Types of disabilities and barriers
This page explores the wide diversity of people and abilities. It highlights some web accessibility barriers that people commonly experience because of inaccessible websites and web tools.
Auditory
Auditory disabilities range from mild or moderate hearing loss in one or both ears (“hard of hearing”) to substantial and uncorrectable hearing loss in both ears (“deafness”). Some people with auditory disabilities can hear sounds but sometimes not sufficiently to understand all speech, especially when there is background noise. This can include people using hearing aids.
Tips:
- Provide text-based equivalents for audio files on the same page via transcripts
- Consider using online chats and email for communication
- Use simple plain language for those who may not be fluent
Cognitive, learning, and neurological
Cognitive, learning, and neurological disabilities involve neurodiversity and neurological disorders, as well as behavioral and mental health disorders that are not necessarily neurological. They may affect any part of the nervous system and impact how well people hear, move, see, speak, and understand information. Cognitive, learning, and neurological disabilities do not necessarily affect the intelligence of a person.
Tips:
- Short sentences are easy to read by any kind of people
- Don’t have too much on your page. Minimise distraction
- Make navigation super easy
Physical
Physical disabilities include weakness and limitations of muscular control, limitations of sensation, joint disorders, pain that impedes movement, and missing limbs.
Tips:
- Keyboard navigation should work, and include visual focus indication
- Providing large clickable areas
- Allow enough time to complete tasks
Speech
Speech disabilities include difficulty producing speech that is recognizable by others or by voice recognition software. For example, the loudness or clarity of someone’s voice might be difficult to understand.
Tips:
- Make sure voice-based communication, like phone calls, is not the only way to contact your organisation
- Consider using text-based chat to interact with hotline representatives
Visual
Visual disabilities range from mild or moderate vision loss in one or both eyes to substantial and uncorrectable vision loss in both eyes. Some people have reduced or lack of sensitivity to certain colours, or increased sensitivity to bright colors.
Tips:
- Video content should have text or audio alternatives
- Images, controls and other non-text content should have adequate or equivalent text alternatives.
- Make sure text and images have sufficient contrast between foreground and background
