The Social Model of Disability: How Does it Apply Online?

You may understand how to remove barriers in your venue to create a space your entire community can enjoy - but do you understand how to do the same for your website?

What is the social model of disability?

The social model of disability states that a person’s impairment does not cause their disability, instead the barriers they face does. This shifts the responsibility of accessibility away from the individual and to society to remove barriers.

It is important to mention that this model does not apply to all areas of a disabled person’s experience. For example, if they experience chronic pain, there is no barrier to remove, only care to provide.

What accessibility barriers does my website put up, and how can I remove them?

This model is simple to see when you go into public: stairs are a barrier to someone in a wheelchair, bright lights are a barrier to someone with autism. But how can this apply online?

Let’s have a look at some barriers you may have on your website:

Barrier	Removing the barrier	Our top tips!
A non-decorative image	This is often the first thing we think of when considering website accessibility. The barrier here is that it provides information or context that is unavailable to an individual who may be using a screenreader, it can easily be resolved by adding alt-text.	Grandad’s own CMS - YouCreate - makes it clear and simple to add alt-text while uploading an image. It even reminds you if you save an image without adding alt-text - ensuring you don’t forget!
Video or audio content	These formats often communicate information audibly, preventing deaf individuals from accessing the content. Providing a transcript or captions can remove this barrier.	If you use a third-party that don’t focus on accessibility, promoting your content on your website can provide a place to share the transcription. Check out how our client the Information Security Forum, promote their podcast episodes on their website, allowing users to download the transcript and follow along!
Navigation using a keyboard and mouse or a touchscreen	We know what you’re thinking - “I have no control over the hardware someone uses - this isn’t my responsibility”. However, ensuring all elements of your website can be navigated by keyboard will remove this barrier for many.	We work with many venues, and many venue websites use iframes - especially in the booking flow. It’s important to remember these and to work with ticketing providers that prioritise accessibility.
Complex language and user journeys	Those with a learning disability may struggle to navigate and explore your website. Using straightforward language and clear navigation structures can remove this barrier.	Unsure if users are getting lost on your website? User Testing can be the perfect way to know for sure, something our team is well-versed in doing.
Unclear typefaces and large pallets	If accessibility wasn’t a key focus when your brand was developed, colour contrast and legibility may not have been checked. Reviewing your brand can remove these barriers for people with visual impairments.	There are some great, free online tools that can help you check these, such as Adobe, IBM, WAVE and AXE.

The curb-cut effect online

Have you ever walked down a street and noticed that the curb slopes down by a crossing, making it flat with the road? That's a curb-cut. They were designed to help people using a wheelchair, but they benefit many more people than that! Anyone pushing a pram, with luggage or riding a bike will also benefit from the curb-cut.

This shows that accessible design benefits a much broader audience than may be expected. The barrier in this scenario is a curb that steps down to the road, and cutting the curb would remove this barrier.

Many accessibility barriers on a website hurt more than just users with accessibility requirements, and removing them will help your users and make your website more effective.

Here’s a few examples:

Using clear, structured navigation may help users with a learning disability, but it also helps those less familiar with your business to find what they’re looking for.
Having sufficient colour contrast may help colourblind users, but it would also help text stand out and be legible to any user on a small screen.
Using plain language may help users with a learning disability, or where English isn’t their first language, but it will also help you have a friendly, approachable tone for your audience!

How does Grandad prioritise accessibility?

We understand how hard venues work to create a space that their entire community can enjoy, our job is to mirror this work online.

To us, accessibility isn’t optional, and it isn’t an afterthought. We embed it throughout our process and consider it in every element of a project. Whether it’s checking colour contrast during design, handling accessible seating with intelligence or creating journeys that are simple and intuitive, accessibility is at the centre of our work.

In a recent conversation with our team, we asked them how their role has changed since they started at Grandad. This blog is the perfect time to spotlight Vince, our Senior Front End Developer’s answer:

Accessibility has shifted from an afterthought to a core priority. We now build with everyone in mind from the start - considering screen readers, keyboard navigation, and different user needs as standard practice.