Accessibility CPAC

ADA

Americans with Disabilities Act (1990); U.S. civil rights law prohibiting discrimination based on disability.

AODA

Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act; Ontario law to achieve accessibility through standards.

ACA

Accessible Canada Act; Canadian federal law to identify, remove, and prevent barriers.

Section 504

Prohibits disability discrimination in federally funded U.S. programs.

Section 508

Requires U.S. federal ICT to be accessible.

WCAG

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines; international web accessibility standard.

W3C

World Wide Web Consortium; develops web standards.

WAI

Web Accessibility Initiative; W3C initiative focused on accessibility.

IAAP

International Association of Accessibility Professionals; offers CPACC certification.

POUR

Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust.

Perceivable

Information must be presented in ways users can perceive.

Operable

Interface components must be usable by all users.

Understandable

Content and operation should be easy to understand.

Robust

Content must work with current and future assistive technologies.

Medical Model

Disability is viewed as a problem within the individual.

Social Model

Disability results from barriers created by society.

Biopsychosocial Model

Combines medical and social perspectives.

Universal Design

Design usable by all people without adaptation whenever possible.

Accessible Design

Design specifically addressing the needs of people with disabilities.

Accommodation

Modification that enables equal participation.

Inclusion

People with disabilities fully participate in society.

Barrier

Anything that limits participation.

Attitudinal Barrier

Negative assumptions or stereotypes.

Environmental Barrier

Physical obstacle limiting access.

Communication Barrier

Obstacle to receiving or conveying information.

Systemic Barrier

Policies or practices that unintentionally exclude.

Reasonable Accommodation

Adjustment that does not impose undue hardship.

Undue Hardship

Significant difficulty or expense for an organization.

Assistive Technology

Products or systems that increase functional capabilities.

Screen Reader

Software that converts on-screen text to speech or braille.

Refreshable Braille Display

Hardware that outputs braille dynamically.

Alternative Text

Text description of non-text content.

Caption

Synchronized text for spoken audio.

Transcript

Text version of audio content.

Audio Description

Narration describing important visual details.

Keyboard Accessibility

All functionality available using only a keyboard.

Focus Indicator

Visible highlight showing current keyboard location.

Color Contrast

Difference in luminance between foreground and background.

Do Not Use Color Alone

Information should not rely solely on color.

Plain Language

Writing that is clear and easy to understand.

Cognitive Disability

Disability affecting thinking, memory, or learning.

Visual Disability

Disability affecting sight.

Hearing Disability

Disability affecting hearing.

Mobility Disability

Disability affecting movement or dexterity.

Temporary Disability

Short-term limitation such as a broken arm.

Situational Disability

Limitation caused by circumstances.

Permanent Disability

Long-lasting impairment.

CRPD

UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

Independent Living Movement

Movement promoting self-determination and community living.

Nothing About Us Without Us

Principle that people with disabilities should be included in decisions affecting them.

Disability Etiquette

Respectful interaction emphasizing the person first.

Person-First Language

Language placing the individual before the disability.

Identity-First Language

Language emphasizing disability as part of identity.

Accessible Procurement

Purchasing products that meet accessibility requirements.

Usability

Effectiveness, efficiency, and satisfaction in achieving goals.

Accessibility

Ability of people with disabilities to independently use a product or environment.

Equivalent Facilitation

Alternative design providing substantially equivalent access.

Semantic HTML

Using HTML elements according to their meaning.

Heading Structure

Logical hierarchy using H1-H6.

Form Label

Programmatically associated text identifying an input.

Link Purpose

Users can determine destination from link text.

Skip Link

Mechanism to bypass repetitive content.

ARIA

Accessible Rich Internet Applications specification.

Live Region

ARIA feature announcing dynamic content updates.

Tab Order

Sequence focus moves through interactive elements.

CPACC

Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies.

Accessibility

A civil rights issue, not just a technical issue.

ADA Title I

Employment

ADA Title II

State and local government services

ADA Title III

Public accommodations

ADA Title IV

Telecommunications

ADA Title V

Miscellaneous provisions

POUR P

Perceivable

POUR O

Operable

POUR U

Understandable

POUR R

Robust

WCAG Levels

A, AA, AAA

Most commonly required WCAG level

AA

Keyboard Trap

A user cannot move focus away using keyboard.

Alt Text Goal

Convey the purpose or meaning of the image.

Decorative Image

Should have empty alt text.

Captions Benefit

Deaf/hard of hearing users and many others.

Universal Design Example

Automatic doors or curb cuts.

Curb Cut Effect

Originally for wheelchair users; benefits many people.

Reason for Accessibility

Equal opportunity and participation.