Accessibility Statement for DisabilityWiki

DisabilityWiki is built first and foremost for disabled people. That means accessibility is not a feature—it’s the baseline.

This page explains what we’re doing, what’s not done yet, and how to report problems.

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Our Core Commitments

We promise to:

• Center disabled users — Especially those with multiple disabilities or marginalized identities
• Design for access from the start — Not add it later as an afterthought
• Act on your feedback — If something doesn’t work, we want to know and will prioritize fixes
• Treat accessibility as care — Not charity, but collective care for our community
• Be honest — Including about what we haven’t fixed yet

Accessibility isn’t a project we finish. It’s ongoing. Disabled people deserve that.

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What We’ve Built For (So Far)

Screen Reader Support

The wiki works with:

• NVDA (Windows)
• JAWS (Windows)
• VoiceOver (macOS, iOS)
• TalkBack (Android)
• Other standards-compliant screen readers

How we do this:

Headings follow logical order (H1, then H2s, then H3s—no skipping). Page titles are descriptive. Links say where they go (not “click here”). Important images have descriptions. You can access everything without needing a mouse.

What to tell us if it breaks:

If you use a screen reader and the page doesn’t make sense, tell us:

• What page URL
• What screen reader and computer you use
• What you tried to do and what happened

→ Report an issue: Contact Us

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Keyboard Navigation

You can navigate this entire wiki without a mouse.

How:

• Use Tab to move through links and buttons
• The focus indicator shows where you are (it’s always visible)
• You can move in and out of sections (no keyboard traps)
• All main actions (search, navigation, buttons) work via keyboard

If something doesn’t work:

That’s a bug, not a feature. Tell us what page and what action didn’t work.

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Mobile & Low-Bandwidth Access

Many disabled people use phones only, or have limited data or slow internet.

What we’ve done:

• Pages work on phones, tablets, and computers
• Mostly text-based (images support the content, don’t replace it)
• No videos that auto-play (you decide if/when to watch)
• Designed to work with older devices and slow connections

If the page doesn’t work on your device:

Tell us:

• What device (phone, tablet, computer)
• What browser (Chrome, Firefox, Safari, etc.)
• What went wrong (didn’t load, text too small, etc.)

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Neurodivergent & Cognitive Accessibility

We know many disabled people experience ADHD, autism, brain fog, learning disabilities, sensory overload, or trauma.

What we’ve built:

• Short paragraphs and clear headings (easier to scan)
• Plain language before complex ideas
• Same structure on every page (so it’s predictable)
• No flashing content or autoplay
• “What to read next” suggestions (so you don’t have to decide everything)

What we’re working toward:

• Marking dense or heavy content (so you can choose)
• Content notes for topics that might be emotionally hard (abuse, trauma, medical harm, suicidality)
• Easy Read versions of important pages
• Audio versions of key pages

What would help you:

If a page is hard to follow (too long, too confusing, too dense), tell us what page and what format would help (shorter chunks, audio, visual summary, plain language version, etc.).

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Language & Plain Language

We write clearly, explaining specialized terms when we use them.

Examples:

• We say “disabled people” not “the disabled”
• We explain medical terms when first mentioned
• We use real-world examples, not just theory

Future formats:

As we have capacity, we’re adding:

• Plain language versions of complex pages
• Audio recordings of key pages
• Translations (starting with languages widely used in disability communities)
• Downloadable PDFs for offline reading

Tell us what you need:

If there’s a specific page you’d like in a different format (audio, plain language, Easy Read, another language), tell us which page and what format. We prioritize based on what people actually need.

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Visual & Sensory Accessibility

What we do:

• Text has good contrast against background (dark text, light background, or vice versa)
• Information doesn’t rely only on color (color-blind friendly)
• No flashing or rapid animations (seizure-safe)
• Images support the text, they don’t replace important information

What we avoid:

• Auto-playing audio or video on main content pages
• Animations that might trigger migraines or seizures
• Layouts that only make sense if you can see them

If something bothers you:

Tell us what page and what was hard (too bright, too much glare, crowded, flashing, etc.).

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Trauma-Informed Content

Some pages in this wiki discuss painful topics:

• Abuse and violence
• Medical trauma
• Institutionalization
• Poverty and neglect
• Suicide and self-harm
• Police and state violence

What we’re doing:

• Adding content notes at the top of pages about these topics (so you know what to expect)
• Separating “what is this system?” from “how do I cope or get help?”
• Linking to crisis resources when discussing harm

If a page needs a warning:

If you find a page that should have a content note but doesn’t, tell us.

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What We Haven’t Fixed Yet

We’re being honest about what’s not fully accessible.

Current Issues We Know About

Heading structure: Some older pages might have confusing heading order (we’re fixing these gradually)

Alt text on images: Some pages have missing or minimal descriptions of images (high priority to fix)

Page consistency: Older pages might not follow our current accessibility template (we’re updating them)

Language support: Not all pages are available in other languages yet (this is on the roadmap)

Plain language versions: Not all complex pages have Easy Read or simplified versions yet

External links: Some links go to other websites that aren’t themselves accessible (we’re working on this)

Our Priority Order

We’re fixing pages in this order:

1. Crisis and emergency pages (most urgent—these save lives)
2. Rights and legal pages (people need to know their rights)
3. Benefits and money pages (people need financial information)
4. Housing and healthcare pages (foundational needs)
5. Education and work pages (life planning)
6. Everything else (also important, but less urgent)

If You Find a Problem

Assume we want to fix it, not that we’re ignoring it. Tell us where and what went wrong.

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How This Wiki Addresses Different Disabilities

If You’re Deaf or Hard of Hearing

• Captions on videos (when we have videos)
• Transcripts for audio content
• Visual alerts instead of sound-based ones
• Text-based communication methods

Telling us what you need: If you need interpreter access for any content, tell us.

If You’re Blind or Low Vision

• Screen readers work with proper heading structure
• All important images have descriptions
• No color-only information (information conveyed another way too)
• High contrast text

Testing: We test with NVDA and JAWS screen readers. If something doesn’t work, tell us.

If You’re Neurodivergent

• Pages are scannable (short paragraphs, clear headings)
• Predictable structure (every page is organized the same way)
• Plain language
• No overwhelming visual stimulation
• No requirement to focus in one way

If You Have Chronic Illness or Pain

• Pages work in short sessions (you don’t have to read everything at once)
• Search function helps you find what you need quickly
• No pressure to read linearly
• Mobile-friendly (read from bed, couch, wherever you’re comfortable)

If You Have Mobility Disability

• Keyboard navigation (no mouse required)
• Large touch targets on mobile (easy to tap buttons)
• No motor-intensive interactions

If You’re Multiply-Marginalized

• We center your experiences
• We’re working toward content in multiple languages
• We include perspectives from Global South, Indigenous communities, disabled people of color, disabled LGBTQ+ people
• We’re building accessibility for financial barriers (text-based, works on old devices, works without fast internet)

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Global Accessibility Perspectives

Accessibility looks different depending on where you live:

Global North (US, Canada, Western Europe, Australia)

• Usually: Faster internet, newer devices, screen reader access
• Barriers: Expensive assistive tech, often requires new devices
• This wiki supports older devices and slower connections

Global South (Africa, Asia, Latin America, South Asia, Middle East)

• Often: Mobile-only, slower internet, very limited data
• Barriers: Expensive tech, little accessibility infrastructure
• This wiki is designed for mobile-first, low-data use

Rural & Remote Areas

• Often: Limited connectivity, older technology
• Barriers: Fewer services, farther travel distances
• This wiki works on older tech and limited bandwidth

We’re building with these realities in mind, not as an afterthought.

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How We Make Accessibility Decisions

Accessibility isn’t made by engineers in a boardroom. It’s decided by:

Disabled people including:

• Screen reader users
• Neurodivergent people
• People with chronic illness/pain
• Deaf and Hard of Hearing people
• Blind and Low Vision people
• Other disabled people

Based on:

• Your actual experience (not just standards)
• Disability justice principles
• Recognized standards (WCAG guidelines, ARIA best practices, etc.)
• Real-world usability

We balance:

• Quick fixes vs. long-term changes
• Our time/capacity vs. what people need
• Perfect compliance vs. actually usable for disabled people

If you want to help with accessibility work, see How to Contribute.

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Summary

• This wiki is by and for disabled people, so accessibility is core, not optional
• We’ve built for screen readers, keyboard use, mobile devices, neurodivergence, chronic illness, trauma awareness, and global accessibility needs
• We’re honest about what we haven’t fixed yet
• Your feedback directly shapes how the wiki evolves
• We’re listening

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Report an Accessibility Problem

Found something that doesn’t work?

Tell us:

• The page URL
• What device and browser you use
• What assistive tech (if any)
• What you tried to do and what went wrong

How to reach us:

• Contact Form
• Or email: [contact email when available]

What we promise:

• Your feedback will be read by disabled maintainers
• We’ll prioritize issues that block critical pages (crisis, rights, benefits, housing, health)
• We’ll update this page as we make fixes

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Get Involved

Want to help make this more accessible?

• Test with your tech — Let us know if it works
• Report problems — Be specific about what didn’t work
• Share your needs — What format would help you most?
• Contribute accessibility expertise — See How to Contribute

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This page is: Accessible to screen readers | Mobile-friendly | Plain language | Keyboard navigable

If this page isn’t accessible to you, we want to fix it. Tell us how.

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Contribute to This Page

Have lived experience or expertise that could strengthen this page? We especially welcome perspectives on models not well represented here, including those from the Global South and Indigenous communities.

Suggest an edit or addition →

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This page centers disabled people’s expertise and is informed by disabled-led organizing globally. For questions or to suggest additions, see How to Contribute.