Digital accessibility is about making sure people with disabilities can use and interact with technology. Digital accessibility ensures participation of people who use computers and mobile devices but cannot see a screen, hear a video, hold a mouse, or have other disabilities impacting how technology is used.
The promise of online dispute resolution (ODR) depends on accessibility. Without it, ODR cannot meet the needs of its stakeholders. Why? Because accessibility and ODR have one very important thing in common: they are both about serving the needs of people.
Accessibility allows ODR systems to reach the greatest number of people possible.
Websites, mobile applications, software platforms and other technologies are accessible when developed and designed to internationally recognized accessibility standards. But design and development are not enough. A host of best practices related to business processes, training and more exist to bake accessibility into systems.
Systems like ODR.
While accessibility is a civil and human right of disabled people, accessible ODR platforms and content benefit more than people with disabilities. Accessibility is essential for some, useful for all.
Just as curb ramps aid parents with strollers along with wheelchair users, captioned video content benefits anyone in a noisy environment along with deaf and hard of hearing people. A well designed easy to navigate website benefits aging boomers along with people with cognitive and other disabilities.
Universally designed digital content benefits everyone.