Media Accessibility and Equity

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Accessibility and Equity in Media

Accessibility Features & Requirements:

Accessibility in the world of multimedia and technology is important in making tools usable to everybody and providing inclusivity to all potential disabilities of the audience. Several factors should be taken into account in terms of accessibility, including hearing, vision, cognitive impairments, and mobility. Things that may be accessible to one, are not always accessible to everyone, and therefore consideration of the potential issues of your viewers is essential in providing a good resource. Not only will this make your resource user-friendly and accessible to all, but some laws require anything uploaded to the public internet to be accessible and functional for all individuals, including those with disabilities (U.S. Access Board, 2024).

Below are some ways to take into consideration, how to make media resources accessible to all users:

Vision:

  • Large text, or a tool to adjust the text sizing.
  • Unless an image is strictly for decorative purposes, it must have a description for screen readings to describe the image.
  • Add presets to identify the sections of your work (ex: title, header, conclusion, references).
  • Use a consistent and simple font throughout.
  • Embedded hyperlinks that tell the reader where the link will take them.
  • Avoid busy patterns and color combinations, and use black font.

Hearing:

  • Provide closed captions, or a script when adding a video or sound

Mobility:

  • Keyboard compatibility

Cognitive Impairments:

  • Easy navigation 
  • Straightforward and clear descriptions
  • No distracting features (ex: excessive color, too many pictures, or visual effects)

Equity:

Equity is essentially the next step up from accessibility. While our content can be accessible to all, it must also be of good quality and reliability to each and every user. This means that when creating content for a public resource, we must make sure to avoid any bias. We must also make sure we are weighing in all perspectives and that they are given proper representation throughout the content. Additionally, we must make sure that all of the information provided can be backed up with reliable evidence, especially in cases where specific groups or communities are being addressed. Providing biased information as 'facts' on a public resource is unreliable and can not be used by everybody. All users and groups must be able to use the content equally and be presented to and represented in an equal manner, so there is no exclusion of any group, from the content.


When creating a public resource, all users should have the same access and ability to utilize the content provided. Otherwise, what is the purpose of creating a public resource, if it is not able to be utilized by all or any individuals of the public?


Resources:

Kantayya, S. (Director). (2020). Coded Bias [Documentary]. 7th Empire Media.

May, M. (2018, April 2). The same, but different: Breaking down accessibility, universality, and inclusion in design. Welcome to the Adobe Blog. https://blog.adobe.com/en/publish/2018/04/02/different-breaking-accessibility-universality-inclusion-design    (Image)

U.S. Access Board. (2024, May). Section508.gov. https://www.section508.gov/manage/laws-and-policies/


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