Accessibility, ICT and you

• What is ICT accessibility?
• Why think about accessibility?
• Ten quick, easy and free ways to improve the accessibility of your computers

What is ICT accessibility?

Accessibility in this guide focuses on the use of assistive technologies and adjustments to hardware and software that make it easier for people with a range of abilities and disabilities to participate as staff, volunteers or clients.

All organisations are required by law to think about how they can make their services and workplaces accessible to people with disabilities. But accessibility in terms of ICT is about far more than legal requirements; it is a way of considering best practice for a wide range of users of computers, websites and associated technology. Whether it is for your staff, volunteers or clients, ICT can be made to work in ways that improve the quality of your organisation’s work and extend what it can achieve.

This is not a one-size-fits-all sort of problem. Different needs require different solutions and not all solutions work for every person. Take time to work with people, to understand their needs and try different solutions.

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Why think about accessibility?

It’s the law

The Disability Discrimination Act makes it illegal to discriminate against people with a disability. This means:

• not treating a disabled person less favourably for a reason related to their disability;
• not making reasonable adjustments to avoid placing a disabled person at a substantial disadvantage in comparison with someone who is not disabled.

It makes sense for your organisation

With approximately 8.9 million disabled people in Britain, addressing accessibility issues can improve your chances of recruiting staff, volunteers, clients and supporters. At the same time, it makes your services more usable for everyone.

For example, an accessible website is one where the user’s needs have been central to the design process, and that means that any unnecessary information has been removed and there is a sharper focus on the purpose and function of the site. The same principle will apply whenever you consider accessibility issues. A few simple changes to your computers, such as increasing menu sizes, can be popular with everyone, making the computer easier to use and increasing productivity.

Funders and partners ask for it

Most funders expect bids to explain how their funds will benefit everyone in the community. Being aware of ICT-related accessibility issues will therefore help create more effective proposals. Regular updates of your accessibility policy underpins and demonstrates a commitment to equal opportunities.

Do the right thing

Accessibility issues go to the heart of the values of the voluntary and community sector. Disabled and older people may be especially marginalised by the lack of access to ICT resources, and this is one of the areas where they can benefit from community action and voluntary services.

Built in inaccessibility options

PC users will find a host of accessibility options.

• Go to Start > Control Panel > Accessibility Options to see the choices.
• Mac users have similar choices in the System Preferences.

Weblinks

• The AbilityNet website provides the ideal starting point forall issues of ICT and accessibility.
• My Web My Way, an Abilitynet free guide created for the BBC gives advice and information on how to adapt your PC, Mac and Linux computers to suit your needs.

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Ten quick, easy and free ways to improve the accessibility of your computers

These are all simple adjustments that can be made to your computers and will cost nothing, many of them using Windows Accessibility Options or Apple’s Universal Access settings.

The AbilityNet website and Accessibility Guides provide more details on these suggestions, as well as a host of other easy ways of improving accessibility.

1. Change the combinations of background and text colour to improve readability for those who have a visual impairment, or learning difficulties, or are simply getting older
2. Increase the text size on menus
3. Choose a more readable font for menus
4. Use the Accessibility Options to tune the keyboard to ignore keys hit twice, slow down the repeat rate or ignore keys hit in error
5. Change the mouse settings to slow down the cursor, decrease the double-click speed, make the pointer bigger, or work for a left-handed user
6. Use the keyboard as a mouse
7. Use the mouse as a keyboard
8. Install a free text reader such as www.readplease.com
9. Use free magnification and screen-reader software
10. Install free word prediction software, similar to the software used on mobile phones

Having accessible ICT and thinking about how ICT can make all of your work more accessible demonstrates social responsibility. It does not necessarily need difficult or expensive changes to be made, but it will reflect a shift in attitude that will bring benefits across your work.

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