From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

For design of products or environments for access by all users, see Universal design. For
design of websites etc. for access by all users, see Web accessibility. For measures of spatial
accessibility, see Accessibility (transport). For the logical notion, see Accessibility relation. For
the process in agenda-setting theory, see Agenda-setting theory § Accessibility.
For Wikipedia's accessibility guideline, see Wikipedia:Accessibility.

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The public transport system in Curitiba, Brazil, offers

universal access.

Disability

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Theory and models

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Education

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Therapy

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Societal implications

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Personal assistance

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 Socioeconomic assistance

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 Groups

 Organizations

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Parasports

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Culture

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Accessibility is the design of products, devices, services, vehicles, or environments so as to

be usable by people with disabilities.[1] The concept of accessible design and practice of
accessible development ensures both "direct access" (i.e. unassisted) and "indirect access"
meaning compatibility with a person's assistive technology[2] (for example, computer screen
readers).
Accessibility can be viewed as the "ability to access" and benefit from some system or entity.
The concept focuses on enabling access for people with disabilities, or enabling access
through the use of assistive technology; however, research and development in accessibility
brings benefits to everyone.[3][4][5][6][7] Therefore, an accessible society should eliminate digital
divide or knowledge divide.
Accessibility is not to be confused with usability, which is the extent to which a product (such
as a device, service, or environment) can be used by specified users to achieve specified
goals with effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in a specified context of use. [8]
Accessibility is also strongly related to universal design, the process of creating products that
are usable by the widest possible range of people, operating within the widest possible range
of situations.[9] Universal design typically provides a single general solution that can
accommodate people with disabilities as well as the rest of the population. By contrast,
accessible design is focused on ensuring that there are no barriers to accessibility for all
people, including those with disabilities.
Legislation[edit]
The disability rights movement advocates equal access to social, political, and economic life
which includes not only physical access but access to the same tools, services, organizations
and facilities as non-disabled people (e.g., museums[10][11]). Article 9 of the United
Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities commits signatories to provide
for full accessibility in their countries.[12]
 This is the internationally recognized symbol for
accessibility.
While it is often used to describe facilities or amenities to assist people with impaired mobility,
through the provision of facilities like wheelchair ramps, the term can include other types of
disability. Accessible facilities therefore extend to areas such as Braille signage, elevators,
audio signals at pedestrian crossings, walkway contours, website accessibility and accessible
publishing.[13]
In the United States, government mandates including Section 508, WCAG, [14] DDA are all
enforcing practices to standardize accessibility testing engineering in product development.
Accessibility modifications may be required to enable persons with disabilities to gain access to
education, employment, transportation, housing, recreation, or even simply to exercise their
right to vote.
National legislation[edit]
Various countries have legislation requiring physical accessibility which are (in order of
enactment):

 In the US, under the Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990,[15] new public and private
business construction generally must be accessible. Existing private businesses are
required to increase the accessibility of their facilities when making any other renovations
in proportion to the cost of the other renovations. The United States Access Board[16] is "A
Federal Agency Committed to Accessible Design for People with Disabilities". The Job
Accommodation Network discusses accommodations for people with disabilities in the
workplace.[17] Many states in the US have their own disability laws.
 In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act 1992 has numerous provisions for
accessibility.[18]
 In South Africa the Promotion of Equality and Prevention of Unfair Discrimination Act
2000 has numerous provisions for accessibility.[19]
 In the UK, the Equality Act 2010 has numerous provisions for accessibility.[20]
 In Sri Lanka, the Supreme Court, on 27 April 2011 gave a landmark order to boost the
inherent right of disabled persons to have unhindered access to public buildings and
facilities.[21]
 In Norway, the Discrimination and Accessibility Act Diskriminerings- og
tilgjengelighetsloven defines lack of accessibility as discrimination and obliges public
authorities to implement universal design in their areas. The Act refers to issue-specific
legislation regarding accessibility in e.g. ICT, the built environment, transport and
education.[22]
 In Brazil, the law on the inclusion of people with disabilities has numerous provisions for
accessibility.[23]
 In Canada relevant federal legislation includes the Canadian Human Rights Act, the
Employment Equity Act, the Canadian Labour Code, and the Accessible Canada Act (Bill-
C81) which made Royal Assent on June 21, 2019.[24]

Beach accessibility: ramp and mobi-mat enable wheelchair

users to visit a sandy seashore.
Legislation may also be enacted on a state, provincial or local level. In Ontario, Canada,
the Ontarians with Disabilities Act of 2001 is meant to "improve the identification, removal and
prevention of barriers faced by persons with disabilities".[25]
The European Union (EU), which has signed the United Nations' Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities, also has adopted a European Disability Strategy for 2010–20. The
Strategy includes the following goals, among others:[26]

 Devising policies for inclusive, high-quality education;

 Ensuring the European Platform Against Poverty includes a special focus on people with
disabilities (the forum brings together experts who share best practices and experience);
 Working towards the recognition of disability cards throughout the EU to ensure equal
treatment when working, living or travelling in the bloc
 Developing accessibility standards for voting premises and campaign material;
 Taking the rights of people with disabilities into account in external development
programmes and for EU candidate countries.
A European Accessibility Act was proposed in late 2012.[27] This Act would establish standards
within member countries for accessible products, services, and public buildings. The
harmonization of accessibility standards within the EU "would facilitate the social integration of
persons with disabilities and the elderly and their mobility across member states, thereby also
fostering the free movement principle".[28]
Assistive technology and adaptive technology[edit]

This opportunity fair in Birmingham, West Midlands, was

organised to help people with disabilities and their carers find out what services, support and
opportunities are available to them.
Assistive technology is the creation of a new device that assists a person in completing a task
that would otherwise be impossible. Some examples include new computer software programs
like screen readers, and inventions such as assistive listening devices, including hearing aids,
and traffic lights with a standard color code that enables colorblind individuals to understand
the correct signal.
Adaptive technology is the modification, or adaptation, of existing devices, methods, or the
creation of new uses for existing devices, to enable a person to complete a task. [29] Examples
include the use of remote controls, and the autocomplete (word completion)[30] feature in
computer word processing programs, which both help individuals with mobility impairments to
complete tasks. Adaptations to wheelchair tires are another example; widening the tires
enables wheelchair users to move over soft surfaces, such as deep snow on ski hills, and
sandy beaches.
Assistive technology and adaptive technology have a key role in developing the means for
people with disabilities to live more independently, and to more fully participate in mainstream
society. In order to have access to assistive or adaptive technology, however, educating the
public and even legislating requirements to incorporate this technology have been necessary.
The UN CRPD, and courts in the United States, Japan, UK, and elsewhere, have decided that
when it is needed to assure secret ballot, authorities should provide voters with assistive
technology.
The European Court of Human Rights, on the contrary, in case Toplak v. Slovenia ruled that
due to high costs, the abandonment of the assistive equipment in elections did not violate
human rights.
Employment[edit]

William P. Milton Jr., Deputy Director of the Office of Human

Resource Management, outlined the 'Four Simple Steps to Hiring Qualified Candidates with
Disabilities' to employees of the U.S. Department of Agriculture during a 2011 National
Disability Employment Awareness Month event in Washington, D.C.
Accessibility of employment covers a wide range of issues, from skills training, to occupational
therapy,[31] finding employment, and retaining employment.
Employment rates for workers with disabilities are lower than for the general workforce.
Workers in Western countries fare relatively well, having access to more services and training
as well as legal protections against employment discrimination. Despite this, in the United
States the 2012 unemployment rate for workers with disabilities was 12.9%, while it was 7.3%
for workers without disabilities.[32] More than half of workers with disabilities (52%) earned less
than $25,000 in the previous year, compared with just 38% of workers with no disabilities. This
translates into an earnings gap where individuals with disabilities earn about 25 percent less of
what workers without disabilities earn. Among occupations with 100,000 or more people,
dishwashers had the highest disability rate (14.3%), followed by refuse and recyclable material
collectors (12.7%), personal care aides (11.9%), and janitors and building cleaners (11.8%).
The rates for refuse and recyclable material collectors, personal care aides, and janitors and
building cleaners were not statistically different from one another.[33]
Surveys of non-Western countries are limited, but the available statistics also indicate fewer
jobs being filled by workers with disabilities. In India, a large 1999 survey found that "of the 'top
100 multinational companies' in the country [...] the employment rate of persons with
disabilities in the private sector was a mere 0.28%, 0.05% in multinational companies and only
0.58% in the top 100 IT companies in the country".[34] India, like much of the world, has large
sections of the economy that are without strong regulation or social protections, such as
the informal economy.[35] Other factors have been cited as contributing to the high
unemployment rate, such as public service regulations. Although employment for workers with
disabilities is higher in the public sector due to hiring programs targeting persons with
disabilities, regulations currently restrict types of work available to persons with disabilities:
"Disability-specific employment reservations are limited to the public sector and a large number
of the reserved positions continue to be vacant despite nearly two decades of enactment of the
PWD Act".[34]
Expenses related to adaptive or assistive technology required to participate in the workforce
may be tax deductible expenses for individuals with a medical practitioner's prescription in
some jurisdictions.
Disability management[edit]
Disability management (DM) is a specialized area of human resources that supports efforts of
employers to better integrate and retain workers with disabilities. Some workplaces have
policies in place to provide "reasonable accommodation" for employees with disabilities, but
many do not. In some jurisdictions, employers may have legal requirements to
end discrimination against persons with disabilities.
It has been noted by researchers that where accommodations are in place for employees with
disabilities, these frequently apply to individuals with "pre-determined or apparent disabilities
as determined by national social protection or Equality Authorities",[36] which include persons
with pre-existing conditions who receive an official disability designation. One of the biggest
challenges for employers is in developing policies and practises to manage employees who
develop disabilities during the course of employment. Even where these exist, they tend to
focus on workplace injuries, overlooking job retention challenges faced by employees who
acquire a non-occupation injury or illness. Protecting employability is a factor that can help
close the unemployment gap for persons with disabilities.[36]
Transportation[edit]
For the metric of transport connectivity for planning purposes, see Accessibility (transport).
Providing mobility to people with disabilities includes changes for public facilities like gently
sloping paths of travel for people with wheelchairs and difficulty walking up stairs, or audio
announcements for the blind; dedicated services like paratransit; and adaptations to personal
vehicles.
Adapted automobiles for persons with disabilities[edit]
See also: Adapted automobile
 A wheelchair accessible taxi with a rear ramp, Tokyo Motor
Show 2009
Automobile accessibility also refers to ease of use by disabled people. Automobiles, whether a
car or a van, can be adapted for a range of physical disabilities. Foot pedals can be raised, or
replaced with hand-controlled devices. Wheelchair hoists, lifts or ramps may be customized
according to the needs of the driver. Ergonomic adaptations, such as a lumbar support
cushion, may also be needed.[37]
Generally, the more limiting the disability, the more expensive the adaptation needed for the
vehicle. Financial assistance is available through some organizations, such as Motability in the
United Kingdom, which requires a contribution by the prospective vehicle owner. Motability
makes vehicles available for purchase or lease.[38]
When an employee with a disability requires an adapted car for work use, the employee does
not have to pay for a "reasonable adjustment" in the United Kingdom; if the employer is unable
to pay the cost, assistance is offered by government programs.[39]
Low floor[edit]
"Low floor" redirects here. For more details, see Low-floor bus and Low-floor tram.

Existence of wheelchair ramps allows those on wheelchairs

or personal mobility devices to board low-floor public transport vehicles
A significant development in transportation, and public transport in particular, to achieve
accessibility, is the move to "low-floor" vehicles. In a low-floor vehicle, access to part or all of
the passenger cabin is unobstructed from one or more entrances by the presence of steps,
enabling easier access for the infirm or people with push chairs. A further aspect may be that
the entrance and corridors are wide enough to accommodate a wheelchair. Low-floor vehicles
have been developed for buses, trolleybuses, trams and trains.
A low floor in the vehicular