Disability is not always permanent. Accessibility is not only about long-term conditions.
People may experience barriers because of:
Accessibility addresses barriers — not labels.
Permanent disabilities are long-term conditions that significantly affect a person’s interaction with the world.
Examples:
These are often what people think of first when discussing accessibility.
Temporary disabilities affect someone for a limited period.
Examples:
During this time, accessibility barriers may resemble those experienced by people with permanent disabilities.
Situational limitations occur when the environment restricts the ability.
Examples:
These situations can create accessibility barriers even for people without diagnosed disabilities.
Accessibility is not about designing for a small group. It is about designing for human variability.
When we design for permanent disabilities, we often improve usability for temporary and situational limitations as well.
Accessible design increases resilience and flexibility.
Disability is not a fixed category. It is often a mismatch between a person’s abilities and their environment. When digital services reduce barriers, they support people across permanent, temporary, and situational contexts.