Accessibility is not synonymous with disability. Accessibility benefits everyone.
Systems that behave in ways that we expect them to, workplaces that meet everyone’s different working styles, smartphones that automatically adjust contrast depending on light levels, and shortcuts for repetitive tasks.
Accessibility is not a one-size fits all; in making something accessible for one person, you may well render it inaccessible for another. For example, tactile paving at pedestrian crossings can be great for people with sight loss but can be difficult for people using mobility equipment or pushchairs.
The key is to think about accessibility from a range of different perspectives and create environments, systems, processes and cultures that are flexible. Think about physical and learning disabilities, mental health and wellbeing, neurodivergence and sensory differences and always approach new and updates to existing processes through the lens of coproduction.
Here at WeChange.AI, we know that accessibility is vital to your employees, your organisation, your customers and we want to make sure that everyone has the skills they need to both create and consume accessible content and understand why it matters.
That’s why we’ve made our accessibility content open to all, not just our customers. It’s part of our commitment to social value, how we will have a positive impact on our society and economy through delivering wellbeing, sustainability, and community improvements.
We’ve split the content into logical chapters, introducing what accessibility is and why it matters, how to create and consume accessible content, as well as considerations for digital and in-person meetings. You’ll find lots of videos you can follow along with but also support links that you can bookmark for future reference.
Contact us for more information on anything in these pages, or to discuss our services.
Sections of our Accessibility series:
- Accessibility – mini series guidance (this page)
- Introduction to Accessibility
- Creating Accessible Content
- Consuming Content
- Inclusive Meetings & Events
- Additional information & Guidance on Accessibility
End-users (practical how to guidance and learning)
- Make your Word documents accessible – Guidance on how to create accessible Word documents.
- Make your content accessible to everyone (Microsoft 365) – Steps for making digital content accessible across Microsoft 365.
- Accessibility fundamentals training (Microsoft Learn) – Introductory training on accessibility concepts and practices.
- Microsoft Accessibility hub – Microsoft’s main hub for accessibility tools, features, and programmes.
- Accessibility video training – Video tutorials on using accessibility features in Microsoft 365.
- 10 habits to create accessible content – A blog post listing ten practical habits for producing accessible content.
- Accessibility Learning Pathway PDF – A PDF learning pathway covering key accessibility topics.
- AbilityNet accessibility services – Accessibility support services and assessments from AbilityNet.
IT implementers (deployment, configuration, rollout)
- Accessibility tools for Microsoft 365 – Overview of accessibility tools available in Microsoft 365 apps.
- Microsoft 365 Apps accessibility deployment guide (US) – Deployment guidance for enabling accessibility in Microsoft 365 Apps.
- Microsoft 365 Apps accessibility deployment guide (UK) – UK version of the accessibility deployment guide for Microsoft 365 Apps.
- Microsoft Accessibility scenario library – Microsoft accessibility adoption scenarios and resources.
- Microsoft Accessibility resource downloads – A collection of downloadable Microsoft accessibility resources.
- Microsoft 365 education accessibility baseline – Accessibility baseline guidance for Microsoft 365 in education.
Strategy, standards, leadership, organisational roles
- WCAG 2.2 standard – The official Web Content Accessibility Guidelines version 2.2.
- Microsoft Neurodiversity Programme case study – A PDF case study describing Microsoft’s Neurodiversity programme.
- Benefits of an Accessibility Strategy – A Microsoft resource explaining the organisational benefits of an accessibility strategy.
