content, so she chose to share the one with accurate captions in her electronic newsletter.
- Example 2: An instructor gives students a choice of delivery methods for their final project, including a live PowerPoint presentation, recording a video, or building a web page.
Contact IT or accessibility@dmu.edu if you want to test your applications for accessibility or to help you find accessible ways to accomplish your goals.
