Accessibility in Education

Often Missed Digital Accessibility Practices

When browsing the internet, or social media, there are many commonly missed practices when it comes to digital accessibility, which is difficult for educators as we must ensure our students have reliable, functional information for all. The most common one I see is the lack of meaningful link text such as “Click Here” or “Read More” which is a major hurdle for screen reader users, and becomes even worse when its used as an advertisement strategy. In the digital marketing age when scrolling or browsing a click here advertisement will often appear, and not only is this unhelpful for students as it provides no further information, but is also a predatory marketing strategy.

One practice I commonly miss is contrast in my online works. Recently online there has been a widespread minimalist movement where even massive company logos have been simplified, but simple isn’t always accessible. To fix this habit I will take a closer look at my work, and see how I can make it more accessible while maintaining a slick, appealing appearance

Why Isn’t This Common Knowledge?

When looking into why digital accessibility isn’t common knowledge, there were many reasons, the biggest ones I found were:
A Checklist Mentality: Many organizations treat accessibility as a legal compliance task rather than a user experience goal. This ideology makes it feel more like a chore rather than a necessary action of equality.

Education Gaps: Most computer science and design programs don’t require accessibility courses, and developers often have to learn it on the job after they’ve already built inaccessible habits/sites.

Perceived Cost: There seems to be a myth that making things accessible is expensive and time-consuming, when in reality, it’s only expensive if you try to “bolt it on” at the end.