Digital accessibility is the ability of a website, mobile application or electronic document to be easily navigated and understood by a wide range of users, including those users who have visual, auditory, motor or cognitive disabilities. Simply put, the more accessible content is, the easier it is for people of all abilities to access information.
Globally, and at Deakin University, there is a conscious and concerted effort to make all digital content as accessible as possible. From a practical point of view, digital accessibility may be as simple as:
- adding captions to all videos.
- making sure all headings are clear and of the same sized font.
- using the right colours and colours with good contrast.
- making sure PDF copies of documents are clear, without missing edges or smudges that make it difficult for text to speech screen reading software to work properly.
to the more complex such as:
- coding to ensure screens can be navigated by using the computer rather than a mouse.
- ensuring error messages provide clear instructions on how to fix the issue.
- making sure links, icons and buttons can be adjusted or changed for easier access.