Introduction to Digital Accessibility
Swaroop Joshi • BITS Pilani • KK Birla Goa Campus
July 25, 2026 • आषाढ शुद्ध एकादशी
The Curb Cut Effect
❣️ When we design intentionally for disability, we create innovations that empower everybody.
More examples
PayTM Sound Box
AudioBooks
What is Digital Accessibility?
Digital Accessibility (a11y) refers to the inclusive practice of removing barriers that prevent people with disabilities from interacting with or accessing websites, digital tools, and technologies.
India’s RPWD Act 2016
Public digital platforms are legally required to remove digital barriers for all citizens
Visual • Auditory • Motor • Cognitive
The Persona Spectrum
| Permanent | Being visually impaired or blind 👩🏽🦯 |
| Temporary | Fracturing a wrist due to a small accident 💥 |
| Situational | Using your phone while holding an umbrella ☔️ |
Why a11y?
Ethical
Legal
Business4 Habits You Can Start Today!
1️⃣ Add Alt-Text everywhere ✅
Images in social media posts, Slide decks
2️⃣ Check colour contrast ✅
Avoid light grey or yellow text on white backgrounds
3️⃣ Add Auto-Captions to videos ✅
Enable captions on reels, project videos
4️⃣ Use Proper Headings in Docs ✅
Heading levels in GDocs/Word instead of “bold”
Some useful tools
Axe and Lighthouse — Chrome browser plugins
A11YJobs.com
LearnDigitalAccessibility.com — 🌟 Our Project! 🌟
Thank you!
Prof. Swaroop Joshi
Associate Professor, CS & IS Department
BITS Pilani · KK Birla Goa Campus
📧 swaroopj [at] goa.bits-pilani.ac.in
🌐 swaroopjoshi.in
𝕏 @swaroopjcse