What Every Engineer Should Know About Digital Accessibility

by Sarah Horton, David Sloan

Accessibility is a core quality of digital products, to be deliberately addressed throughout the development lifecycle. What Every Engineer Should Know about Digital Accessibility will prepare readers to integrate digital accessibility into their engineering practices. Readers will learn how to accurately frame accessibility as an engineering challenge so that they are able to address the correct problems in the correct way. Illustrated with diverse perspectives from accessibility practitioners and advocates, this book describes how people with disabilities use technology, the nature of accessibility barriers in the digital world, and the role of engineers in breaking down those barriers. Accessibility competence for current, emerging, and future technologies is addressed through a combination of guiding principles, core attributes and requirements, and accessibility-informed engineering practices. Features • Discusses how technology can support inclusion for people with disabilities, and how rigorous engineering processes help create quality user experiences without introducing accessibility barriers • Explains foundational principles and guidelines that build core competency in digital accessibility, applied across diverse and emerging technology platforms • Highlights practical insights into how engineering teams can effectively address accessibility throughout the technology development lifecycle • Uses international standards to define and measure accessibility quality Written to be accessible to non-experts in the subject area, What Every Engineer Should Know about Digital Accessibility is aimed at students, professionals, and researchers in the field of software engineering.

268 pages, Paperback

Published April 30, 2024

Reviews

[Winnie Bosibori · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is an excellent book, especially if you are a newbie to digital accessibility. Each topic is written clearly and easy to digest, which has given me room to explore some of the topics directly or indirectly related to digital accessibility.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

In What Every Engineer Should Know About Digital Accessibility, Horton and Sloan meet the brief perfectly, offering a comprehensive, informative guide to digital accessibility that is essential reading for experienced accessibility professionals and newcomers alike. I found the authors’ matter-of-fact approach really refreshing - the book doesn’t preach or persuade but simply explains how things are and what needs to be done.

Covering the full software development lifecycle, from requirements specification through design and development to testing and evaluation, the book provides a broad view of digital accessibility. In addition to practical guidance, the authors offer strategic advice for developing accessibility maturity across an organisation. The chapter on testing and evaluation was a particular highlight, offering clear, actionable insights. While one section leans heavily on restating WCAG guidelines, with limited analysis for more experienced readers, it offers a clear and straightforward explanation for those new to the field.

For anyone looking for a no-nonsense, comprehensive guide to digital accessibility, this book is highly recommended.