Simply put, assistive technology refers to any equipment or software that improves the learning, work, and daily life of people with disabilities.
Assistive technology is nothing new. For example, a pair of reading glasses is a type of assistive technology. Web accessibility tools perform a function similar to a pair of glasses, as both the glasses and the accessibility tool allow a person with a disability to perceive and interact with the outside world. From this point of view, a wheelchair and an accessibility tool are basically aimed at the same result – helping people with disabilities to access things in life that others take for granted.
People with disabilities can use website accessibility software to help them be active online. More well-known examples of accessibility software include screen readers and screen magnifiers, which allow blind and visually impaired people to interact with online content. These examples of accessibility software are just the tip of the iceberg in terms of the technology that now exists to help people with disabilities navigate the web.
Unless you are a person with a disability, you probably take for granted that you can easily control a mouse, type on a keyboard, or click to select options while browsing the web without the need for assistive technology. Now imagine doing the same online tasks without being able to see or move your hands. Suddenly, the Internet looks like a completely different place – a place full of obstacles and limited access. There are website accessibility tools to overcome these obstacles and overcome the barriers that still exist for users with disabilities.
Internet accessibility for people with disabilities has been a concern since the birth of the Internet, and the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) was created in 1997 by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) to set standards for Internet accessibility. However, it is only now that web accessibility is really getting serious attention. Most countries still don’t have any website accessibility laws, which means that people with disabilities are often unable to access and use websites, including much-needed services on public sector websites such as healthcare.
If you want to improve the website accessibility on your site, you can start by reading the WAI guidelines and using website accessibility tools to check the accessibility of your website. However, this can only take you so far. To truly improve web accessibility, you need to understand how people with disabilities use the web with assistive technology and accessibility software. Only then can you make meaningful changes that give all people, including those who rely on assistive technology and web accessibility tools, equal access to your website.
