This document discusses why accessibility is important for web-based software and digital content. It notes that software is now integral to many jobs and educational activities, but that people with disabilities face higher unemployment rates and sometimes lose jobs due to inaccessible software. The document reviews laws like the Rehabilitation Act and Americans with Disabilities Act that require accessibility, but notes enforcement is still difficult. It argues that making software and digital content accessible opens up economic opportunities for people with disabilities by allowing them to perform more jobs and participate more fully in education.

1. Why #a11y?
WordCamp Minneapolis/St. Paul, August 2017

2. Why am I here?
- I'm a Passionate accessibility advocate
- WordPress Accessibility team representative
I'm worried.

3. Why are you here?
?

4. The examples we use
Commercial web site usage
Ecommerce
Contact Forms

5. These are valuable use
cases. But...

6. Web-based software is an integral part of work

7. People lose jobs
because of software.
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/federal-public-servants-disabilities-software-1.4164540

8. Does law protect people with disabilities?

9. Rehabilitation Act of 1973

10. Rehabilitation Act of 1973
- Section 504: Programs receiving federal funds may not
discriminate based on disability.
- Section 508: Bars the federal government from
procuring electronic or informatio technology that is
not accessible to people with disabilities.

11. Americans with
Disabilities Act of
1990

12. Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990
- Does not directly address accessibility of the internet
- Title II: "communications with persons with disabilities
must be "as effective as communications with others"
[28 C.F.R. ss 35.160(a)]
- Title III: Public accommodation of people with disabilities

13. Yes - with complications.
- Enforcement is difficult, expensive, and irregular
- Definitions of web accessibility are not regulated for
most businesses
- Updates to laws don't equal updates to software
- Appropriation vs Accommodation laws

14. Accessibility =
Economic Opportunity

15. Software in Employment and Education

16. The most common job: Janitor
- Job Application via website
- Interview details shared via PDF
- Clock in application for your phone
- Scheduling and instructions shared via company application or intranet
- Supply requisition and stock requests via web-based application
- HR information & requests shared through intranet
- Benefits management through web-based application

17. Software in Schools
- Learning software
- Educational games
- Program enrollment and student information management
- Grade reporting and retrieval
- Learning/course management systems
- Electronic textbooks
- Educational videos

18. Software is Pervasive

19. 10.5%
Unemployment rate for people with a
disability in 2016
https://www.bls.gov/news.release/disabl.nr0.htm

20. 8.4%
Unemployment rate for people with a
disability in 2006
https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/su6203a5.htm

21. 4.6%Unemployment rate for persons without a disability, 2016

22. Accessibility isn't in the contract
- For government-funded contracts, it's required
whether it's in the contract or not.
- Accessibility should be fundamental to any software
project, not an optional add-on.
- Contracts should define what is considered accessible
for a given project.

23. What can we do about it?
- Create accessible applications.
- Create accessible tools.
- Create accessible jobs.
- Create accessible themes and plug-ins.
- Care.

24. Questions?
Joe Dolson // joe@joedolson.com // https://www.joedolson.com