A11ying with Sanna - I would if I could a guide to web accessibility

Psychological / Psychiatric disabilities

Psychological/psychiatric disabilities are conditions that affect a person's mental health or emotional well-being, such as depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder, or schizophrenia.

In the IAAP CPACC Body of Knowledge document, the disabilities are split to three categories: social disabilities, emotional disabilities and behavioral disabilities.

What barriers might people with psychological/psychiatric disabilities encounter?

There are several potential barriers, but here are a couple of examples for the web:

  • Inaccessible language: Websites with complex or unclear language may be difficult to understand.
  • Inaccessible multimedia content: Websites that rely on multimedia content, such as videos or games, that may trigger certain psychological/psychiatric conditions, such as anxiety or seizures, may be inaccessible for some users.
  • Inaccessible navigation: Websites that require precise mouse movements or keystrokes may be difficult for people to navigate.
  • Inaccessible design: Websites with poor design or layout, such as those with flashing or blinking content, may trigger certain psychological/psychiatric conditions or cause discomfort to some users.
  • Inaccessible forms and input fields: Websites that require precise keystrokes or long, complex forms may be difficult for some users.

Psychological / Psychiatric disabilities can also be very stigmatizing. And with getting medical help, there can also be barriers.

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