Most current accessibility features exist to address the needs of specific disabilities. This is positive because it means individual needs are being given close attention. But the field must start working towards efficiency and multipurpose accessibility features.
Web developers can benefit from learning about accessibility features that improve access for multiple disabilities. They’ll be able to code faster, reducing costs and making it easier to get websites into compliance and keep them that way.
Vision impairment and ADHD illustrate the need for this new approach. People don't automatically associate these disabilities, but they appear to be correlated and share many access needs.
Why consider multipurpose accessibility features?
By implementing accessibility features that benefit multiple disabilities, website owners can work more effectively and efficiently. This approach can provide benefits for a wider range of users and help a website reach more communities, thereby increasing its visibility.
While there may be some challenges in implementing overlapping accessibility features, the potential benefits outweigh the risks.
Multipurpose accessibility features for vision impairment and ADHD
Vision impairment and ADHD are solid examples of why this method of web accessibility is valuable. Both populations benefit from several overlapping accessibility features, including:
- Contrast ratio – Sufficient color contrast can help those with low vision or color blindness read content and navigate more effectively. It can also help individuals with ADHD focus by automatically drawing their eyes to the most important parts of the page.
- Audio descriptions – This feature can benefit people who are blind by giving them access to video content. Audio descriptions also provide alternative options for people with visual or audio-processing challenges, which are common symptoms of ADHA, to consume the content.
- Simple and consistent navigation – Simple, predictable navigation makes it easier for both screen reader users and individuals with ADHD to find the information they need quickly. Use concise menu labels, a clear flow for content, and minimize the number of steps necessary to access information.
- Descriptive headings – Descriptive headings can make it easier for people with visual disabilities and those with ADHD to understand the structure and logical flow of the information on a web page. Each heading should describe the content in the section below it, and a proper heading hierarchy should be followed.
- Short paragraphs – Short, simple paragraphs can help people process information. By keeping content clear and concise, people navigating with screen readers can consume content in manageable chunks without worrying about missing anything. And since people with ADHD often have working memory challenges or difficulty maintaining focus on one specific thing, short paragraphs make reading and information retention easier.
- Error identification – Error identification is critical when someone is blind or has ADHD and is filling out a form. This is particularly applicable to forms with required fields. If there is an error but no indication of where or what that error is, both blind and ADHD users may struggle to find and fix it. This prevents people from finishing forms and creates another unnecessary access barrier.
The benefits of implementing multipurpose accessibility features
Cost-effectiveness
Using overlapping accessibility features can save a significant amount of money over time. Rather than developing separate features for each disability, implementing features that support multiple disabilities can reduce the overall cost of accessibility implementation, which is a frequent deterrent when getting started.
Implementing multipurpose features takes less time and makes future updates much more efficient and affordable. Additionally, using overlapping features early in the process means even before officially launching, websites will have more comprehensive coverage and will, therefore, be safer from the financial and legal consequences of inaccessibility.
Universal design
Universal design refers to designing products and environments that everyone can use, regardless of ability. By implementing accessibility features that support multiple disabilities, website owners can create a more universally-accessible digital environment.
For example, both people who are visually impaired and people who have ADHD may struggle with animations that play automatically. They can be very distracting for people with ADHD and often cause problems for screen readers.
But many people without disabilities also dislike them. They can make moving around the site difficult and impact page response times. So removing automatic animations provides a more enjoyable and accessible experience for everyone.
Other examples include high-contrast colors, which can make content easier to read in bright environments, or supporting keyboard navigation for people working without a mouse or with temporary injuries that limit their mobility. Adding features like these help keep websites compliant with web accessibility guidelines while improving the experience for non-disabled users.
The challenges of overlapping accessibility features
Generally, using overlapping features to enhance accessibility has no downside. But different accessibility needs can conflict. For example, it’s important to add detailed alt text to all images for blind users. On the other hand, if there are too many details or the alt text is written poorly, someone with ADHD may miss the point of the image. So when adding alt text, the developer must know how to write concise, accurate descriptions.
Another downside is that if a developer is too focused on efficiency and lacks sufficient knowledge about the access needs for both groups a feature is meant to serve, they may forget to make sure it actually helps both groups and doesn’t interfere significantly with the needs of another group of users.
Multipurpose features should be handled by people with significant knowledge of the overlapping effects of different access features. They must avoid improving the experience for some by degrading the experience for others.
Possible solutions
There are a few ways to navigate these challenges. The first is to perform accessibility testing with a team of people with different disabilities. Their diverse perspectives will help identify any gaps in coverage. Also consider offering customizable settings to avoid the potential conflicts that can come with universally-implemented features. For example, many sites let people decide to turn dark mode on or off, providing a flexible way to improve accessibility.
It is our collective responsibility to deepen our understanding of intersectionality in the disability community and make digital content accessible to everyone. By implementing overlapping accessibility features, we can improve user experience, ensure that people with different disabilities can access and interact with digital content, and give web developers more options.
Moving forward, it’s important to keep prioritizing accessibility and striving to create inclusive content. We must implement the necessary features to achieve this, because it is one of the best paths toward universal accessibility.
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