What is #A11Y?

Is #A11y an Acronym, Abbreviation or Social Media Hashtag?

#A11y is another way of writing the word ‘accessibility’. It’s an abbreviated version for Twitter and other social network sites that limit character counts. ‘A’ is the first letter; there are 11 letters in-between, and ‘y’ at the end. Add the hash tag and you have #a11y, though using “a11y” to shorten the word is used even outside of social media.

#A11y has a unique look, and there are many tech savvy people who hope this trend will catch on. However, when you are discussing accessibility with a person who has a disability it is important to understand that #a11y is not referring to a specific accessibility standard or law. Basically, #a11y refers to an audit process for web site accessibility. A11Y compliance looks at the entire users experience when visiting a webpage and through the process, a matrix scoring system is completed.

#A11y compliance looks at global compliance, not just compliance in the US or Canada. We are living in a global economy and a global world. As a business it is important to know if you are #a11y compliant, but there are no laws or regulations that will state a11y.

Guidelines and Other Resources About #A11y

When looking for the #a11y guidelines it is important to look at the laws that govern compliance.
United States governance/laws regarding web based accessibility for persons with a disability:
• The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) Title III
• The Americans with Disability Act (ADA) Title II
• Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act was amended in 1998, the Federal Acquisition Regulation.
• Web Content Accessibility Guidelines known better as, WCAG 2.0 which was created by the World Wide Web Consortium W3C looked at the laws in a collaborative effort to bring about positive changes in #a11y compliance.
• Some states have their own added standards, please refer to your local states resources for further details and guidelines.

Canada governances/laws regarding web accessibility #a11y for a person with a disability:
• The Canadian Human Rights Act
• Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedom
• W3C WCAG 2.0
• Some provinces and territories have their own added standards, please refer to your local resources for further details and guidelines..

Contact Us

Contact our 508 Compliance Specialist to learn more about how Braille Works can keep your business #a11y compliant or Accessibility compliant. Reach out through email: info@brailleworks.com, or call toll free at Phone: 1-800-258-7544.