Celebrating the 34th Anniversary of the Americans With Disabilities Act

GRAND RAPIDS, Mich., July 25, 2024 (Newswire.com) - As we prepare to celebrate the anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26, 2024, it is important to acknowledge its profound impact on promoting equality and accessibility for people with disabilities. The ADA has transformed public spaces, workplaces, and transportation systems, ensuring greater inclusion and opportunities for millions. 

However, there is a growing need to extend accessibility principles to the digital space. The growth in digital accessibility has tried to ensure that websites, applications, and digital content are usable by everyone, including those with disabilities. Yet, despite the ADA’s mandates, many digital platforms remain inaccessible, creating significant barriers to information, services, and opportunities. According to The WebAIM Million, the 2024 report on the accessibility of the top 1,000,000 home pages found that 96% of digital content may be inaccessible to people with disabilities.

Earlier this year, Teach Access, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering educators to teach and students to learn about digital accessibility, partnered with University of Phoenix on a survey commissioned with The Harris Poll to uncover strengths and opportunities for developing accessibility skills in the workplace. The study of 459 managers across the fields of information technology, healthcare, and education to better understand workplace commitment to accessibility, workers' understanding and skills of accessibility, and opportunities for developing accessibility skills. “Greater emphasis is now being placed on accessible digital web content and mobile apps, and we need to better understand how prepared developers and engineers are to design and deliver natively accessible content,” said Kelly Hermann, vice president for Accessibility, Equity and Inclusion at University of Phoenix.

The survey found that only 60% of managers report their organization incorporates accessibility into all phases of product, service, and activity development. Additionally, survey findings indicated a growing need for accessibility training and skill development. Over the past five years, 59% of managers have observed increased demand for employees with accessibility skills within their organizations, with one in ten reporting a significant rise in demand. Nearly all managers—95%—expressed a need for professional development in specific accessibility skills and topics. While no single area stands out, the three most frequently mentioned topics are: incorporating disability into diversity programs (32%), the use of assistive technology by individuals with disabilities (31%), and a general understanding of disability (30%).

Teach Access bridges the gap between accessibility and industry by offering free programs and resources, including the Teach Access Curriculum Repository developed by faculty to support teaching accessibility to students in various disciplines. Self-paced, online courses for educators on the principles of accessible design in disciplines are available, as well as Grants, student programs, and fellowships for educators. A facilitated online course also introduces educators and administrators to basic concepts related to disability, accessibility, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL). 

“Digital accessibility is essential for people with disabilities as it opens up new possibilities,” said Leslie Johnson, Teach Access’s Program and Operations Manager. “If we do not educate students about disability and accessibility, we risk leaving many behind. Education ensures that technology is born accessible, creating a more inclusive world.”

On this ADA anniversary, let us celebrate the progress made while recognizing the urgent need to advance digital accessibility education to create a digital world accessible to individuals with disabilities. 

For more information or to support Teach Access initiatives, visit: https://teachaccess.org

About Teach Access  
Teach Access is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization collaborating with education, industry, government, and disability advocacy organizations to address the critical need to enhance students' understanding of digital accessibility as they learn to design, develop, and build new technologies with the needs of people with disabilities in mind. Teach Access envisions a fully accessible future in which students enter the workforce with knowledge of the needs of people with disabilities and skills in the principles of accessible design and development, such that technology products and services are born accessible. 

Source: Teach Access