Accessibility Laws and Guidelines

The laws and regulations governing accessibility differ from nation to nation, and many regions have their own unique laws that deal with the inclusion and accessibility of digital goods and services. Let us explore some essential:

Accessibility Guidelines

• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) (International): While not a law itself, WCAG is a set of guidelines developed by the Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) and is widely used as a standard for web accessibility across the globe. Addresses: Text, Font size, Color, sound and Images

• Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines (ATAG) (International): Provides guidance to developers, designers, and manufacturers of web authoring tools, helping them create accessible authoring tools that enable content creators to produce accessible web content. Two layers of ATAG, each addressing various facets of writing tool accessibility
  • ATAG Level A: Level A conformance consists of the fundamental rules intended to meet users’ most fundamental accessibility requirements. Authoring tools must facilitate the development of accessible content, and it helps content creators comprehend and use accessibility features.
  • ATAG Level AA: Level AA conformance extends Level A’s requirements and adds new recommendations to improve authoring tool accessibility. With sophisticated features and advice, it offers content creators more thorough assistance in producing accessible material.

• User Agent Accessibility Guidelines (UAAG) (International): Ensures that web browsers, media players, and other user agents are developed and deployed in ways that enhance accessibility for individuals with disabilities. This document contains recommendations for developers and manufacturers of user agents. User agents are computer programmes that let people engage with web content. Web browsers, media players, email clients, and other programmes that render or process web content fall under this category.

Most people are familiar with physical accessibility aids and designs, such as elevators for multi-story buildings, tactile paving for the visually impaired, and signage with braille writing. While these physically accessible design decisions are well known, items including signage with larger or simpler fonts, correct color contrast, and visual/audio aids are also considered accessible designs. Features like elevators can’t be directly translated to web and app design, but the other listed features can be. How do these features contribute to accessibility, and what does accessibility look like in UX/UI design?

We’ll be covering the fundamental Concept of Accessibility, Principles, and Laws across the globe, and recommended methods for integrating accessibility into each step of the UI/UX design process. Organizations can embrace accessibility in UI/UX design to meet legal obligations as well as reach a wider audience, boost user engagement, and promote inclusivity and empathy. This article is an essential tool for developing digital experiences that leave no one behind, regardless of your level of design expertise or where you are in your career.