Technologies that Contribute to Accessibility in Everyday Life

December 5th is known as National Accessibility Day, and its purpose is to raise awareness and encourage actions that make society more inclusive and equal.

When thinking about accessibility, it is very common to focus on physical aspects such as access ramps and support bars. However, it is also necessary to consider other related points, such as physical and electronic materials, services, and even expressions.

Technology is a great ally in this regard, as it enables tools and conveniences for everyday life. In this article, we will explore how technology has contributed to the accessibility landscape.

Challenges of Technology in Accessibility

To make environments truly accessible, it is necessary to reflect on all the contexts that surround the environment and the interactions a person may have. Starting from the basic premise of assistive technology — a term used to encompass all resources and aspects that allow people with disabilities to use products — the means provided must ensure comfort, autonomy, and safety. The idea is to promote all interactions in an easy, practical, and intuitive way for everyone.

In this scenario, we highlight some challenges:

• Resources: the lack of resources such as time, workforce, or equipment intensifies the challenges and often pushes accessibility to a secondary priority.

• Experience: everything should be as intuitive as possible, which requires testing and studies, especially in cases that involve accessibility aspects, taking into account different needs and approaches.

• Investment: another challenge is the cost of investment, as some technologies require greater financial capacity to become fully accessible.

Technological Resources

With technological advancements, certain tools have become essential to promote accessibility. Below are basic and advanced resources that contribute to a more inclusive and equal environment:

Captions and Textual Resources

Textual resources greatly support comprehension and usability, especially for people with hearing impairments. Captions, titles, and explanatory texts are good practices in any scenario and usually do not require many resources to implement.

Example: captions in explanatory videos, “more information” button.

Sound Signals and Alerts

The use of sounds enhances interactivity and usability and also benefits people with visual impairments. Certain sounds are characteristic and standardized, signaling permission or prohibition, and this category also includes audio instructions.

Example: audio alert of a door closing or passage allowed/denied; audio instructions in the subway about stations, disembarkation, and platform safety.

Visual Resources

Another important aspect is the use of visual resources to aid comprehension, ranging from standard lights (such as green for yes/allowed and red for no/prohibited) to illustrative images of actions. These resources are complementary, help create a better experience, and ensure accessibility for people with hearing impairments or those who are illiterate.

Example: illustrative images at entrances and receptions—indicating the use of elevators, lockers, among others.

Screen Magnification

In digital environments, it is important to allow screen zoom to improve visibility, especially for people with visual needs. This feature is simple yet makes a significant contribution to accessibility.

Example: zoom in apps and web browsers.

Voice Command

We increasingly encounter devices with voice command features. This tool is important for people with physical or visual impairments, or for those who are illiterate, for example. Voice commands also make the user experience easier and more comfortable, simplifying the use of products and digital platforms.

Example: Google voice search, voice commands on smartphones.

Facial Recognition

This resource is important for both security and accessibility, in addition to facilitating interaction with devices by making access faster and more efficient. It involves more advanced technologies.

Example: unlocking smartphones with facial recognition.

Accessibility and Technology at Skedway

Skedway is a workspace management platform, enabling the scheduling, control, and effectiveness evaluation of these environments. To make the system increasingly accessible, we already offer some features and are developing others:

• Textual resources: our system provides guides, explanatory texts, and titles, and it is available in the main languages.

• Visual resources: our app features standardized colors and illustrations that enhance usability. We also offer hardware that signals whether people are allowed or denied passage.

• Access control: in addition to the scheduling system, we also provide an access control feature for employees and visitors, integrating the platform with doors, turnstiles, and gates. This device is user-friendly and includes illustrative images and visual signals.

To learn more about Skedway, visit our website.

Accessibility is an extremely important topic, and technology has increasingly contributed to making this scenario more equal, inclusive, and intuitive.