It’s Global Accessibility Awareness Day! [Article]

On Could 20, 2021, Treehouse joins within the celebration of the tenth World Accessibility Consciousness Day, or GAAD.

In keeping with the World Accessibility Consciousness Day web site,

The aim of GAAD is to get everybody speaking, considering and studying about digital entry and inclusion, and the greater than One Billion individuals with disabilities/impairments.

The occasions of World Accessibility Consciousness Day are designed to show builders of on-line content material to create first-rate digital experiences for customers with disabilities. With extra individuals working and attending college remotely because of the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, accessibility is extra necessary than ever. And shortcut options comparable to accessibility overlays, or JavaScript widgets that try to appropriate accessibility points because the web page hundreds, aren’t ok. Designers and builders want to contemplate customers with disabilities at each stage of the analysis, design, testing, and improvement course of of each undertaking.

Treehouse is a mission-driven group, and three of our cultural values embrace

• Get everybody to the identical beginning line
• Match the range of the USA
• Assist everybody really feel like they belong

Creating equal on-line entry for customers with disabilities feels very a lot according to Treehouse’s mission.

Accessibility at Treehouse

Whereas we at Treehouse acknowledge that there are at all times extra enhancements to make, we’re happy with the steps we’ve taken not too long ago to each unfold accessibility consciousness and make our product extra accessible to learners with disabilities.

Accessibility Programs

In 2020, Treehouse added two completely different accessibility programs to our core curriculum.

Each programs cowl necessary ideas and suggestions from the Internet Content material Accessibility Tips (WCAG), the internationally acknowledged customary for net content material accessibility.

Weblog Posts

Take a look at Treehouse’s ongoing collection of weblog posts in regards to the Internet Content material Accessibility Tips:

Accessibility Enhancements

Treehouse is at all times open to solutions and suggestions on the best way to enhance the accessibility of our personal studying platform. Enhancements we’ve revamped the previous yr embrace

• Caption evaluations. Earlier than launching a course, every Treehouse teacher is now required to overview video captions for accuracy. Movies that includes a number of audio system ought to have speaker identification added to the captions.
• Growing shade distinction. Our engineering crew and product designers are working arduous to maintain the distinction between foreground and background colours ample on our web site and inside our movies and animations.

As well as, a variety of upcoming modifications are scheduled, together with

• Disabling autoplay. Whereas WCAG Success Criterion 1.4.2 solely requires autoplaying media to have a pause mechanism, sounds that play mechanically can intervene with display reader efficiency or trigger confusion for customers with cognitive disabilities. Autoplaying video may also set off seizures and different bodily reactions.
• Embracing plain language pointers. Treehouse is presently engaged on an up to date model of our type information for written copy. The type information contains suggestions from plainlanguage.gov on protecting writing clear and comprehensible.

What’s Subsequent?

What enhancements ought to Treehouse make over the next yr? What are you doing to rejoice World Accessibility Consciousness Day and to unfold accessibility consciousness? Tell us within the feedback!