Web Inclusion Accessibility: Building a Better Digital World for All

In today’s digital world, technology is an integral part of our daily lives, and for many of us, it has become almost impossible to imagine a life without it.

However, for some, especially those with disabilities, technology is often a source of frustration and exclusion.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), over a billion people worldwide live with some form of disability, and this number is expected to grow as the population ages.

In this context, it is essential to ensure that the digital world is inclusive and accessible to everyone, regardless of their abilities. This is part of what we do at This is Milk.

Based in Glasgow, we work with a network of global clients, This is Milk was founded eight years ago by the award-winning entrepreneur Angela Prentner-Smith. She has gained a gold-standard reputation for This is Milk’s human-centred approach to its training and consultancy services. 

In this piece Jamie Butterworth, a software developer from This is Milk shares his expertise on web inclusion accessibility and building a better, more inclusive digital world for all.

What is web inclusion accessibility ?

This is the practice of designing and developing digital products and services that are accessible to everyone, including those with disabilities. It is about building a digital world that is barrier-free, inclusive, and enables everyone to participate equally.

As a software developer, I have recently had the opportunity to work on a project that prioritises web inclusion accessibility. Neve Learning is a platform designed to be accessible with an emphasis on neurodivergent learners.

This has been an entirely new venture for me, and I quickly realised that I could not rely on common sense to build an accessible app. That’s when I turned to a book recommended by my tech lead, “Practical Web Inclusion and Accessibility” by Ashley Firth.

The book opened my eyes to the diverse range of disabilities and impairments that exist and highlighted the difficulties faced by a neurodivergent audience when interacting with the digital world. The book also provided a wealth of technical solutions to alleviate these difficulties.

Designing Neve with Inclusion in Mind

Designing a product with inclusion in mind requires a shift in mindset. Instead of assuming that all users have the same abilities and needs, we need to recognise and account for the diverse range of abilities and needs of our audience. This involves asking the right questions and prioritising the needs of our users.

At Neve, we are relentlessly asking questions such as:

“Can a deaf or blind person use this feature?” “Can this content keep the attention of a person with ADHD?” “Is this content too implicit for a person with autism?” “Are there too many options? Will this trigger a person with an anxiety disorder?”

By prioritising the needs of our audience, we are ensuring that Neve becomes the go-to inclusive learning platform.

Making Neve Accessible to All

Making Neve accessible to all requires a multi-faceted approach. It involves incorporating a wide range of accessibility features, including:

Assistive technology support

This includes screen readers, voice recognition software, and other tools that help users interact with the digital world.

User interface design

User interface design should be intuitive and easy to navigate. The design should be consistent throughout the platform to minimize confusion and help users quickly find what they are looking for.

Colour contrast

Colour contrast is essential for users with color blindness or low vision. The colour palette should be chosen carefully to ensure that all text is easy to read.

Alternative text

Alternative text should be provided for all images, videos, and other non-text content. This is important for users who use screen readers or have visual impairments.

Captioning and transcripts

Captioning and transcripts should be provided for all videos and audio content. This is important for users who are deaf or hard of hearing.

Keyboard accessibility

Keyboard accessibility is essential for users who cannot use a mouse. All features and functions should be accessible via a keyboard.

Content organisation

Content should be well-organised, and headings should be used to help users navigate through the content. This is especially important for users with disabilities or limited cognitive abilities, as well as for those who are accessing the content through mobile devices or slow internet connections.

Sometimes there isn’t a standard already out there to meet the needs of the platform, so with Neve, we are pioneering the way by building the foundations we need to shape the future of learning.

Jamie Butterworth joined This is Milk in September 2022 as a software developer, working on their inclusive learning platform Neve Learning.

Neve Learning is a cloud-based Ed-Tech platform designed by Glasgow-based agency, This is Milk. to help training providers and organisations manage and deliver learning in a more inclusive way, one which is aligned with a future-focused educational framework.

With the understanding that all brains are unique, Neve is building a hybrid learning platform, with inclusion first principles to meet the needs of learners with conditions such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, attention deficit disorder or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). 

This is Milk are currently seeking investment.

Investors will receive a share in This is Milk, which has doubled its annual turnover for each of the last three years. This unique opportunity to share in the company’s success and to back a project with a purpose will help maintain its reputation for changing the dynamics of the modern British workplace.
 
Neve has constructed a suite of features designed to make it easy for trainers to deliver content in ways that make teaching and learning more successful for everyone. It provides Learning Pathways which allow learners to interact with course content organised into digestible chunks. These act as a ‘roadmap’, guiding learners on how they progress.
 
Neve will also help professional learners gain an education that goes beyond just knowledge sharing. With Neve they will acquire the means to demonstrate explicitly how to apply what they learn in specific contexts.
 
Neve will become the ideal alternative to traditional training and learning. The effectiveness of these ‘tried and trusted’ methods has simply been outstripped by the pace of a changing global economy and the technology landscape. Our methods and ideas will help workplaces adapt to this fast-changing environment by making them nimbler and more flexible.

For more information, please email [email protected]