Notwithstanding the fact that most people currently use the term “disability” to describe someone who has limited or no skills (in vision, speech, intellect, and so on) and that it is a far better phrase than “handicapped,” “disability” will be consigned to the same group. Throughout the previous two decades, significant progress has been achieved in the subject of digital accessibility.
For example, as more people become aware of the challenges that individuals experience and the need for digital equality, the status of what it means to be disabled rises. Despite the fact that the majority of people are uninformed of what digital accessibility includes, company executives, government officials, and legal experts are becoming increasingly conscious of the need to support persons who need assistive technology in making productive and meaningful use of technology.
The divide between impaired and non-disabled individuals is closing as technology becomes more prevalent and digitalization makes it easier for everyone to utilize. Although we are not yet at the stage where we can declare that specialized technology has eradicated all of the challenges that a person with a handicap may confront, it has substantially simplified coping with life’s issues. Although some people believe that science and technology will one day remove all or the great majority of diseases, they acknowledge that this day is yet many years away.
The Past’s Difficulties
To appreciate how far technology has gone in the previous 50 years, consider how a blind person communicated, traveled, and shopped in the mid-twentieth century. Telephones, typewriters, and Braille materials are all easily available.
We required more access to books, magazines, and newspapers since they were mailed to us by blind-specific libraries. The labels on prescription bottles and soup cans were obscured, and there was no Braille signage in the buildings. What was on television could be heard but not seen.
It Took Plenty of Work to Get Around
Taxis were excessively costly if they were available in your region unless you lived in a major city with public transit. Passengers’ ability to travel by rail or flight was still being determined. There had to be something to assist us in navigating or finding ourselves. Huge indoor arenas were challenging to navigate, needing the use of orientation services or government aid.
Buying in Person
Even if you had a job and could get around on your own, you needed to acquire things and services from your boss or the company owner. This assistance was only given in exceptional instances. Some people can go shopping on their own, albeit it can be a stressful experience.
In the previous 50 years, technology has gone a long way! The examples below demonstrate what good, accessible technology and a slew of inventive ideas have done for us 50 years later, strengthening our autonomy and moving us up the equality ladder in a variety of ways.
Technology That Improves Communicating
Zoom allows us to participate on a variety of devices, ranging from mobile phones to computer workstations. We create reports utilizing word processors, email, and text messaging from anywhere with a Wi-Fi or mobile signal. We can read almost any magazine, book, or newspaper that piques our attention. Prescription bottles are now commonly accessible, as are canned, boxed, and packaged meals.
Excellent assistive technologies, including screen readers, magnifiers, automatic captioning systems, and easily accessible digital information, have made this possible. Because of the emergence of descriptive video services, we may now view a variety of television programs (DVS). Most buildings are required by the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) to provide Braille markings on room signage and elevator controls.
It’s Simple to Arrange a Vacation
Train and airplane travel are now safe in many areas of the world, and smartphone ridesharing makes getting around cities straightforward. GPS has expanded our options while making walking and driving easier. Augmented reality apps like AIRA and Be My Eyes broadcast live help from sighted people to our mobile devices, allowing us to traverse new areas like massive skyscrapers effortlessly.
Online Shopping Is Commonplace
In the preceding five years, the capacity to have practically anything delivered right to one’s door has made it substantially simpler to receive what one wants. Online shopping has not only allowed us to have stuff shipped to us, but it has also given us access to products and services that we would not have known about if we had shopped in a store. However, despite the COVID-19 outbreak, grocery delivery will continue to operate.
Undoubtedly, things have gotten better, but they are still far from perfect. Accessibility still needs a lot more work to improve and become the standard (expectation). Since they lack crucial characteristics that allow them to be utilized, PDFs and online forms are frequently inaccessible to individuals with impairments. We could make travel simpler if we had more freedom in where we went, but purchasing on many e-commerce sites still needs to be improved. But living now is vastly superior to life even twenty years ago.
By making their websites more digitally accessible, QualityLogic and other software suppliers have helped businesses get on the right road. Companies with a well-educated workforce may produce game plans and designs for their software that everybody can use.
Accessibility Has Improved Due to Technological Advances
Technological advancements have benefited us in doing basic chores that most people take for granted. Although technology has enabled great progress, most of it has also been designed to make life simpler for the majority of people. “One person’s convenience is another person’s accessibility,” as the saying goes. Many individuals benefit from food delivery, but it is especially important for those who are unable to drive or navigate a grocery store due to vision impairment.
The gap between the disabled and the non-impaired will continue to decrease as technology advances. Because of 5G networks and ultra-fast AI and ML systems, wearable technology, for example, will be able to see, hear, and understand what is going on around us. Even while some digital content is still being investigated, access to internet sites, multimedia, mobile applications, and traditional office paperwork is rising.
From the touch displays on our appliances and fitness equipment to the climate controls in our houses, technology is permeating every part of our lives. To realize our aim of full inclusion, we must have complete access to a wide variety of digital content.
Despite the fact that technological advancement has improved the lives of millions of people, full digital equality remains a long way off. Regardless of your viewpoint, digital access is here to stay. Embrace it and continue to improve it through increasing awareness, training others, and partnering. It will no longer be considered a solution to making our lives easier and more joyful one day. Avoid specialized skill sets. It will set the standard for effective digital marketing.
Improve the Usability of Your Website
Contact QualityLogic if you own a business and want to make your website more digitally accessible. We think that everyone, regardless of health or disability, has the right to access. We will work with you to educate and build a plan that will allow everyone to access your website.
In addition to these services, we help firms in the smart energy market create products that run on wireless smart utility networks utilizing Wi-SUN test tools. This testing includes determining the compatibility and functionality of the hardware and software to guarantee that anyone utilizing the devices can deliver dependable solutions and excellent customer service.
Visit the QualityLogic website or call our team right now to learn more about all of the sectors we serve and the services we provide. Whichever form of software service you want from us, we pledge to give cutting-edge work and prioritize you constantly.
