Lesson 12Web accessibility tools to help in the design process
- Notion 84 - What is assistive technology and how can it help users with disabilities ?
- Notion 85 - Assistive technology for reading and hearing issues
- Notion 86 - Example of how assistive technology for reading issues is used : The Screen Reader Use Case
- Notion 87 - Assistive technology to help control the computer, navigate or type
- Notion 88 - Examples of how assistive technology for navigating and controlling computers are used
- Notion 89 - Review of the main concepts : evaluation
Notion 84
What is assistive technology and how can it help users with disabilities ?
Target skills
What is Assistive Technology?
Assistive technology is a generic term which describes tools used by people with disabilities or the elderly population to perform activities of daily living or to accomplish tasks. It includes any item, piece of equipment, or product system. These tools can be acquired commercially, modified, customized or specifically designed to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
Assistive technology is an important and growing issue in our societies. It reduces the need for formal health and support services, long-term care and the work of caregivers.
According to the World’s Health Organization, at a global scale, more than 1 billion people need 1 or more assistive products. Plus, with an ageing global population and a rise in noncommunicable diseases, more than 2 billion people will need at least 1 assistive product by 2030, with many older people needing 2 or more.
Assistive Technology and digital accessibility
As regards digital accessibility, assistive technology is a key element. For most disabled people, access to information and communication technology or digital content is very difficult or even impossible without adaptive tools. Ergonomic mice and keyboards, screen readers, live captioning tools…
As you will see further below, assistive technology includes a large range of software and hardware, each of which has specificities and several possible use cases.
It’s essential that web developers, designers and digital project managers learn how assistive technology tools work. They need it to be able to understand how disabled people use digital and the variety of their needs. Doing so is necessary to help create a better user experience for disabled people. It is especially important given that assistive technology works only when web sites, mobile applications and digital content are created according to design and development accessibility rules.
Indeed, a screen reader will not work without alternative text to describe pictures, and blind people will not be able to use keyboard navigation if the website is not designed for it. Assistive technology conditions the development of accessible digital content and services.
Keep reading to find out how web accessibility can be facilitated with:
- assistive technologies that target reading and hearing issues
- assistive technologies that target motor skill issues
as well as how these assistive technologies function in practice.