According to the U.S. Department of Education and the National Institute of Literacy, 21 percent of adults in the U.S. read below a 5th grade level. While we are making great strides towards a web that is accessible to everyone, this population still remains largely under-served. How can we modify our understanding of “digital a11y” to include users with literacy challenges? This session will begin with a broad discussion of accessibility, for those who may be new to the topic, and then move into what we can do to meet the needs of specific users, with a focus on those who can’t read, read poorly, or read English as a second language. Participants will engage in a series of exercises designed to illustrate the importance of website accessibility, build empathy and understanding for multiple user communities, and develop skills to make more useful websites.

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