The Accessibility Work Group was created to examine the challenges of geospatial products and applications to be inclusively designed and comply with national standards for accessibility. It was charged with providing support to NSGIC members by collecting existing accessibility standards and resources and to provide helpful recommendations that support the creation of more accessible geospatial products.
Accessibility means creating content, and in GIS specifically, ensuring that maps, data, and applications are usable by everyone, including people with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive disabilities.
Have you ever been to a loud concert where you couldn’t hear the person next to you, or outside when the sun is too bright to see your phone? These are examples of situational disabilities. Some people have temporary disabilities, like a broken bone, or permanent disability, like being deaf.
This makes accessibility a significant consideration. In 2022, more than 1 in 4 users reported having a disability, which means you could be unintentionally barring users from your content if you are missing accessibility features, like subtitles, for example.
Most people will experience a disability at one point in their lives, so making GIS accessible will make sure no one has issues creating or using GIS.
The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) are often considered the standards for making accessible content. The Americans with Disabilities Act Title 2 requires all state and local governments to follow WCAG version 2.1 level AA.
For more information, view the ADA fact sheet for state and local governments about accessibility for web and mobile content.
Getting started is the biggest challenge! Start by creating a strategic plan.
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