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Free accessibility training

Accessibility is for Everyone

Learn accessibility, one short video at a time.

A school notice. A job application. A message from the doctor.

Everyday information to most of us—but someone may not be able to read it, hear it, or reach the button that lets them respond.

Making it accessible means people with disabilities can get the information and use it as fully as everyone else. That is where we begin: helping everyone understand what accessibility means, why it matters, and what they can do.

Start here: understand accessibility

Small changes. Meaningful access.

Picture the difference you can make.

A notice someone can hear.

The barrier: Important information is shown only in a picture.

The change: Put the information in real text and describe what the picture communicates, so a screen reader can speak it.

A video someone can read.

The barrier: The message is spoken, with no captions.

The change: Add accurate captions and a transcript, so someone who cannot hear the audio can follow the message.

A form someone can complete.

The barrier: A button can only be reached with a mouse.

The change: Make every control work with a keyboard, with a visible focus indicator showing where the person is.

Asked to meet Section 508? Understand what that means for your website and documents.

The lessons

Each lesson answers one question in plain words. Watch the video, or read the lesson.

  1. Lesson 1

    What is accessibility, and how do I start?

    Accessibility means people with disabilities can use something as fully as everyone else.

    Read the lesson Video coming soon

    Listen: about 1 minute 40 seconds.

    Read the transcript

    What is accessibility? It means people with disabilities can use your website, documents and apps as fully as everyone else. Here's what that looks like, and how to start.

    More than one in four adults in the United States has a disability. That's over seventy million people.

    Think about what you do online in a week. Pay a bill. Read a letter from the doctor. Apply for a job.

    A person who is blind uses a screen reader, a program that reads the screen out loud.

    But a picture with no description just sounds like "image." The person misses what it shows.

    A person who is deaf reads captions. Without captions, a video says nothing.

    A person who can't use a mouse moves with a keyboard. If a menu only works with a mouse, it's a locked door.

    For millions of people, the internet is the bridge to everyday life. Accessibility keeps that bridge open. The law requires it. But the law exists because people were being left out.

    So how do you start? Four steps. One: learn the four plain ideas behind the rules. Two: fix what you control this week: real headings, picture descriptions, captions, clear link words, and strong contrast. Three: put the mouse away and check that everything works with the keyboard. Four: get help for the big jobs.

    Accessibility is making sure nobody is left on the other side of the screen. Next: what Section 508 means for your website and documents.

    Gov508. Accessibility is for everyone.

  2. Lesson 2

    What does Section 508 mean for my website and documents?

    It means people with disabilities can use them as fully as everyone else.

    Read the lesson Video coming soon

  3. Lesson 3

    What can I do this week?

    Start with five fixes that help the most people: real headings, picture descriptions, clear link words, strong contrast, and captions.

    Read the lesson Video coming soon

  4. Lesson 4

    How do I check my own work?

    Use three simple checks anyone can do: put the mouse away, zoom in, and run an automatic checker.

    Read the lesson Video coming soon

  5. Lesson 5

    Where do I get help?

    Start with free official guidance, then your own organization, then outside help for the big jobs.

    Read the lesson Video coming soon

Federal and state laws

Want to see how your own website does? Check one web page free against Section 508 and Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2.