Educating about digital accessibility helps everyone in the community, not just the people with disability.
When most people hear the term digital accessibility, they think it only applies to people with disability. However digital accessibility helps everyone. When communities, businesses, and organisations invest in learning about accessibility, they create online spaces that are easier to use, more welcoming, and more effective for all.
What Digital Accessibility Means
Digital accessibility is ensuring that websites, apps, and all other digital content can be used by everyone regardless of ability. This includes people who have different levels of impairment from low to severe vision or hearing impairments, and people with mobility or cognitive differences. However it also assists the whole community.
Older Australians benefit from clear and simple navigation. Parents juggling children while shopping online rely on websites that are easy to read on a phone. Captions on videos are essential for people who are deaf, but they also help anyone in a noisy café or on public transport. Good accessibility design removes barriers, saves time, and creates smoother experiences for every user.
Accessibility is not a box to tick. It’s about giving everyone the same chance to participate, whether they’re applying for a job, booking a service, or connecting with their community.
The Knowledge Gap in Leadership
One of the biggest issues facing accessibility today is not the cost of technology. It’s the lack of knowledge. Many managers and executives don’t understand what digital accessibility involves or why it matters. Because of this, accessibility often gets overlooked in budgets, strategies, and planning.
Some leaders believe accessibility is complicated or expensive. Others think it only benefits a small percentage of people. In reality, ignoring accessibility can cost businesses far more. Failing to meet accessibility standards can damage reputation, reduce customer trust, and even create legal risks.
In Australia, the Disability Discrimination Act makes it clear that organisations have a legal responsibility to provide equal access. Yet many leaders remain unaware of this. Without the right knowledge, they miss the opportunity to build stronger, more inclusive digital spaces.
Why Education is the Key
Educating the community about digital accessibility is one of the most powerful ways to close this knowledge gap. When people at every level including leaders, designers, content creators, and customer service staff, understand accessibility, they start making choices that include everyone.
- Leaders learn that accessibility is a smart business investment, not an optional extra.
- Web developers and designers discover how to build inclusive websites by including from the start of the project.
- Content creators learn to write in plain English, structure information clearly, and add image descriptions.
- Frontline staff gain the confidence to assist customers with accessibility needs.
At DASAT, we’ve seen how awareness training transforms organisations. Once staff understand how accessibility works, they are better equipped to make improvements in their daily work. This creates a ripple effect. Small changes add up to big improvements across websites, apps, and services.
Quick Tips to Get People Listening
Raising awareness about digital accessibility is important. However how do you get people to listen? Here are some practical tips:
For Educators
- Use real-life examples: Show how accessibility helps everyone, such as captions in noisy environments or larger fonts on mobile phones.
- Make it practical: Provide small, quick actions like “add alt text to your next image” or “check headings are in order.”
- Connect to business goals: Frame accessibility as something that improves customer reach, builds trust, and reduces legal risks.
- Highlight success stories: Share examples of organisations that improved their services after investing in accessibility.
- Discuss Innovation: Many of the digital tools that we use every day evolved from the need to find solutions for people with disability. The keyboard, and use of pictures on retail registers are good examples.
For People with Disability
- Share lived experience: Personal stories can be more powerful than statistics. Explain what works and what doesn’t.
- Offer feedback: Let businesses know when a website or app isn’t accessible and suggest practical improvements.
- Be visible: Join community events, panels, or online discussions where accessibility is being considered.
- Build allies: Work with educators, advocates, and businesses to spread awareness together.
When educators bring the knowledge and people with disability bring the lived experience, the message becomes stronger, clearer, and harder to ignore.
The Benefits for Everyone
When accessibility is prioritised, it doesn’t just help people with disability. It benefits the whole community.
- Clearer design makes websites easier for everyone to navigate.
- Faster load times help people with slower internet connections.
- Captions make videos more flexible to watch in different environments.
- Accessible forms reduce mistakes and frustration for all users.
These changes improve customer satisfaction and increase trust. They also reduce the need for expensive fixes later. Building accessibility in from the start saves time, money, and stress.
A Community Responsibility
Accessibility should not be left only to technology experts or disability advocates. It is a responsibility that belongs to the whole community. Schools, businesses, community organisations, and governments all have a role to play in spreading awareness.
For example, councils can run workshops on accessible online services. Businesses can include accessibility in staff training. Schools can teach students about inclusive digital design. Each of these steps helps build a culture where accessibility is valued and understood.
Moving Forward
The future of digital accessibility depends on education. By teaching communities how accessibility works and why it matters, we break down barriers and open doors. Leaders who once saw accessibility as “too hard” begin to understand its benefits. Designers who once overlooked accessibility features start building them in as standard.
When everyone is included, the digital world becomes stronger. Accessibility is not only the right thing to do—it is the smart thing to do.