Basic Disability Concepts

Question 1

Roughly, how many people have a disability of some kind?

Answer 1

1 in every 5 people (about 20%)

Question 2

What are some disabilities that are hidden until circumstances arise that would reveal them?

Answer 2

Reading disorder, experiencing seizures from time to time

Question 3

What are some temporary disabilities?

Answer 3

When an injury or surgery reduces a person’s mobility

Question 4

What disabilities matter most in terms of their effect on web use?

Answer 4

Disabilities in the eyes, ears, hands, and brain

Question 5

How did blind people read newspapers in the past?

Answer 5

A friend or family member could read the newspaper to the blind person. People could record themselves reading the newspaper out loud, and make these recordings available to blind people. An embosser could create a braille copy of the newspaper. Radio or television news stations can provide similar reports on the same topics

Question 6

How many blind Americans can read braille?

Answer 6

Less than 10%

Question 7

How do blind people read newspapers digitally?

Answer 7

With the invention of computers, text became digital, and eventually speech synthesizers were invented, allowing blind people to listen to text read out loud by the computer itself, and allowing them to navigate web interfaces in ways that make sense to someone who is blind. Screen readers, as these software programs are called, allow blind people to access information independently, without having to have direct assistance from anyone else.

Question 8

What are assistive technologies?

Answer 8

Assistive technologies are products, devices, systems, or items used by people with disabilities to perform tasks which they could not do otherwise. When they are used with computers, assistive technologies are also called adaptive technologies or adaptive software. Some assistive technologies rely on the output of other “user agents” such as web browsers, text and voice browsers, multimedia players, and plug-ins.

Not all assistive technologies are computer-based. For example, communication boards can be made of cardboard. White canes, to-do lists, labels, button hooks, and ear plugs are examples of low technology that are highly effective for various needs.

Question 9

What are assistive technologies for blindness?

Answer 9

Screen readers, refreshable braille devices

Question 10

What are assistive technologies for low vision?

Answer 10

Screen enlargers, screen readers

Question 11

What are assistive technologies for color blindness?

Answer 11

Color enhancement overlays or glasses

Question 12

What are assistive technologies for deafness?

Answer 12

Captions, transcripts

Question 13

What are assistive technologies for motor/mobility disabilities?

Answer 13

Head wand, mouth stick, alternative keyboards, eye gaze tracking, voice activation

Question 14

What are assistive technologies for cognitive disabilities?

Answer 14

Screen readers, screen overlays, augmentative communication aids

Question 15

When are assistive technologies most effective?

Answer 15

Assistive technologies are extremely valuable, but the people who create the environments must create them with accessibility in mind.

Question 16

How does the web enable unprecedented access to information for the blind?

Answer 16

With the advent of the web, blind people can now go to their own computer, turn on their screen reader, and listen to the screen reader read the daily news, their favorite blog entries, social media posts, and other online source of information. Of course, their screen readers can read only the information that has been designed for accessibility, but even if we take that important caveat into account, this is the first time in the history of the world that blind people have had this much freedom and independence to access information on their own.

Question 17

How does the web enable unprecedented access to commerce for people with mobility impairments?

Answer 17

A person with quadriplegia can stay home and shop from the convenience of the wheelchair without having to go through all of the cumbersome steps necessary to prepare to appear in public, board the bus, and deal with all of the inconveniences that accompany a trip to the mall in a wheelchair.