Despite the fact that most people nowadays use the term “disability” to describe someone with limited or no skills (in eyesight, speech, cognition, and so on) and that it is a far better phrase than “handicapped,” “disability” will be relegated to the same category. Significant progress has been made in the field of digital accessibility during the last two decades.

For example, as more people become aware of the difficulties that people face and the need for digital equality, the status of what it means to be disabled grows. Despite the fact that most people are unaware of what digital accessibility entails, business executives, government officials, and legal experts are increasingly aware of the need to aid those who use assistive technology in making productive and meaningful use of technology.

As technology becomes more pervasive and digitalization makes it easier for everyone to use, the gap between disabled and non-disabled people is decreasing. Although we are not yet at the point where we can say that specialized technology has eliminated all of the difficulties that a person with a disability may face, it has made coping with life’s issues significantly simpler. Although some individuals believe that science and technology will one day eliminate all or the vast majority of illnesses, they admit that this day is yet many years away.

The Challenges of the Past

Consider how a blind person communicated, traveled, and shopped in the mid-twentieth century to see how far technology has progressed in the last 50 years. There are telephones, typewriters, and Braille materials readily available.

However, because books, periodicals, and newspapers were mailed to us by blind-specific libraries, we needed more access to them. The labels on prescription bottles and soup cans were covered, and the buildings lacked Braille signage. It was possible to hear but not see what was on television.

Transportation Was Much More Difficult

Unless you lived in a big city with public transportation, taxis were prohibitively expensive if they were available in your area. The ability of passengers to travel by rail or flight was not assured. There needed to be equipped to help us navigate or locate ourselves. Large indoor venues were difficult to maneuver, necessitating the employment of orientation services or government assistance.

Shopping in Person

Even if you had a job and could get around on your own, you needed help from your boss or the business owner to buy products and services. This aid was only provided in rare circumstances. Some people can shop on their own, albeit it can be a stressful process.

Technology has come a long way in the last 50 years! The examples below show what good, accessible technology and a plethora of imaginative ideas have done for us 50 years later, enhancing our autonomy and propelling us up the equality ladder in various ways.

Communication-Improving Technology

Zoom allows us to engage on a number of devices, from mobile phones to computer workstations. We make reports from anywhere with a Wi-Fi or mobile signal using word processors, email, and text messaging. We have access to practically any magazine, book, or newspaper that piques our interest. Prescription bottles, as well as canned, boxed, and packaged foods, are now widely available.

This has been made feasible by excellent assistive technology, including screen readers, magnifiers, automated captioning systems, and conveniently available digital information. We may now watch various television programs thanks to the introduction of descriptive video services (DVS). The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) requires most buildings to provide Braille markings on room signs and elevator controls.

It’s Easy to Plan a Trip

Rail and aircraft travel is now safe in many parts of the world, and smartphone ridesharing makes it simple to move around cities. GPS has increased our alternatives while making walking and driving easier. Augmented reality programs such as AIRA and Be My Eyes broadcast live assistance from sighted folks to our mobile devices, allowing us to explore unfamiliar environments like as enormous skyscrapers easily.

Shopping on the Internet Is Commonplace

The ability to have nearly anything delivered directly to one’s door has made it significantly easier to get what one desire in the previous five years. Not only has online shopping enabled us to have items mailed to us, but it has also provided us with access to products and services that we would only know about if we had shopped in a store. Furthermore, despite the COVID-19 epidemic, grocery delivery will continue to function.

Yes, things have improved, but they are far from perfect. Accessibility still requires significant effort to improve and become the norm (expectation). PDFs and online forms are commonly inaccessible to people with disabilities because they lack critical features that allow them to be used. We could make travel easier if we had more freedom in where we went, but many e-commerce sites’ shopping still needs to be enhanced. However, modern life was far preferable to life even twenty years ago.

QualityLogic and other software providers have helped businesses get on the right track by making their websites more digitally accessible. Businesses with an educated workforce may create game plans and designs for their software that anybody can utilize.

Technology Has Increased Accessibility

These innovations have aided us in achieving fundamental tasks that most people take for granted. Technology has permitted significant advancement, but much of it has also been designed to make life easier for the majority of people. “One person’s comfort is another person’s accessibility,” as the phrase goes. Food delivery benefits many people, but it is essential for those who are unable to drive or navigate a grocery store due to eyesight impairment.

Technology will continue to close the gap between the disabled and the non-impaired. Wearable technology, for example, will be able to see, hear, and grasp what is going on around us thanks to 5G networks and ultra-fast AI and ML systems. Access to online pages, multimedia, mobile applications, and traditional office paperwork is increasing, even though some digital material is still being explored.

Technology is penetrating every aspect of our lives, from the touch displays on our appliances and workout equipment to the climate controls in our homes. To achieve our goal of full inclusion, we need total access to a diverse range of digital assets.

Despite the fact that technological innovation has improved the lives of millions of people, complete digital equality is still a long way off. Whatever your point of view, digital access is here to stay. Accept it and keep enhancing it by raising awareness, teaching others, and cooperating. One day, it will no longer be regarded as a specialized skill set to be avoided. It will become the benchmark for effective digital solutions that make our lives easier and more enjoyable.

Enhance Your Website’s Usability

If you operate a business and want to make your website more digitally accessible, contact QualityLogic. We believe everyone has the right to access, regardless of health or handicap. We will assist you in educating and developing a strategy so that everyone may visit your website.

Click here to find out more about QualityLogic’s digital accessibility assistance and tool kit. Although being accessible may be a substantial obstacle to overcome, our expertise can make visiting your website a breeze.

Clare Louise