Abstract
This exploratory paper aims to discuss and reflect on digital accessibility practices in developing projects and products, focusing mainly on design activities. Digital accessibility is a characteristic of digital products and services like websites that allows people with disabilities to access and use them. Although its relevance, accessibility is not present in many technological objects. When tech practitioners and companies are asked why accessibility is not a priority, several reasons are mentioned, like costs and the available development time. What would lay below the most apparent arguments? What constitutes an organisational culture that leaves factors such as accessibility behind? The reflections developed in this work result from an anthropological study conducted in 2021 in the field sites of Sweden and Brazil.
Keywords
Digital accessibility, Participatory design, Inclusion, Diversity
DOI
https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2023.105
Citation
Terceiro, L.(2023) Nothing about us without us: The journey of digital accessibility in the making, in Holmlid, S., Rodrigues, V., Westin, C., Krogh, P. G., Mäkelä, M., Svanaes, D., Wikberg-Nilsson, Å (eds.), Nordes 2023: This Space Intentionally Left Blank, 12-14 June, Linköping University, Norrköping, Sweden. https://doi.org/10.21606/nordes.2023.105
Conference Track
exploratorypapers
Included in
Nothing about us without us: The journey of digital accessibility in the making
This exploratory paper aims to discuss and reflect on digital accessibility practices in developing projects and products, focusing mainly on design activities. Digital accessibility is a characteristic of digital products and services like websites that allows people with disabilities to access and use them. Although its relevance, accessibility is not present in many technological objects. When tech practitioners and companies are asked why accessibility is not a priority, several reasons are mentioned, like costs and the available development time. What would lay below the most apparent arguments? What constitutes an organisational culture that leaves factors such as accessibility behind? The reflections developed in this work result from an anthropological study conducted in 2021 in the field sites of Sweden and Brazil.