Gerad K. Cohen

• Reasons for accessibility
• People

“A11y is not a checklist or a tool” - “How you deliver accessibility is unique”

Models of disability

Understanding the different types of disability. Over 20 different models for understanding, we focus on 2: medical model + social model.

Medical Model

• Disability as a problem with the individual
• Tends to look at “what’s wrong with the person” instead of “what does the person need”
• Still sometimes the appropriate model
• Thought for Web Accessibility - we’ll tend to use it less
• “Fix the person”

Social Model

• Disability as a mismatch between impairments and the environment
• The individual not the problem
• “Fix the world”
• Allow individuals to self-service and live autonomously

Solve problems that are essential for some, but useful for everyone