By Lica de Souza
The Covid-19 pandemic accelerated digital expansion the equivalent of 10 years in a year. All of a sudden, companies needed to use the digital world in areas they didn’t even imagine before. Likewise, offering products and services in the digital medias was essential for the livelihood of several businesses.
This digital acceleration has created a new world of interactions in different areas, absolutely everything we need or want is on the web. But this universe still has a lot to grow in Brazil. Of the 14.6 million Brazilian websites surveyed by Big Data Corp in partnership with the Movimento Web Para Todos, only 0.74% is accessible. We are talking about a market of 60 million people. Here’s a parenthesis: when thinking about a person with a disability, don’t just think about someone using a wheelchair. Include people with low vision, elderly people, people with a temporary disability, people with intellectual disabilities, people with low literacy, the colorblind. We are in a universe that needs one or more special features to browse the internet.
Digital accessibility is a series of resources that make it possible for anyone to browse, understand and interact autonomously on the web. With digital accessibility, people with disabilities can use, participate and interact with autonomy on websites and services available on the internet.
Adaptations to the sites are possible through companies and consultants. To become accessible, a website must be navigable by voice command, make it possible to change the font size, the cursor, change the font colors, background and headers, allow access to texts through audios, among other possibilities.
Digital accessibility must be thought of as the place where the world, virtual or real, must walk. A place that welcomes and respects everyone, within their capabilities, but with the same equal opportunities.
