Accessibility is Inclusivity
Inclusivity is one of the main tenets of our university and speaks directly to our Carolinian Creed: "I will demonstrate concern for others, their feelings, and their need for the conditions which support their work and development."
There Are More Types of Disability Than You May Realize
There are many, many types of disability, including those you may not think about as often or cannot see but impact the way our community members interact with our university's digital experiences every day.
Many of these disabilities have a direct impact on students' learning experience as well, such as ADHD or dyslexia.
Anyone Interacting with Your Content Might Have a Disability
You may think that those with disabilities make up a small portion of the overall population, both on campus and in the larger community general. Nothing could be further from the truth.
1,000,000,000 Individuals Living with a Disability Worldwide
The World Health Organization estimates more than a billion people are living with some form of disability all over the world. This number is likely dramatically lower than the real number of people living with a permanent disability. It also does not include those with a temporary inability to access or interact with information in a particular way due to injury, illness or an individual's environment.
1 out of 4 Adults Have a Disability Nationwide, 26% in South Carolina
The Center for Disease Control estimated one out of every four adults had a disability in the United States in 2018, and estimated that 26% of South Carolina residents had a disability in 2017. Because these numbers rely on self reports of disability, they are much lower than the actual numbers. For a number of reasons, not everyone identifies with or wants to report their disability.
Students Are Not Required to Report a Disability
The Student Disability Resource Center only knows of students who have specifically
registered with their office to request accommodations for a disability. Still, the
number of students that are registered as having a disability is more than 10%. We
have no way to know what the actual number is, but we do know many students with disabilities
do not report them and the actual figure is much, much higher.
Real Students Real Barriers »
Faculty and Staff Can Have Disabilities, Too
Students aren't the only ones trying to interact with digital content at the university. Even faculty and staff members who do not identify with a disability may need accessible content to do their work and avoid frustration.
Our University Community Extends Beyond Campus
If, according to the CDC, one out of four adults in the United States and approximately 26% of all residents in South Carolina have a disability, think about how that translates to our larger USC community members who visit our digital assets on a regular basis, including:
- Prospective Students
- Parents and Guardians of Students and Prospective Students
- Alumni
- Faculty and Staff Job Applicants
Digital Accessibility Benefits Everyone
Creating accessible digital content allows all community members to engage with your content and all students students to access educational materials in the way that best supports their learning style. Digital accessibility compliance ensures that everyone can access digital content in any situation or environment.
Temporary or Situational Inability to Access Content
Any member of our USC community may, from time to time, be unable to access content in a certain way due to their environment or situation.
For example, a student who has broken their arm may not be able to use a mouse or keyboard for some time. A student whose roommate likes to play loud music may not be able to hear a video over the noise.
Creating accessible content allows anyone trying to engage with your content to do so successfully.