The internet is a beautiful place for everyone, no matter their abilities or background; it is for all. Whether you are using the internet as a creative space, a way to connect with people around the world, or to learn a new skill through the power of YouTube and a generous teacher who took the time to create a video for people like you, the internet has it all.
Openness
Why?
Sharing is caring! Not only do you benefit from others creating and sharing on the internet, but by allowing others to see and learn from your work, you can bring more creativity and human connection to the internet. The more open the internet is, the more you can see how beautifully creative humans are, and trust me, there is a huge difference between an AI creation and a human creation.
How?
By creating your content to be free and open access to all, you are helping the internet be a more open place for all. This could look like using platforms like YouTube to share content for free, designing flexible content that can be accessed from a multitude of devices, whether that is a smartphone or a laptop, or allowing visitor feedback on your blog, website, or any other form of content creation.
Accessibility
Why?
Whether you realize it or not, we all benefit from the internet being accessible even without having a disability. You don’t need to have a vision impairment to benefit from having the option to listen to audiobooks instead of reading a hard copy book. Everyone can benefit from a website that uses easier-to-read fonts like Verdana, Arial, and other sans-serif fonts, even without having a vision or reading impairment like dyslexia. No doubt you have used closed captions while watching a video, that is just one of many forms of accessible content.
How?
Creating accessibility on any kind of platform can feel like extra work, but it doesn’t just make it easier to use; it can make it more aesthetically pleasing. By having brand colors that can make words and different aspects of your website stand out, you are both helping make your website easier to navigate and creating a more visually appealing website. You can do this by putting important navigational text in headings and using contrasting colors for the background and text to help the text stand out. Don’t forget to use Alt text on all images, buttons, and icons; this allows screen readers to fully convey your information to anyone with visual impairments. There are so many ways to create accessible content, and with a little use of the open web, you can find helpful resources explaining exactly what to do and how to do it.
Read more about creating accessible content on the Intuit Social Responsibility Blog
