Next time you enter your workplace,
stop and think about how convenient it was to enter the building.
You could choose to use the stairs,
a ramp or an incline to get to the entrance.
You probably had more options when it came to opening the main doors,
such as using a door handle or pressing the automatic door opener.
Just 25 years ago, however, options were more limited.
In fact, many people with disabilities had to make special arrangements
before they could enter or use public buildings
or they were forced to use a service entrance.
Public awareness of the importance of making buildings more accessible
was raised when the Americans with Disabilities Act,
or ADA, was passed in 1990. Soon
entrance ramps became commonplace.
The wheelchair icon that signals accessible facilities
became a mainstay in public buildings.
Curb cuts were designed into sidewalks
to make it easier for people with disabilities
to move from place to place.
Then, an interesting thing happened.
The legal mandate to provide equal access
quickly led to an increased demand for better,
more user-friendly architecture.
People soon discovered that accessible facilities benefitted everyone,
not just people with disabilities.
The curb cut is a perfect example.
As curb cuts became more common,
people realized that curb cuts made life easier for everyone.
Not only people using wheelchairs and walkers,
but mothers and fathers pushing strollers,
people riding skateboards and bicycles,
people using dollies to deliver goods.
A sidewalk with a curb cut is, quite simply, a better sidewalk!
Likewise, accessible buildings are, quite simply, better buildings!
And, information and technology that can be accessed
and used easily by everyone are,
quite simply, better information and better technology.
In this video, you'll learn about the important role
you play in making sure that the hardware, software,
web sites and electronic documents
that you purchase or develop are fully accessible.
Many people assume that information and technology are already accessible.
However, the reality is that not all technology is created equal.
It's also true that not all information is formatted
in ways that make it easy for everyone to use.
You play an important part in ensuring equal access.
You are in a position to make sure that all computers, telephone systems and
other hardware you recommend or purchase are fully accessible.
The same is true for the software applications that support them.
You also can make sure that all electronic documents,
videos, web sites and other communications that you create
are accessible to everyone, including people with a
wide range of abilities and physical limitations.
You'll learn more about accessibility standards and
your role in a few minutes.
But, first, it's important to understand the difference between
accessible technology, assistive technology and accommodations.
An accommodation is a physical solution put in place to help an individual
communicate better, learn or work more effectively,
live independently or participate more fully in community activities.
Assistive technology, like screen reading technology called a screen reader,
is a special kind of accommodation.
Assistive technology is exactly what the name implies --
a piece of equipment or technology that
helps a person with a disability perform a task.
Some examples of accommodations and assistive technology include
a Braille display,
a desk that is higher or lower so that it
functions better for a person who uses a wheelchair, or
a video phone.
An accommodation can even be another person
who provides a specific kind of support to a person with a disability.
For example, an ASL interpreter would facilitate communication
for a deaf participant during a meeting,
a job coach could support a person with an intellectual disability
as he or she learns to do a job or
a paraprofessional might be assigned
to assist a child with disabilities in a classroom.
Accessibility, on the other hand, is designed directly
into the piece of equipment, software, web site or electronic document
from the very beginning to make it easier for everyone to use.
Accessibility applies to places, like elevators,
curb cuts and office spaces.
It can apply to things, like ergonomically designed kitchen tools
that are more comfortable for everyone to use,
not just people with arthritis or limited dexterity.
Or, access can apply to information technology,
like hardware, software applications and web sites.
It also applies to the way information is formatted for electronic use.
Think of accessible technology and information as an
electronic curb cut!
Examples of accessibility include captioning all videos,
providing text and images in alternative formats,
buying software that allows the user to control
how he or she prefers to use it, or
designing web sites that are intuitive and easy to navigate.
So, who benefits when information and technology are accessible?
It's easy to think of accessibility as a disability issue.
But everyone wins when information and technology are
accessible and easy to use.
Look around you.
You might be surprised to discover who uses accessibility features – and why!
I use the captioning feature because I'm deaf.
I use the captions to get all of the information I need for my job.
I can hear but I use the caption feature on this training video
so I don't disturb my coworkers.
I can use my hands but I prefer not to use a mouse.
I would rather use a keypad.
I use the audio whenever I can because I have dyslexia
and it takes me longer to read information.
I understand information better when it's read to me.
I have arthritis. Sometimes it's difficult for me to use my mouse.
I like having the option to choose a keypad or a mouse
to navigate my screen.
I work with data all the time on my computer and I'm blind.
So it's important that charts and graphs and other information
be formatted in a way that makes sense to
my screen reader software.
I'm not colorblind but I work with data all the time.
When I print out documents that include charts and graphs,
I like to use black and white.
I don't depend on the use of color.
That way, I can use a black and white printer
and it's cheaper!
I don't have use of my hands but
if the hardware/software is accessible,
I can use my computer without any assistance.
Each of these people use the same technology in different ways.
They may not realize it, but they're
taking advantage of an electronic curb cut!
They're all benefitting from built-in accessibility features
that allow them to customize how they use
a piece of hardware or software, a web site or electronic document.
Each example illustrates how decisions made by the person
who purchased or created the equipment or information
made it easier for everyone to use it.
These users have discovered that accessible information and technology is,
quite simply, better information and better technology for everyone,
not only people with disabilities.
Equal access to information and technology is obviously crucial
for people with disabilities who may require alternative ways
to use hardware, software, web sites and electronic information efficiently.
As of 2005, over 54 million people in the United States
had a disability that limited some aspect of their lives.
Did you know that one out of every four
computer users has some form of visual impairment?
That one out of every four computer users
has a dexterity challenge?
Or that one out of five computer users
is deaf or has a hearing loss?
The people represented by these statistics
are your coworkers, customers and end users.
There are important economic benefits associated with accessible technology.
Study after study shows that it's cheaper and
more efficient to deliver government services online.
But we can't reap the benefits if our citizens
can't access or use information or services
because they're not accessible.
We will need to continue providing access
through expensive brick and mortar facilities.
Accessible technology offers economic benefits as well
by opening new employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
Nearly 20% of the population has some type of disability in the United States.
Yet, fewer than 22% of adults with a disability have jobs,
compared with 70% of adults who do not have a disability.
It's also important to recognize that
the number of people with disabilities in the U.S. is increasing.
The population is aging. It should come as no surprise
that the number of people with disabilities increases with age.
More than half of U.S. citizens over 65 report having a disability
that limits some aspect of their life.
By 2020, the senior population in the U.S. will near 115 million.
Another contributing factor is the unprecedented number of
veterans returning from combat with permanent disabilities.
In 2010, nearly 25% of veterans of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan
returned with permanent disabilities, particularly traumatic brain injuries,
hearing and/or vision loss and amputated limbs.
Accessible technology will be critical
to their ability to return to full employment.
These are some of the people who will use
the information you gather, the web sites you build,
the documents you create and the technology you purchase.
It's your job to provide technology and information
that are accessible to everyone.
Keep in mind that if information is available
through the State of Minnesota, it must be accessible to everyone.
That's the law.
International, federal and state standards have been created
to help you create and purchase information and technology
that passes the accessibility test.
On the federal level, Section 508 is shaping
the way technology is designed, purchased and used.
All over the world, web developers apply WCAG 2.0 standards
to improve the accessibility of information
delivered via the Web.
Section 508 sets basic standards that must be met
for all electronic, information and telecommunications technology
purchased by the federal government.
Here are a few examples of the types of
products and technologies covered by Section 508:
telephones, cell phones and other telecommunication products,
computer hardware, computer software, web sites,
media players, electronic documents and PDAs.
WCAG, or Web Content Accessibility Guidelines,
play a similar role in the online world.
These guidelines were created by the
World Wide Web Consortium, or WWW.
The goal of WCAG is to make sure that all web content
is accessible by providing alternate ways to access information.
While these standards were developed to make
the Web accessible for people with disabilities,
these same options are useful for anyone accessing the Web.
The State of Minnesota has embraced
both Section 508 and WCAG standards and incorporated
them into a set of technology accessibility standards.
When fully implemented, these standards will ensure
that all hardware, software, and online applications
purchased and used by state workers are accessible.
The standards also ensure that all state developed applications,
web sites and content are easy to access by everyone.
The Minnesota Technology and Information Accessibility Standards cover
hardware, software and online applications purchased,
software applications, web sites, online forms
and online surveys developed,
webinars, live videoconferencing, web streaming,
and podcasts created or purchased,
videos and documents created by state employees, and
contracts for hardware, software, videos, web sites,
electronic communications and other information services
developed or purchased on behalf of the State.
These standards help to ensure that
we make information technology truly useful
to all Minnesota residents,
we serve all customers as they expect to be served
by providing information that is easy to access and use,
we comply with federal accessibility standards and,
as a result, are eligible to receive federal grants and funding,
we limit potential exposure to expensive lawsuits, and
we provide the accessible technology and information
needed to hire and retain employees,
including those with disabilities.
So, what's in it for you?
A lot! Accessible technology is all about you.
Accessible technology is also all about your coworkers
and the constituents you represent
and the consumers who depend on you.
It's up to you to purchase and develop the hardware,
software, web sites and electronic information
that allows everyone access to the information they need
when, where and how they choose.
Accessibility is everyone's job.
You can help by
following the State's technology accessibility standards,
making sure that you incorporate accessibility into your planning,
making sure that accessibility features are incorporated
into every document, web site, video and
technology solution you create, and
making sure that all new technology or equipment purchased
meets state accessibility standards.