• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

WeCo Digital Accessibility

  • Home
  • Our Story
    • Our Mission
    • For the Press and Media
      • Press Releases
  • Services
    • Free Accessibility Review
    • Accessibility Support Consulting
    • Legal Accessibility Support
    • Disability-Focused Usability Testing
    • Manual Accessibility Audits and Remediation
    • Accessibility Policy Statement
    • Accessibility, Usability, and Disability Awareness Training
    • Accessible Document Services
    • Accessibility, Inclusion SME Speaker Services
  • Who We Are
    • Our Work & Clients
    • Our Testers
  • Contact Us
  • Jobs and Internships
    • Working as a Tester
    • Application and Interview Tips
  • Resources
    • Access Blog
    • Events
    • Webinars
    • Recorded Free Accessibility Webinars
    • Free Access Library
      • Make a Case for Access
    • Disability Employment Resources
      • Disability Employment Awareness Month
  • Site Access
    • Site Map

May 20, 2022 by Lynn Wehrman - Founder/President

Mental Health Accessibility

A woman seated on a sofa with a laptop on her lap. She looks confused, representing mental health and accessibility.Digital accessibility for websites, software, mobile applications and documents, can be tricky for those of us living with mental health disorders.  Mental illnesses can make it difficult to focus on, process, and understand information.    This can create challenges for people navigating websites that are not tailored to our content management and design needs.

As the world strives to become more welcoming of mental illness and neurodiversity, it’s important to begin to frame mental health accessibility as a priority in digital development work. Now more than ever it’s crucial for us to be aware of ways we can make digital products more accessible for people living with mental illnesses.

Mental Health Accessibility Techniques

The Word Wide Web Consortium (W3C) outlines Web Content Accessibility Guidelines that can help make digital products more accessible for individuals with cognitive disabilities, including mental illnesses. The following summarizes these guidelines recommended by W3C:

  • Content should be readable and easily understood
  • Ensure users can adapt the content to a simpler layout while maintaining all information and structure
  • Give users enough time to complete time-sensitive tasks
  • Ensure users can navigate the content easily and determine where they are
  • Incorporate assistance to help users avoid and correct mistakes
  • Content and web pages should appear in a predictable order

Note on Depression

According to the World Health Organization, depression affects around 264 million people worldwide and is one of the main causes of disability worldwide. Not only that, but the prevalence of depression and anxiety has increased 25% within the first year of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Conclusion

People living with mental health disabilities are often overlooked when it comes to creating an digitally accessible products. Making websites that are straightforward, adaptable, and intuitive can remedy that and foster inclusion.

More Reading on this Topic

Read more about the experience WeCo’s founder and president has living with an invisible disability and her story about living with a mental health disability.

Article References

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/mental-disorders

https://www.who.int/news/item/02-03-2022-covid-19-pandemic-triggers-25-increase-in-prevalence-of-anxiety-and-depression-worldwide

https://www.w3.org/WAI/people-use-web/abilities-barriers/#cognitive

https://www.w3.org/WAI/cognitive/#cognitive-accessibility-in-w3c-standards

 

 

Filed Under: Featured Articles, General, Inclusion, Justice, Mental Illness, WCAG Tagged With: Inclusion, WCAG, website accessibility

Primary Sidebar

Use WeCo’s Library. Quick search hundreds of articles, documents and resources.

Footer

Contact WeCo

WeCo Accessibility Services
Reach us at: 855-849-5050 [email protected]

Minneapolis Office:

2730 West Lake Street
Suite 300
Minneapolis, MN  55416

 

CONTACT US

The information provided by WeCo (The Wehrman Collaborative, LLC) is not intended or designed to be used as, or take the place of, legal advice. If you have questions regarding how this information may affect you or your organization legally, please seek the advice of professional legal counsel.

Copyright © 2023. All rights reserved.

IAAP Organizational Member logo

QUICK LINKS

Site Map

Resources

Privacy Policy

Accessibility Policy

SOCIAL MEDIA

FACEBOOK

LINKEDIN

TWITTER

YOUTUBE

Disability-Owned Business circular certification badge with text shown in circular orientation and with Disability:IN icon logo in center.

National Organization on Disability

NOD Leading Disability Employer 2022 written in a variety of teal sections, making a square.

Subscribe to our Blog & QuickTips







    Check each one you'd like to receive.

      
      
      

    Copyright © 2023 · Log in

    Skip to navigation