Due to Increased Digital Accessibility and Inclusion, People’s Lives Are Changing

Despite the fact that the majority of people today use the term “disability” to refer to those with impaired or nonexistent abilities, it will soon be degraded to the same level as “handicapped” (in eyesight, speech, cognition, etc.). We are still not there in terms of digital accessibility, despite substantial advances over the previous two decades. People’s attitudes toward being handicapped improve when more people become aware of the challenges that disabled people experience, such as the need for digital equality.

Even though most people are inexperienced with the notion of digital accessibility, corporate executives, government officials, and attorneys are becoming increasingly aware of the need to support persons who need assistive technology in making meaningful and productive use of technology.

As technology evolves and becomes more widespread in our lives, the gap between people with and without disabilities is shrinking, and digital inclusion makes it easier for everyone to utilize that technology. Although we cannot claim that specialized technology has solved every difficulty that a disabled person may experience, it has made overcoming day-to-day problems significantly easier. All or most impairments may be removed one day due to scientific and technological progress. Time is still on our side.

Modifying Symbols

Consider how blind people communicated, traveled, and purchased products in the mid-twentieth century to gain an understanding of how far technology has gone in the previous 50 years (total blindness).

Previously, Braille materials, typewriters, and landlines were few. We communicated through landlines, typed our work on cumbersome typewriters to create legible text, and had limited access to books, journals, and newspapers via mail-order blind libraries. Because there were no Braille signs on the buildings, we couldn’t read the soup cans or prescription bottles. The television could be heard but not seen.

Alternative Transportation Modes

Unless you lived in a city with public transit, cabs were prohibitively pricey in your region. There needed to be an assurance of train or plane travel. We needed navigational equipment or technology to help us figure out where we were. Navigating prominent indoor locations took time, needing the use of professional orientation services or government support.

Purchasing From Actual Stores

Even if you had a job and the capacity to travel, you required the help of a company or store owner to purchase products or services. This support was only available on rare occasions. Despite the stress, some people can go shopping on their own.

In the previous 50 years, technology has improved considerably!

The examples below demonstrate how good, accessible technology and a few new concepts have benefited us 50 years later in a variety of ways, boosting our freedom and propelling us up the equality ladder.

Communication-Improving Technology

Thanks to Zoom, we may now connect on a range of devices, including mobile phones and computer workstations. We create reports using word processors, emails, and text messages from any location that has Wi-Fi or a mobile signal. Not just that, but we now have access to practically any magazine, newspaper, or book that piques our interest. There are various possibilities for buying prescription bottles and grocery store products in cans, cartons, and packages.

This is achievable because of improved assistive technology such as screen readers, magnifiers, automated captioning systems, and instantly accessible digital information. Because of the emergence of descriptive video services, we may now view a wide range of television shows (DVS). Most buildings are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide Braille markings on room signage and elevator controls.

Businesses may benefit from being more available online due to software companies like QualityLogic. Their knowledgeable personnel can assist in the development of methods and designs that allow the blind, deaf, and intellectually handicapped to access goods and information. Access is a human right for them, and no one deserves to struggle.

Making Travel Plans is Easy

Rail and airplane travel is now safe in many areas of the world, and ridesharing via mobile devices simplifies travel. GPS has given us greater freedom while also making driving and walking more convenient. We may employ augmented reality technology from applications such as AIRA and Be My Eyes to broadcast real-time help from a sighted person to our iPhones, allowing us to traverse unfamiliar situations such as large buildings freely.

Online Shopping is Becoming Increasingly Popular

In the last five years, the ability to have almost anything delivered right to your door has made it significantly easier to buy the goods you want. We may now access products and services that we would not have known about if we had purchased them in a physical store and had our purchases delivered to us. Furthermore, the COVID-19 pandemic will constantly disrupt food distribution.

Despite development, the situation has the potential to improve. Much effort need to be made in order to increase accessibility and make it the standard (expectation). People with impairments may find PDFs and online forms inaccessible because they lack essential accessibility components. We could travel more easily if we had more alternatives for where to go. While buying, many e-commerce sites still require assistance. However, life was far worse only twenty years ago.

Accessibility Has Increased

We’ve gone a long way in terms of being able to perform routine jobs that most people take for granted, thanks to all of these technological improvements. Technology has permitted tremendous development, but humans have also worked hard to make the lives of the majority of people simpler. “One person’s comfort is another person’s access,” I just heard. Those who are unable to drive or traverse a grocery shop because of vision issues must rely on supermarket delivery.

As technology progresses, the gap between individuals with and without impairments will continue to narrow. Wearable technology will be able to aid us in seeing, hearing, and comprehending what is going on around us thanks to 5G networks and tremendously fast AI (Artificial Intelligence) and ML (Machine Learning) systems.

Websites, multimedia, mobile applications, and basic office files are all becoming more accessible, but study into other digital assets is only beginning. Technology impacts every part of our life, from the climate controls in our houses to the touch displays on our appliances and workout equipment. We need total access to all forms of digital information to fulfill our aim of full inclusion.

Even if technology improvements have improved many parts of our lives, genuine digital equality is still a long way off. Regardless of your viewpoint, digital access is here to stay. Let us embrace it and continue to enhance it by bringing it to the notice of the public. This includes educating and cooperating with them so that it is no longer an uncommon skill set that people shun but rather the standard for great digital solutions that make our lives easier and more pleasurable.

Click here for more information on QualityLogic’s simple digital accessibility starter kit for your business. They will lead you through the process of bringing you into the new era of accessibility. Your consumer base will expand as a result of their services.