CHAPTER ONE (1)

1.0 OVERVIEW

Making digital platforms more accessible for people with disabilities is crucial in today's digital age. With
the rapid growth of technology, it's essential that we create inclusive digital environments that cater to
diverse needs. According to Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, "Inaccessible software
excludes those who need it the most, creating a digital divide and leaving far too many people behind" ¹.

To create accessible digital platforms, it's vital to incorporate inclusive design principles from the outset.
This involves designing for various devices, screen sizes, input methods, and assistive technologies. For
instance, providing alternative text for images, captions for audio and video content, and keyboard
navigation options can significantly enhance usability for users with disabilities ¹. Additionally, using clear
and consistent design principles, such as logical navigation structures and sufficient color contrast, can
also improve the overall user experience

Another crucial aspect of creating accessible digital platforms is to ensure compliance with accessibility
standards and guidelines. The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a comprehensive
framework for creating accessible digital content ¹. Similarly, the Section 508 Standards and the ISO/IEC
40500 guidelines offer additional guidance on creating accessible digital platforms ¹.

Moreover, it's essential to involve users with disabilities in the design and development process.
Conducting user testing and gathering feedback from users with diverse abilities can help identify and
address accessibility issues early on ². This collaborative approach can also foster a culture of inclusivity
and empathy, ultimately leading to more accessible and user-friendly digital platforms.

In addition to these strategies, providing comprehensive documentation and support materials can also
enhance the accessibility of digital platforms. This includes offering alternative formats, such as text
transcripts for audio and video content, and accessible PDFs for documents ¹. By providing these
resources, users with disabilities can more easily access and utilize digital platforms.

In conclusion, creating accessible digital platforms requires a multifaceted approach that involves
inclusive design principles, compliance with accessibility standards, user testing, and comprehensive
documentation. By prioritizing accessibility and inclusivity, we can create digital environments that
empower users with disabilities and promote equal opportunities for all ¹ ².

1.1 INTRODUCTION

Digital accessibility in higher education is like a bridge connecting disabled people to online technology
and digital information. Organizational approaches to digital accessibility can be more successful in post-
secondary education at reaching accessibility goals when an institution adopts a proactive (Coleman &
Berge, 2018; Leblois & Lee, 2022), centralized (Epshteyn, 2019), and coordinated (Bedford-Jack, 2023),
planned strategy (Kline, 2020) instead of a siloed, reactionary response (Feingold, 2017). The current
literature lacks research on wellestablished organizational approaches to digital accessibility for
medium-sized institutions in post-secondary education. Researchers recommend more studies on
understanding digital accessibility initiatives and approaches, supporting this study's need (Mancilla &
Frey, 2020; Sinclair, 2019). As higher education institutions in the United States work toward digital
accessibility goals, they encounter similar challenges (Sinclair, 2019). Understanding organizational
approaches to digital accessibility in higher education facilitates effective digital accessibility programs
and practices. Research about well-established approaches to digital accessibility in higher education
has immense transferability to small and medium-sizedinstitutions interested in campus-wide digital
accessibility practices and strategies. In this research study, digital accessibility is defined as the
approaches and practices of reducing access barriers to digital content for people with disabilities and
meeting the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

In this research study, digital accessibility is defined as the approaches and practices of reducing access
barriers to digital content for people with disabilities and meeting the Web Content Accessibility
Guidelines (WCAG). The rapid growth of digital technologies has transformed the way people interact,
access information, and utilize services. However, this digital revolution has also created a significant
barrier for people with disabilities, who often face difficulties in accessing digital platforms due to
inaccessible design and lack of inclusive features. According to the World Health Organization (2011),
approximately 15% of the global population lives with some form of disability, which translates to over 1
billion people worldwide. Therefore, it is essential to explore strategies for making digital platforms
more accessible for people with disabilities.

One of the primary challenges in making digital platforms accessible is the lack of awareness and
understanding of disability issues among designers and developers (Lazar et al., 2015). Many digital
platforms are designed without considering the needs of people with disabilities, resulting in
inaccessible features such as incompatible screen readers, inadequate color contrast, and insufficient
closed captions. To address this issue, it is crucial to incorporate accessibility into the design process
from the outset, rather than treating it as an afterthought (W3C, 2018).

Another strategy for improving digital accessibility is to implement Web Content Accessibility Guidelines
(WCAG 2.1) (W3C, 2018). These guidelines provide a comprehensive framework for ensuring that digital
content is accessible to people with disabilities. WCAG 2.1 includes guidelines for making digital content
perceivable, operable, understandable, and robust. By following these guidelines, digital platforms can
ensure that their content is accessible to people with disabilities.

In addition to implementing accessibility guidelines, digital platforms can also incorporate assistive
technologies to improve accessibility. Assistive technologies such as screen readers, braille displays, and
speech-generating devices can help people with disabilities to interact with digital platforms more easily
(Lazar et al., 2015). Furthermore, digital platforms can also provide alternative formats for content, such
as audio descriptions, sign language interpretation, and large print, to cater to different types of
disabilities.

Moreover, digital platforms can also engage with people with disabilities and involve them in the design
and testing process. This can help to identify and address accessibility barriers, and ensure that digital
platforms are accessible and usable for people with disabilities (Lazar et al., 2015). By engaging with
people with disabilities, digital platforms can also demonstrate their commitment to accessibility and
inclusivity.

In conclusion, making digital platforms more accessible for people with disabilities requires a
multifaceted approach that involves incorporating accessibility into the design process, implementing
accessibility guidelines, incorporating assistive technologies, providing alternative formats for content,
and engaging with people with disabilities. By adopting these strategies, digital platforms can ensure
that they are accessible and usable for people with disabilities, and promote digital inclusion and
equality.

References:

Lazar, J., Goldstein, D. F., & Taylor, A. (2015). Ensuring digital accessibility through process and policy.
Elsevier.

W3C (2018). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1). World Wide Web Consortium.

World Health Organization (2011). World Report on Disability. World Health Organization.
Kirkpatrick, G. (2017). Digital accessibility: A guide for designers and developers. Apress.

Seeman, L. (2018). Accessibility in practice: A guide for designers and developers. A Book Apart.

Fuglerud, K. S. (2018). Digital accessibility: A study of the accessibility of Norwegian government