Accessibility aims to remove barriers and promote inclusion. Accessibility means making sure everything is easy to use for everyone. It's about designing things in a way that doesn't leave anyone out.
Accessibility has a clear focus on people with disabilities. But it provides better environments for everyone. Accessibility applies to both digital and physical environments.
Websites, applications and documents need to be accessible. The World Wide Web brought great opportunities to make the world more inclusive.
Before the Internet, a person who couldn't see couldn't read the newspaper. Someone had to read the content to them. But now that the content is online, things are different. Screen readers and other assistive technologies improve the lives of many people.
There are many aspects to accessibility. It applies to everything: design, technical implementation and content. We all have an important role in making the world more accessible.
People need to be able to get to places. Things like buildings, roads and transportation need to be accessible.
Many of the accessibility improvements help more people than you would expect. A ramp next to some stairs will help a person in a wheelchair. But the ramp will also help someone with a stroller. Or a bicycle. Or a bad knee.
Automated doors help people get into buildings. It might be hard for someone to physically open the door. And again, this helps other people as well. Someone who has a lot of things to carry can get through the door much easier.
There are a lot of things already done to improve accessibility. But there is still much to do and much to learn. I recommend you start paying more attention to your surroundings. What are features that are already used for improving accessibility?