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Accessibility and Disability

Welcome to the Accessibility & Disability Resource Guide!

Initially, accessibility focused on the physical needs of the community. This term has now expanded to refer to all needs of individuals with disabilities. Accessibility allows individuals with disabilities to access information and resources equally and fully, just as a person without a disability can access the information and resources. Accessibility is a civil right for everyone.   

We are also working toward "universal design," which encourages design thinking to make spaces and resources accessible to all users, with and without disabilities. One example would be allowing the text on your website to be manipulated by the user to be easier for them, such as making the text larger or smaller, allowing text to be read by a screen reader, or allowing the text to be easily translated into other languages. Many users may appreciate these potential solutions and do not need to have a disability to use them. Universal design encourages us to go beyond the minimum accessibility standards and think through ways that we can make our physical space, as well as digital resources as easy to use and helpful to the most users as possible.

A disability is any condition of the body or mind (impairment) that makes it more difficult for the person with the condition to do certain activities (activity limitation) and interact with the world around them (participation restrictions).

There are many types of disabilities, such as those that affect a person’s:

  • Vision
  • Movement
  • Thinking
  • Remembering
  • Learning
  • Communicating
  • Hearing
  • Mental health
  • Social relationships

Disabilities can be hidden from casual view or easy to see. They can affect people in different ways. We cannot generalize that "people with disabilities" may need the same supports to fully participate in an activity or interaction they are interested in. Everyone is an individual and needs individual support and understanding.