Digital Accessibility is key for many Disabled people for accessing work, leisure or essential services. This includes, increasingly, for accessing healthcare.
Because Disabled people are more likely to experience unemployment and poverty than non-disabled people, we are also facing increasing financial barriers to digital access too. With less access to education and skills, we are also less likely to have access to those skills needed for getting online. These negative impacts are worse here in the North East. We’re also the region with the highest rate of Disability in the country.
In 2023, the UK Communications and Digital Committee found that 7 million households have no broadband or mobile internet access, and 1 million people have cut back or cancelled their internet packages in the last year due to affordability issues. The cost of living crisis has impacted 35% of people in their ability to get online.
Likewise, the right to accessible information is established in law with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and the Equality Act 2010, protecting disabled people from discrimination.
If information is not available in an easy-to-understand format, some people may struggle to make key decisions about important areas of their life.
Our work
Our Digital Accessibility work began in 2020 together with the Better ConNEcted project.
Since then, we’ve worked with hundreds of people in organisations ranging from the NHS, and local authorities, to arts and cultural organisations. Our training has helped them to embed digital accessibility in their work, and share tools and ways of thinking, to make it a priority. We have been part of the Digital Pathfinders programme to reach organisations across the voluntary sector too.
We offer Digital Accessibility training and consultancy that can help you create:
- Accessible and Inclusive Social Media
- Accessible Digital Content and Documents
- Accessible and Inclusive Online/Hybrid Meetings and Events
Would you like us to come and run a 1 hour introductory session on Digital Accessibility? We’d love to!
Get in touch to arrange: nic@differencenortheast.org.uk
In the meantime, check out our Social Media Accessibility Checklist. It can help you make sure your social media content works for Disabled people. Social Media Accessibility Checklist- Difference NE