The Gap; Is WCAG Enough For Digital Environment Inclusion?
In Process
The first web accessibility guideline was released in 1995 by Gregg Vanderheiden. The W3C’s WCAG 1.0, based on the 1998 Unified Web Site Accessibility Guidelines, was followed by WCAG 2.0 in 2001, with WCAG 3.0 currently under development.
Despite this progress, a recent study found that over 70% of websites, including those of major retailers and politicians, remain significantly inaccessible to blind users. This has led to questions about whether WCAG is sufficient.
This paper examines websites used by blind users, identifying well-performing and poorly performing sites, and analyzes WCAG and other literature to recommend improvements for digital inclusion.
Telegraph
In Process
When people with disabilities face challenges in their digital environments—be it with operating systems, hardware, or applications—they often turn to tech support for help. While some issues are resolved, others remain, and the valuable insights from these experiences often go untapped. Telegraph is a product designed to safely, easily, and effectively capture and transmit the experiences—both triumphs and challenges—of users with disabilities across operating systems, hardware, application software, websites, assistive technologies, and emerging technology modalities. Telegraph will identify patterns, provide critical discovery research, and, when necessary, report persistent complaints and make recommendations to drive meaningful change.
The Gap; In Steve We Trust; IOS Love and Accessible Dreams
Out For Publication
The ACE survey reports 4.2 million working-age Americans identify as blind or severely visually impaired (BVI), with only 1.4 million, (36%), employed full year, full-time (data.census.gov, 2021).
Despite these numbers, there’s no universal definition for digital accessibility (Kronschnabl & Vieira, 2023). Research focuses on assistive technology, which often falls short. For instance, VIP 09 faced delays in receiving JAWS and insufficient IT support, highlighting gaps in accessibility.
Apple’s standard inclusion of comprehensive accessibility features demonstrates how usability and accessibility are interconnected, serving as a model for enhancing digital accessibility across the tech industry.