Digital and Information Accessibility
This page includes selected resources about access to information and digital content. All resources are in English unless specified.
Page Contents
- Marrakesh Treaty
- Reports: Malaysia
- Reports: Other Countries
- Research: Malaysia
- Research: Other Countries
- Guidelines: Digital and Web Accessibility
- Guidelines: Easy Read
- Guidelines: Image Descriptions for Persons with Print Disabilities
- Guidelines: Publishing for Blind Persons, Persons with Visual Impairment and Other Print Disabilities
- Guidelines: Video Accessibility
- Articles
Guidelines and Toolkits
Marrakesh Treaty: A 5-Step CSO Action Guide, with Insights from Seeding the “Miracle of Marrakesh:” The Journey of Malaysia’s Accession to the Marrakesh Treaty
~ Civil Society Organization Perspective
– Available in accessible pdf and word format
e-Accessibility Policy Toolkit for Persons with Disabilities by ITU & G3ict
Reports: Malaysia
Status of Digital Rights in Malaysia: Focus on Persons with Disabilities, Older Persons, Children and Youth , a Civil Society Joint Submission for the 45th Session, 4th Cycle, Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review
The first-ever United Nations ESCAP-supported Malaysian cross-disability training project on disability-inclusive digital accessibility and strategic advocacy: Disability-Inclusive Digitalization in the context of COVID-19 in Malaysia.
The international resource persons who contributed to project outcomes included Dipendra Manocha, Director (Developing Countries), DAISY Consortium; Prashant Ranjan Verma, Digital Accessibility Specialist; Judy Wee, Senior Expert on Accessibility and Universal Design; Tricia Malowney (AOM), gender and disability specialist, and Chief Advocate, Department of Transport and Planning, Government of Victoria, Australia; and the late Senator Monthian Buntan, former two-term Member of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Reports: Other Countries
Banking on Accessibility
A case for accessible banking for Persons with Disabilities (PwDs) by Xavier’s Resource Centre for the Visually Challenged (XRCVC), St. Xavier’s College, Mumbai, India, June 2022.
This comprehensive report can be used by regulatory and governance authorities like the Reserve Bank of India, banks, other associated bodies, decision makers and policy experts. Its purpose is to aid them in monitoring and evaluation of existing guidelines and the level of their actual implementation. It articulates banking problems faced by users and makes strong recommendations “to improve the scenario.” The scope of the report is largely focussed on infringement of the rights of Blind persons who use or propose to use banking facilities. Source: XRCVC in Banking on Accessibility.
Our right to knowledge: Legal reviews for the ratification of the Marrakesh Treaty for persons with print disabilities in Asia and the Pacific by United Nations Development Programme and World Blind Union
Digital Accessibility Rights Evaluation Index (DARE Index) to trace country progress in making Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) accessible for all by G3ict
Inclusive Banking: Emerging Practices to Advance the Economic Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities by International Finance Corporation
Research: Malaysia
Situation of Persons with Disabilities in the COVID-19 Pandemic and Access to ICT, with a special focus on women and girls with disabilities (Malaysia) – Available in accessible pdf and Word format
Research: Other Countries
Barriers to Digital Inclusion by American Foundation for the Blind
Guidelines: Digital and Web Accessibility
W3C Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 3.0 by W3.org
Digital Accessibility Guidelines for Persons with Disabilities by OKU Rights Matter
India’s OTT Accessibility Revolution: New Guidelines to Make Streaming Inclusive for Everyone by DigitalA11Y
Introduction to Web Accessibility by W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview by W3C Web Accessibility Initiative
How to Create Accessible Content by Princeton University
Web Accessibility Myths: Debunking 7 Common Misconceptions by Alisa Smith in Moz
Improve Internet Accessibility for Individuals with Impaired Vision by MyVision.org
Making Content Usable for People with Cognitive and Learning Disabilities , W3C Working Group Note 29 April 2021
Autism Accessibility Guidelines Research Report (on web accessibility) by Hassell Inclusion for National Autistic Society, UK
The Complete Guide to Section 508 Compliance by Level Access
The Complete Guide to European Accessibility Act (EAA) Compliance by Level Access
The Must-Have WCAG Checklist by Level Access
The Essential EN 301 549 Checklist by Level Access
How-to Guide to Digital Accessibility in Higher Education by Level Access
Section 508 Training by Homeland Security
Global Braille Literacy Campaign – More Braille: More Empowerment by ICEVI
Digital Accessibility Foundations Free Online Course by W3
European Accessibility Act (EAA) guidelines by European Commission
Guidelines: Easy Read
Easy read materials help persons with limited reading skills understand written information more easily. Easy read presents information in simple words and sentences.
Easy read also uses simple pictures to illustrate the meaning of information presented.
Individuals who benefit from easy read include:
- Persons with Dyslexia and other reading difficulties
- Persons with intellectual disabilities
- Persons with dementia
- Persons with speech and language disorders
- Persons with limited reading skills, such as second-language learners, poor readers, children.
How To Make Information Accessible: A guide to producing easy read documents (pdf) by CHANGE, UK
Easy-to-read checklist to make sure your document is easy to read (pdf) by Inclusion Europe.
A guide to producing written information in easy read (pdf) by North Yorkshire County Council, UK
Guidelines: Image Descriptions for Persons with Print Disabilities
Describing Images in Publications—Guidance, Best Practices and the Promise of Technology (Webinar) by DAISY Consortium
The Art and Science of Describing Images (Webinar Series) by DAISY Consortium
Guidelines: Publishing for Blind Persons, Persons with Visual Impairment and Other Print Disabilities
Guidelines for Accessible Publishing by National Council for the Blind Malaysia (NCBM) – Available in accessible pdf and word format
Introduction to Inclusive Publishing by Inclusive Publishing (A DAISY Consortium Initiative)
Accessibility Top Tips for Publishing Digital Books by Inclusive Publishing (A DAISY Consortium Initiative)
Accessible eBook Guidelines for Self-Publishing Authors by Accessible Books Consortium and International Authors Forum
Accessible Publishing Best Practice Guidelines for Publishers produced by EDItEUR in association with World Intellectual Property Organization (WIPO) and DAISY Consortium
Best Practices and Guidelines for Large Print Documents by American Council of the Blind
EBU Clear Print Guidelines (pdf) by European Blind Union
Making Information Accessible to All by European Blind Union
Word Document Publishing 101 (Webinar) by Inclusive Publishing (A DAISY Consortium Initiative)
Guidelines: Video Accessibility
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative Guidelines for Making Audio and Media Accessible resources:
- Audio Content and Video Content
- Audio Description of Visual Information
- Captions/Subtitles
- Sign Languages
- Transcribing Audio to Text
Video Accessibility Guidelines and Laws for Closed Captioning by Scribie Blog
Articles
If Tech Fails to Design for the Most Vulnerable, It Fails Us All by Afsaneh Rigot
Accessibility: Inclusivity in the post-pandemic world in The Edge Malaysia
Overcoming Common Myths and Misconceptions about Digital Accessibility by Linda Sanabria in Accessibility.com
The International Accessibility Standards You Need to Follow by Chris Ward in Telerik
Are Youtube and Microsoft Stream WCAG Compliant? by Kami Funk in Accessibility.com
Artificial intelligence and the rights of persons with disabilities by United Nations Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities, Gerard Quinn
How Disabled Users Really Test Websites In Real Life by AccessbyDesign
A threat model for accessibility on the web by Alice Boxhall
How to Convince People to Care and Invest in Accessibility by Stephanie Walter
Accessibility, the Origin of Innovation by Sam’s Stuff
Why Blind Shoppers Can’t Complete Online Checkout by Cool Happenings
Why the world is not designed for left-handed people by Elvis Hsiao
What’s it like to be colorblind by Lisa Charlotte Muth
10 myths and facts about digital accessibility by A11y explained with Diana
FAQ’s
Digital accessibility ensures that ICT and websites can be used by everyone. It is a fundamental right to information access as recognized by the CRPD.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) provide a global standard for making digital content perceivable and robust for people with diverse disabilities.