The Evolution of Accessibility Features in Modern Technology

Modern technology has continued to play a critical role in how humans operate around the world. Without the tech available today, there is a lot that we wouldn’t be able to accomplish or achieve.

The availability of digital devices is a notable example, with smartphones, tablets, and laptops being technological innovations that we’ve come to rely on and cannot live without. We use these devices because they allow us to access the internet, enabling us to do a wide range of things. If we didn’t have them, the world would look very different.

However, not all technologies were accessible to everyone in the past. While many may consider the cost implications that can make specific devices inaccessible, certain features weren’t always available to enhance a user’s experience.

Users with specific requirements were once unable to use these devices because the technology wasn’t as advanced as it needed to be. Still, it has managed to evolve over the years, providing almost everyone with the accessibility that is needed to use them to their fullest.

First Wave of Assistive Technologies

The earliest signs of assistive technologies can be dated back to 1988, when the retail industry began to use picture-based keyboards. These were introduced to help people who were unable to speak and communicate with others to get the assistance that they required.

Even the earliest computer operating systems, like Microsoft, had started to integrate basic accessibility support features into their designs, offering enhanced keyboard controls and increased contrast modes.

Further technological evolutions have appeared in terms of operating systems becoming more accessible. Apple’s OS X Jaguar introduced built-in screen reader functionality, StickyKeys, and customizable visual enhancements. It was arguably one of the first instances where accessibility features began to be integrated directly into mainstream consumer technology.

What’s the future look like?

Artificial intelligence is the most notable of the technologies that continues to increase the level of accessibility and what it is capable of achieving. AI is based on machine-learning properties, which are being used to ensure the best possible experiences are being passed on to users who require them.

An example of the technology being used for accessibility is through an AI voice over. An AI voice over can help make videos accessible to those who are visually impaired, allowing them to hear the content that is being played in a clear voice. Many different voices can be used, with some being neutral and taking away the accents that can sometimes be difficult to decipher. AI-powered image description tools can also help describe what is being shown to those who can’t see it.

At the same time, AI is being used to create real-time captioning and voice recognition to help make content more accessible for those with hearing impairments. Predictive texting and adapting interfaces help those with mobility or learning difficulties.

Extended Reality technologies have also helped to develop accessibility. VR and AR systems now include haptic feedback and audio descriptions, allowing users with sensory impairments to benefit from immersive experiences.

Web Accessibility Standards

The internet began to implement accessibility features in 2008, with the WCAG 2.0 update. The W3C released core principles (Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, Robust) shaping web and app accessibility standards globally.

This was then updated in 2018 with the release of WCAG 2.1, which included support for mobile devices, improved text spacing, and enhancements for cognitive disabilities, recognizing the diversity of user needs in the smartphone era.

Final Thoughts

Of course, newer gadgets like smartphones, tablets, and smartwatches come with the technology as standard. They each boast many of the features that many require, such as built-in screen readers and voice-to-text, allowing people to use these devices to help them do many of the same things that those who don’t require them. Users can navigate and communicate with others using these features, albeit in a slightly different way.

While they are part of global regulations, including the European Accessibility Act (EAA), there is a strict level of compliance in place that websites and digital products must follow. This ensures accessibility is ingrained in product design from the start and gives everyone a chance of inclusion.

We can expect technology to continue evolving in the future, with accessibility features likely to improve further and surpass their current state.

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Carla Schroder

Carla Schroder is a self-taught Linux and Windows sysadmin who laid hands on her first computer around her 37th birthday. Her first PC was a Macintosh LC II. Next came an IBM clone--a 386SX running MS-DOS 5 and Windows 3.1 with a 14-inch color display--which was adequate for many pleasant hours of Doom play. Then around 1997 she discovered Red Hat 5.0 and had a whole new world to explore.

Somewhere along the way she found herself doing freelance consulting for small businesses and home users, supporting both Linux and Windows users and integrating Linux and Windows on the LAN, primarily Linux servers and Windows clients. She is the author of the Linux Cookbook, Linux Networking Cookbook, and the Linux Cookbook 2nd Edition for O'Reilly, and has written hundreds of Linux howtos for various publications, .

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