People with Disabilities
Understanding how people with different disabilities use the web
About 15% of the world's population has some form of disability. By making your website accessible, you ensure everyone can access your content and services.
Types of Disabilities
Visual Impairments
Blindness, low vision, color blindness
Impact on Web Usage
- •Cannot see images without alt text
- •Have difficulty with low contrast
- •Use screen readers to read content
Assistive Tools
- •Screen readers (JAWS, NVDA)
- •Braille displays
- •Screen magnifiers
Hearing Impairments
Deafness, hard of hearing
Impact on Web Usage
- •Cannot hear audio content
- •Need captions for videos
- •Rely on visual alerts
Assistive Tools
- •Captions
- •Transcripts
- •Visual alerts
Motor Impairments
Limited mobility, tremor, paralysis
Impact on Web Usage
- •Cannot use a mouse
- •Have difficulty with small clickable elements
- •Use alternative input methods
Assistive Tools
- •Keyboard navigation
- •Voice recognition
- •Adaptive input devices
Cognitive Impairments
Dyslexia, ADHD, autism, dementia
Impact on Web Usage
- •Have difficulty with complex layouts
- •Can be overwhelmed by too much information
- •Need clear, simple language
Assistive Tools
- •Text-to-speech
- •Reading aids
- •Simplified interfaces
Statistics
1+ billion
People with disabilities worldwide
285 million
People with moderate to severe vision impairment
466 million
People with hearing loss
10-20%
Adults with cognitive disabilities