Forem: Ashleigh Lodge

Accessibility Primer Part 3: What is accessiblity?

Ashleigh Lodge — Fri, 15 Sep 2017 20:43:03 +0000

What is accessibility and why does it matter? Part 3 of a series introducing accessibility, assistive devices and technology, inclusive design, and web accessibility standards and tools. Will include asides on why language matters, the medical vs social models of disability, why Comic Sans isn't the worst thing ever, and fun with acronyms - WCAG, POUR, ARIA and more!

Part 0: Glossary
Part 1: Language & Models
Part 2: Did you know?

Google Dictionary defines accessibility as "the quality of being able to be reached or entered; the quality of being easy to attain or use; the quality of being easily understood or appreciated". While broad and general, these definitions get right to the heart of accessibility - the ability to access and use physical and digital infrastructure (buildings, websites), in all their possible permutations: smartphones (and dumb ones!), apps, public transit, restaurants, museums and galleries, tools for work and tools for leisure.

So far we have a denotative definition of accessibility - the literal meaning of the word - but what does that translate to in day-to-day life? Let's use YouTube as an example. Videos are online, hosted on the largest video platform on the planet, backed by Alphabet/Google. Anyone, anywhere in the world, who has an internet connection can click a link or enter a URL and watch what they want, whether it's a cooking tutorial, or the latest big blockbuster trailer. Right?

I live in Canada, so a lot of the time when I click a link to a movie trailer, instead of actually seeing the video, I get an error:

The uploader has not made this video available in your country.

Or even better:

This video contains content from [company], who has blocked it in your country on copyright grounds.

Although this video is available to me, it is not accessible. I can refresh that page as much as I want, switch browsers and computers, go from WiFi to LTE and back again, but without applying some kind of assistive technology (a VPN), I am not going to be able to watch that video.

Next we have my friend Leena who lives in Finland and wants to watch the newest Thor: Ragnarok trailer. The video is online, and it's not region or copyright locked, but it's only available in English and she doesn't speak English very well. Again, the video is available, but not particularly accessible. But wait! There's an option on this video to display Finnish captions! Crisis averted and Leena can happily watch Cate Blanchett destroy the world.

In both of the examples above we used assistive technology to make a video accessible. But assistive technology encompasses more than just captions on videos. As usual, Wikipedia is a good place to start: "Assistive technology (AT) is an umbrella term that includes assistive, adaptive, and rehabilitative devices for people with disabilities and also includes the process used in selecting, locating, and using them."

You may also hear people refer to adaptive technology, which is a subset of assistive technology that only includes items developed specifically for people with disabilities. For instance, a prosthetic limb would be adaptive technology, while a tablet configured to allow a non-verbal autistic person to communicate would be assistive technology. And don't be confused by the word "technology"; assistive and adaptive tech can be low or non-tech as well, such as an old-school magnifying glass for reading small type on the back of a pill bottle.

For many users of assistive tech, especially for items related to mobility and communication, AT is considered an extension of their body, and should be treated as such. This means not touching or interacting with AT without explicit permission to do so. You can find many examples online of people leaning on, touching or pushing a wheelchair without permission from the owner, taking a cane or crutches from someone to move them out of the way (thus trapping that person in their current location), or using a person's communication tablet for playing a game. In many cases AT is precisely calibrated to a specific user and use, and random interactions could damage or change that calibration in a way that would leave the device unusable or actively dangerous to the intended user. These issues are part of a larger conversation in many communities about disability-specific etiquette.

Because some of the most commonly-seen and visible examples of AT are things like wheelchairs and canes, many non-disabled/temporarily able-bodied (TAB) people assume that all AT is easily identified, and therefore all disabilities are immediately obvious to observers. However just as not all AT is specifically designed for people with disabilities (PwD), not all disabilities are permanent and visible.

Consider a person who has broken their wrist - they are disabled, although only temporarily. As they wait for their wrist to heal and for the cast to be removed, they have found that using swipe gestures on their phone makes it much easier to use. Here we have a visible, although temporary disability, paired with a non-obvious piece of AT (using their existing phone in a different way).

Another example would be someone with a heart condition who occasionally uses an oxygen tank or concentrator. When this person is out and about with their concentrator, their AT is clearly visible, but the specifics of their disability remain hidden. It can be even worse when they're without their tank and having a bad day - without a physical and visible indicator of disability, others may not understand why they can't walk long distances, or need to use the elevator instead of the stairs.

In the same way that you can't always identify people with disabilities in the real world, there's no way to identify PwD online with accuracy (and without privacy concerns). Not to mention that everyone's disability is unique to that person and their circumstances.

[Accessibility] isn’t a discrete community or field of interest. It is complex, multifaceted and pervades all kinds of cultural identity through race, socio-economic level, gender identity, and faith. If you create an inaccessible product or service, you are almost guaranteed to be disenfranchising someone, including your future self.

Heydon Pickering, Accessibility, the free market, and punching Nazis while sitting down, 2017

Accessibility will never have a "one-size-fits-all" solution that can be implemented once and never thought of again. However, with best practices and inclusive design principles in mind, we can create accessible websites and apps easily and without much extra effort.

Up next: a11y Best Practices and Inclusive Design

Accessibility Primer Part 2: Did you know?

Ashleigh Lodge — Thu, 24 Aug 2017 21:11:35 +0000

What is accessibility and why does it matter? Part 2 of a series introducing accessibility, assistive devices and technology, inclusive design, and web accessibility standards and tools. Will include asides on why language matters, the medical vs social models of disability, why Comic Sans isn't the worst thing ever, and fun with acronyms - WCAG, POUR, ARIA and more!

Part 0: Glossary
Part 1: Language & Models

Why does accessibility matter? Aside from your desire to follow Wheaton's Law, the reality is that most of us own, work or contract for for-profit businesses and must consider time and money in all things (and non-profits can be even more constrained). In our day-to-day work accessibility has the tendency to fall by the wayside as something too hard, too complicated, and/or too niche. Leaving the supposed difficulty and complexity of accessibility for future articles, is accessibility is actually too niche?

Did you know that approximately 14% of the Canadian population over 15 has a disability? That's one out of every 7 people. And the prevalence of disabilities increases with age - four percent of people 15-24 have a disability, but 43% of people 73 and older have a disability. For the working age population (those 15 to 64), the rate is one in 10.

Is losing 10% of your views/click throughs/customers a good thing? What about potential lawsuits? (I'm unaware of any lawsuits of this type in Canada, but they're becoming more common in the US.)

Did you know that the most common categories of disabilities are those related to pain, flexibility and mobility, followed by mental health, dexterity, hearing and then seeing, learning, and memory?

If you only require your site or application to work for users with screen readers, you've skipped six more common disability categories (and not everyone with visual impairments needs or uses a screen reader).

Did you know that three-quarters of people with disabilities reported more than one type? For example, people who reported learning disabilities also reported memory (54%), seeing (34%) and dexterity (40%) disabilities.

As much as we group and categorize disabilities, people are individuals before anything else, and that applies to our disabilities, symptoms and accessibility needs as well.

Did you know that for the population of people with disabilities, less than a quarter had the support services, curriculum modifications, additional testing time or assistive devices/technology they needed while attending school?

Consider the University of California, Berkley who are removing over 20,000 publicly available educational videos, rather than caption them. This closes the Department of Justice complaint from the general public, but what about students who attend the University and still have (theoretical) access?

Did you know that people with disabilities are less likely to graduate high school? 80% of working age people with disabilities (PwD) had at least a high school diploma, compared to 89% of people without disabilities. In addition, 20% of PwD had less than a high school diploma (compared to 11% of people without disabilities), and 14% of PwD had at least a university certificate, diploma or degree (compared to 27% of people without disabilities).

Accessibility should be a top concern for all industries, but even more so in edTech. The Internet was supposed to be the Great Equalizer, but how is that possible if PwD can't actually use it?

Did you know that less than half of working age PwD are employed, versus 75% for people without disabilities? And when they are employed, PwD have a median income of $10,000 less than those without disabilities. In addition, over a quarter of PwD haven't disclosed to their employer.

People with disabilities aren't just your customers, they're also you, me, and your family, friends and co-workers. Most buildings are required by law to be physically accessible (depending on when they were built), but are your policies, processes and internal tools accessible, inclusive, and supportive?

Sure doesn't sound like a niche concern to me!

All statistics from A profile of persons with disabilities among Canadians aged 15 years or older, 2012. The data for this report was gathered via the 2012 Canadian Survey on Disability (CSD), which targeted people "who not only have difficulty or impairment due to a long-term condition or health problem, but also experience a limitation in their daily activities. The CSD definition includes not only people who reported being 'sometimes,' 'often' or 'always' limited in their daily activities due to a long-term condition or health problem, but also those who reported being 'rarely' limited if they were also unable to do certain tasks or could do them only with a lot of difficulty."

Accessibility Primer Part 1: Language and Models

Ashleigh Lodge — Fri, 11 Aug 2017 20:23:14 +0000

What is accessibility and why does it matter? Part 1 of a series introducing accessibility, assistive devices and technology, inclusive design, and web accessibility standards and tools. Will include asides on why language matters, the medical vs social models of disability, why Comic Sans isn't the worst thing ever, and fun with acronyms - WCAG, POUR, ARIA and more!

Part 0: Glossary - UPDATED!

Language tells us a lot about our culture, and our traditions, and our assumptions about life and everything around us. In many respects, language is the lens that allows us to see the world, and so many of us don’t see things that aren’t coded in our language.

Ronald Schaefer, "Language is the 'lens' to our understanding", 2014

Language matters, and it's especially important that people are able to determine their own labels. Like other marginalized groups, people with disabilities (PwD) have fought hard to be addressed and labeled on our own terms and that work and effort must be respected. Of course, if someone requests a specific term or label to use for themselves, it is crucial to respect and support their choice. Everyone's lived experience is different and what may be the most appropriate descriptor for one person is a horrific slur to another.

Person-first Language and Identity-first Language

Person-first language is meant to avoid dehumanization by placing the person before the condition. Consider the examples of "the disabled", "disabled people" and "people with disabilities". For the first example, you're left asking yourself, "the disabled what?", as personhood is completely removed from the description. In our world of technology, perhaps the speaker was referring to a button or setting? The lack of clarity is another reason this phrasing has fallen out of favour.

In the second example (disabled people), the disability of a person is given prominence over their personhood, which is a particularly common experience of those who travel with a carer. Temporarily able-bodied (TAB) people tend to notice and react to or interact with the carer, instead of the person being supported by the carer. For instance, someone may ask the carer "what's wrong with him?", assuming that the person isn't capable of understanding and responding for themselves (not to mention being horrifically rude in general!).

The third example (people with disabilities) is preferred terminology for many individuals and groups, because it puts the person front and center and only then mentions disability as a descriptor or modifier. This can be a difficult concept for native English speakers, as we are used to talking about the red car (instead of the car that is red), but it is familiar to those who speak languages such as French and Spanish (ie. voiture rouge and carro rojo).

Identity-first language on the other hand, emphasizes that the condition or disability is an integral part of the person, not something that can be separated out. Identity-first language is popular in the autistic community, where people generally prefer to be described as an autistic person/individual, or simply as autistic. This mirrors English terms used for sexuality, race, and ethnicity, such as Lesbian/Gay/Bisexual [person] or Somali-Canadian [person].

Person-centered language can be considered an evolution of person-first language or a melding of person-first and identity-first. It emphasizes the individual preferences of the person being referred to over strict language rules and guidelines. For instance, while Laila has asked that you use Deaf and Deaf person (identity-first language), Jane prefers that you use person with dyslexia (people-first language).

Medical vs Social Models of Disability

How we approach and frame the concept of disability can also affect our language. Looking at the medical model of disability, a disability is a defect that must be repaired. By involving doctors and surgeons and prescriptions and physical therapy, this brokenness can be fixed, and the person can return to society as a normal and fully functional member. For those who have never experienced it, imagine going through life being constantly told, explicitly and implicitly, that you are broken, wrong, not contributing to society, not correct, not acceptable. Considering disability from this perspective is how terminology like "disabled person" came to prominence - someone's disability is the first and most important thing about them, an indication that they don't fit within society's norms.

Contrast that with the social model of disability which states that disability is caused not by brokenness or non-standard bodies and minds, but by systemic barriers in society, preventing PwD from full participation. For example, consider a wheelchair user attempting to access a building. Are they disabled due to their spinal injury, or are they disabled by the fact that the only door is the top of a flight of stairs?

Wheelchair user is the preferred term over wheelchair bound. Not all people who use a wheelchair are restricted to it 100% of time - someone may need their chair on certain days (experiencing a fibromyalgia flare), or they may need it due to the length of time they'll be standing or walking that day. Additionally, wheelchair bound suggests a limitation or lack, but many wheelchair users see freedom, mobility and self-sufficiency in a chair.

The social model also includes negative attitudes and exclusion by society as factors of disability. Thoughts and statements such as "they're faking, they don't really need that parking spot" or "high contrast designs/themes are a waste of time" are more disabling than the conditions (such as arthritis and vision loss/blindness) that prompt those accommodations.

As the World Health Organization's definition of disability notes: "[Disability] is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives." And that's something we need to think about when considering accessibility.

Accessibility Primer Part 0: Glossary

Ashleigh Lodge — Wed, 09 Aug 2017 19:51:43 +0000

What is accessibility and why does it matter? Part 0 of a series introducing accessibility, assistive devices and technology, inclusive design, and web accessibility standards and tools. Will include asides on why language matters, the medical vs social models of disability, why Comic Sans isn't the worst thing ever, and fun with acronyms - WCAG, POUR, ARIA and more! Glossary will be updated as the series develops.

a11y

A numeronym for the word "accessibility". The number 11 indicates the characters between the first and last characters in the word being shortened. In this case, accessibility is 13 letters long, so we get a11y instead. A real finger saver - I can never get all the 's's and 'i's in the right order!

Ableism

As you may have guessed from the "ism" ending, this term is used to describe discrimination and prejudice against people with disabilities.

Ableism is the more common term in North America, but people in the UK tend to use disablism instead.

Accessibility

If you just search for "accessibility", you're likely to get the Wikipedia accessibility article, which defines accessibility as: "the design of products, devices, services, or environments for people who experience disabilities."

However, if you use Google's define feature (type "define: accessibility" into the Search bar), you'll get these interlocking definitions, which I prefer:

the quality of being able to be reached or entered

the quality of being easy to attain or use

the quality of being easily understood or appreciated

Adaptive Technology (new)

A subset of assistive technology focusing on items specifically developed for people with disabilities. Cochlear implants are an example of adaptive tech, since they were specifically developed for those with hearing loss or d/Deafness.

Allistic

The opposite of autistic. When speaking about the differences between an autistic and someone who is not autistic, it is helpful to have a mirror term, rather than using incorrect and potentially offensive language like "normal" and "you know, a regular person". [1]

Arthritis (new)

An umbrella term for any disorder that affects the joints of the body, although other organs can also be affected by arthritis. Primary symptoms are joint pain, loss of range of motion, stiffness, and swelling. Common sub-types are rheumatoid and osteoarthritis.

Assistive Technology/Devices (AT) (updated)

Anything that helps someone do something they wouldn't otherwise be able to do. For instance, a cane is an assistive device to someone with mobility issues, while a screen reader is assistive technology for someone with vision loss, or who is blind.

More specifically, Wikipedia considers AT to be a blanket term for rehabilitative, adaptive and assistive technologies, which all have specific definitions and uses.

Carer/Caregiver

Someone who assists a PwD in their day-to-day tasks, including things like managing medications, assisting with personal hygiene such as bathing and hair washing, and cooking meals. One of the primary concerns of a caregiver should be respect for and the dignity of the person they are helping.

Connotation (new)

The symbolic meaning of word or term, often carrying cultural and/or emotional context. For example, the International Symbol of Access (blue and white person in a wheelchair) has a connotative meaning of the removal of barriers to access, use and inclusion. Contrasts with denotation.

Contrast Ratio

A numerical representation of how distinct the colour of the text is against the colour of the background. A standard minimum ratio of 4.5:1 is required for text to be considered sufficiently legible by most users.

The easiest way to understand why this is important is to give it a try: the Contrast Ratio tool by Lea Verou is one I use often. Compare the ratio and legibility of black text on a white background, light grey text on a white background and, just for kicks, Iron Man red (background) and gold (text).

d/Deaf

Two facets of deafness are indicated by the doubled "d" and differing capitalization. This article on "Big D" and "Small d" in the Deaf Community explains it better than I can, but to summarize: the large/capitalized D indicates ties to Deaf culture and people who have a strong Deaf identity. The small d indicates those not associated with Deaf culture, and/or those with hearing loss (vs total deafness).

Denotation (new)

The literal meaning of a word or term; generally what is found in the dictionary. For example, the dictionary definition of wheelchair is "a chair fitted with wheels for use as a means of transport by a person who is unable to walk as a result of illness, injury, or disability." Contrasts with connotation.

Disability

Turning again to Wikipedia, we have this definition from the Disability article:

an impairment that may be cognitive, developmental, intellectual, mental, physical, sensory, or some combination of these. It substantially affects a person's life activities and may be present from birth or occur during a person's lifetime.

It's a good starting point, but as I explore the medical and social models of disability in a future article, you'll see why this definition from the World Health Organization is more accurate:

Disabilities is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions. An impairment is a problem in body function or structure; an activity limitation is a difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action; while a participation restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. Disability is thus not just a health problem. It is a complex phenomenon, reflecting the interaction between features of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives.

Disability Etiquette (new)

The fundamental aspect of disability etiquette is "Do Not Assume". Don't assume that someone in a wheelchair needs (or wants) help. Don't assume that a person traveling with a carer is non-verbal and/or incapable of understanding you. Don't assume someone with an invisible disability is faking when they use an accessible parking spot. Don't assume that someone without an obvious disability is not disabled.

Fibromyalgia

A chronic pain condition which also includes symptoms of extreme tiredness, sleep difficulties and memory issues. Affecting women twice as often as men, it is still a controversial diagnosis in some medical communities due to the lack of physical abnormalities and objective diagnostic tests.

Hidden/Invisible Disability (new)

Any disability that doesn't have obvious indicators (such as a cleft palette, or working with a guide dog). Over 95% of people with chronic medical conditions have no outward signs or markers, and 10% of those are considered disabled. In particular, types of mental illness make up a large portion of invisible disabilities, causing few to no physical signs or symptoms.

Identity-first Language

Terms that emphasize that the disability or condition is an essential part of the person, not something that can be separated out. Popular in the autistic community, use autisic or autisic person instead of person with autism.

Inclusive Design

An evolution of accessibility, inclusive design has been defined as:

design of mainstream products and/or services that are accessible to, and usable by, as many people as reasonably possible ... without the need for special adaptation or (specialized) design.

This article on Forbes, Inclusive Design: Making The Web Accessible For All goes into more detail, but I like to define inclusive design by example.

If the developers and designers of a website or application ensure that all text and backgrounds follow minimum contrast ratio guidelines, they have not only made their site/app accessible for users with low vision, they've also made it possible for someone using their phone in bright sunlight to read the content as well.

Medical Model

A system for looking at disability from a medical perspective, where disabilities are defects that must be fixed. This model centers the disability rather than the person, and leads to trying to fit everyone into a box of "normal" behaviours and functionality. The medical model can be useful for temporary disabilities such as a broken arm, which can and should be addressed medically.

Neurodivergent/Neurodiverse

Someone with a neurological disorder, such as autism, ADHD, anxiety or congenital mental disability. The opposite of neurodiverse is neurotypical. [1]

Neurotypical (NT)

A person without any type neurological disorder. Originally used as a label for non-autistics, it has been replaced by allistic, and broadened in scope. The opposite of neurotypical is neurodivergent. [1]

Oxygen Tank/Oxygen Concentrator (new)

Device carried by those with respiratory or heart conditions, to ensure they are properly oxygenated and able to breathe freely.

Permanent Disability (new)

Any disability that will not be resolved with time and/or treatment. Permanent disabilities can be managed, but not cured. For example, traumatic brain injury can be permanently disabling.

Person-centered Language

A melding of person-first and identity-first language that centers each individual's preferences. When talking about Gabriel you should use the term dwarf (identity-first), but Aleksander prefers person with cystic fibrosis (person-first).

Person-first Language

Used to avoid dehumanization by centering the person, not the condition. Use people with disabilities instead of disabled people.

PwD

An abbreviation for "people with disabilities". To be explored fully in another article, but person-first language is very important in many disability communities (and not used or desired at all in others!)

Rehabilitative Technology (new)

Anything used to help recover functionality and ability after an injury or illness. Rehabilitative technology is generally used in the short term, leading either to the restoration of function/ability, or to more permanent assistive or adaptive tech.

Social Model

A system for looking at disability from the perspective that it's not people's bodies that are the problem, but rather how society is unwilling to accommodate these differences. For a person who is deaf, a video without captions is the problem that needs a solution, not their deafness.

TAB

An abbreviation for "temporarily able-bodied". A hotly contested term in disability communities, it was introduced to try to build empathy and understanding by reminding non-disabled people that they're only one accident or illness away from a disability. You may also see AB, for able-bodied.

Temporary Disability (new)

Any injury or illness that can be resolved with time and/or treatment. For instance, in most cases a concussion will be fully healed within three weeks and the only necessary treatment is rest and monitoring.

Visible Disability (new)

Any disability that has an obvious indicator, such as a person with Down Syndrome. These visual indicators of disability can cause confusion in non-disabled people due to common assumptions of what disability actually is. For example, when a person using a wheelchair stands up to grab something from a high shelf, some observers will assume they are faking or lazy, rather than understanding that disabilities vary from person to person, as well as day-to-day.

[1] Autistic, Allistic, Neurodiverse, and Neurotypical: Say What? by Svannah Logsdon-Breakstone is a great primer on these terms and how they interact with each other.

Please let me know if there are any terms you'd like to see added to this list!

It me!

Ashleigh Lodge — Wed, 14 Jun 2017 20:49:19 +0000

I have been coding in some form or another since high school (and no, I won't tell you how long ago that was).

You can find me on GitHub and Twitter as shimmoril.

I live in Winnipeg, MB, which has been colder than Mars at times during the last two winters, so that's fun.

I work for Neovation, where our primary product is a Learning Management System (LMS) called SmarterU. As the Team Lead of Application Development, I'm responsible for managing the development, UI/UX and QA teams. I am also extensively involved in the requirement gathering, planning and support of our products, including performing research, analysis and providing recommendations to key stackholders.

I mostly program in these languages: Javascript/jQuery, node.js, React, Typescript and Coldfusion (I KNOW).

I am currently learning more about accessibility (a11y) and internationalization (i18n) and localization (l10n).

Glad to be part of the community!