Government Digital Service (GDS) summarise key takeaways from their November Accessibility event

In November 2020, the Government Digital Service (GDS) held the first virtual version of their regular GDS Accessibility meetup. In their January newsletter, they shared some of the key takeaways from the event.

• Alt-text is not only for people who require screen readers – it is also important when an image fails to load due to connectivity issues. Here, alt-text can help you understand what the image is supposed to mean.
• A need to change the narrative so that the drive for accessibility isn’t just about complying with guidance and ticking boxes, but more to provide workable solutions to those with disabilities.
• Southwark Council talked about their creation of the virtual empathy lab where they were able to simulate conditions such as impaired vision, motor difficulties, cognitive impairments, learning disabilities and deafness or impaired hearing. This allowed them to better understand the customer journey for people with disabilities among other advantages.

Read the full roundup on the GOV.UK’s accessibility blog:

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