What is Digital Accessibility?
Digital accessibility ensures that all users, regardless of ability, can access and engage with digital content. This includes websites, documents, social media, and other electronic resources.
By making digital material accessible, we create equal opportunities for everyone, including individuals with disabilities who may use assistive technologies to interact with content.
Why Digital Accessibility Matters
Digital accessibility is not only a matter of inclusivity but also a legal requirement.
Compliance with standards like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) ensures that your digital content is usable by everyone. It helps prevent legal risks, enhances user experience, and demonstrates a commitment to equity.
How It Applies
Accessibility impacts every aspect of digital content. It applies to:
- Websites: Ensuring that pages are structured for screen readers, keyboard navigation, and visual impairments.
- Documents: Creating accessible PDFs and Word documents with proper headings, alt text, and navigable links.
- Social Media: Writing accessible posts, adding image descriptions, and using captions for video content.
- Emails: Formatting emails for readability and including text alternatives for images.
- Video and Audio: Providing captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions so that everyone can engage with video and audio content, including those with hearing or visual impairments.
Legal and Institutional Obligations
At ECU, we are committed to providing equal access to digital materials, in line with our accessibility policy, federal laws (ADA, Section 508), and WCAG standards. These regulations ensure that digital content is accessible to all, and the university supports this effort by offering resources and tools for faculty, staff, and students.
Assistive Technologies
Users with disabilities often rely on assistive technologies to engage with digital content.
Screen readers
Devices that read aloud the text on a webpage. Programs like JAWS, NVDA, Narrator, VoiceOver, and Read & Write Gold assist users with visual impairments and other disabilities by reading aloud text from websites, e-books, and documents.
Voice recognition software
Tools such as Dragon NaturallySpeaking allow users to control digital content through speech, helping individuals with motor impairments.
Screen Magnifiers
Devices or software that enlarge text or other elements on the screen. Software like ZoomText and built-in magnifiers in operating systems like Apple Zoom and Microsoft Magnifier enlarge text or other elements on the screen for users with low vision.
Keyboard navigation
Users who cannot use a mouse often rely on keyboard shortcuts to navigate content. Ensuring that all interactive elements can be accessed via the keyboard is essential for accessibility.
How ECU Supports Digital Accessibility
ECU provides a variety of resources to ensure the accessibility of its digital content:
Training and guidance
Workshops, tutorials, and consultation services on creating accessible content.
Testing tools
Access to tools like Siteimprove and color contrast checkers to evaluate content accessibility.
Digital Accessibility Liaisons
Designated staff members who help departments ensure their digital content complies with accessibility standards.
Myth-Busting Accessibility
Here are a few common misconceptions:
Myth 1: “Accessibility only benefits people with disabilities.”
Fact: Accessible content improves usability for everyone, including those with temporary impairments (such as an injury) or users accessing content on mobile devices, in noisy environments, or with slow internet connections.
Myth 2: “Making content accessible is too difficult.”
Fact: Many accessibility improvements, like adding alt text for images, structuring content with proper headings, and ensuring keyboard navigation, are simple to implement and have a big impact on usability.
Myth 3: “Accessible websites look boring or plain.”
Fact: Accessibility doesn’t limit design creativity. You can have a visually engaging, interactive site that is also accessible. The key is to follow best practices for color contrast, text size, and multimedia elements while maintaining aesthetics.
Myth 4: “Accessibility is expensive and time-consuming.”
Fact: Incorporating accessibility from the start is cost-effective and often saves time in the long run. Retroactive fixes can be costly, but if accessibility is built into the process, it becomes part of your workflow.
Myth 5: “Accessibility only applies to websites.”
Fact: Accessibility applies to all digital content, including social media posts, documents, videos, emails, and apps. Any content shared online needs to be accessible to ensure it’s usable by everyone.
How to Get Started with Digital Accessibility
Ready to make your content accessible? Start by exploring the Accessibility Basics section, where you’ll find practical tips on improving your website, documents, social media posts, and emails. Each section includes easy-to-follow steps that will help you create more inclusive content.