CPACC cheat sheet

Medical model: disability is a defect located in the individual, to be treated, cured, or fixed by professionals; the locus of the problem is the person's body or mind.

Social model: disability is produced by societal barriers (attitudinal, architectural, informational, institutional); impairment is the underlying condition, disability is the resulting exclusion.

Biopsychosocial model (WHO ICF): disability arises from interaction of health condition, body functions/structures, activities, participation, environmental factors, and personal factors - no single cause.

ICF components: Body Functions and Structures, Activities (capacity), Participation (performance), Environmental Factors, Personal Factors; functioning is a dynamic interaction, not a linear chain.

Human rights model: grounded in the CRPD; impairment is a natural part of human diversity, and the state bears obligations to remove barriers and ensure equal enjoyment of rights.

Identity-first language ("disabled person", "autistic person") is preferred by many in the disability community; person-first language ("person with a disability") is preferred by others - ask or follow local convention.

Avoid euphemisms and pity framing ("special needs", "differently abled", "wheelchair-bound", "suffers from", "victim of"); prefer neutral, factual phrasing ("uses a wheelchair").

Disability categories commonly used: physical/mobility, sensory (vision, hearing, deafblind), intellectual, learning, mental health/psychosocial, chronic health, neurological, and speech/language - categories overlap and are not mutually exclusive.

Prevalence and demographics: disability rises with age, is more common among people with lower income, and intersects with other marginalized identities - the disability community is heterogeneous, not a single group.

Universal Design (Mace, 1997) seven principles: equitable use; flexibility in use; simple and intuitive use; perceptible information; tolerance for error; low physical effort; size and space for approach and use.

Universal design = design usable by all people to the greatest extent possible without adaptation; accessibility = removing barriers so people with disabilities can access on an equal basis - related but not identical.

Inclusive design broadens the lens to the full range of human diversity (age, culture, language, ability); it emphasizes designing with, not just for, excluded users.

POUR is the organizing framework for WCAG: content must be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust; each principle contains guidelines, then success criteria.

WCAG conformance levels: A (minimum), AA (standard target in most laws and policies), AAA (enhanced, not required for whole sites because some content cannot satisfy it).

WCAG 2.x success criteria are testable and technology-agnostic; WCAG 3.0 introduces a draft scoring model and outcome-based requirements - do not treat 3.0 as final.

Design for the extremes: designing for users with the greatest needs (e.g., keyboard-only, screen reader, low vision) typically benefits all users - the curb-cut effect.

Accessible design applies across built environment, digital content, documents, media, products, and services; each has distinct barrier types (e.g., contrast and alt text for visual; captions for audio; ramps and clear width for physical).

Usability testing with disabled participants is the most reliable check; automated tools catch only a subset of success criteria and cannot judge meaning, alt-text quality, or cognitive load.

Assistive technology (AT) definition: any item, piece of equipment, software, or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of people with disabilities.

Screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, TalkBack) output text via speech or braille; they depend on correct semantic markup - headings, landmarks, labels, roles, and alt text.

Refreshable braille displays render text as raised pins; braille literacy and contracted braille are distinct skills from print literacy.

Screen magnification and low-vision tools (ZoomText, OS magnifiers) enlarge content; reflow and text-resize support are essential so magnification does not force horizontal scrolling.

Speech input / voice recognition (e.g., Dragon) supports hands-free control; accuracy depends on microphone quality, acoustics, and vocabulary training.

Switch access, head pointers, eye gaze, and sip-and-puff devices provide alternative input for people with limited motor control; scanning with a switch trades speed for fewer required actions.

Captions (for audio), transcripts (for audio and video), audio description (for visual content), and sign-language interpretation are distinct accommodations - captions are not a substitute for audio description.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) includes symbol boards, speech-generating devices, and text-to-speech apps for people with speech or language impairments.

Cognitive and learning supports include text-to-speech, word prediction, plain language, consistent navigation, and reduced-distraction interfaces; environmental controls and smart-home tech support independent living.

UN CRPD (2006): Article 9 covers accessibility; Article 21 access to information/expression; Article 24 education; Article 27 work; Article 30 participation in cultural life - states parties must ensure access on an equal basis.

ADA (US, 1990): Title I employment, Title II state/local government, Title III public accommodations and commercial facilities; Title IV telecommunications relay; Title V miscellaneous.

ADA Title II web rule (published 2024): public entities must conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, with larger-population compliance deadlines earlier than smaller ones.

Section 508 (US Rehabilitation Act, as amended 1998): federal agencies' electronic and information technology must meet the Revised 508 Standards, which incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level AA by reference.

EN 301 549: European harmonized standard for ICT accessibility procurement, aligned with WCAG; the European Accessibility Act (EAA) sets requirements for products and services, with member-state enforcement and staggered application dates.

Web accessibility laws by jurisdiction: EU Web Accessibility Directive (public sector websites and apps), UK Equality Act 2010, Canada's Accessible Canada Act, Australia's Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Ontario AODA.

WCAG 2.2 (2023) adds criteria such as Focus Not Obscured, Dragging Movements, Target Size (Minimum), Consistent Help, Redundant Entry, and Accessible Authentication - check which version a law references.

Procurement rules: US Section 508 requires accessibility in acquisition; EU public procurement directives reference EN 301 549; VPAT/ACR is the common voluntary conformance reporting format.

Conformance claim rules: claims must state the WCAG version, level, and scope; a page cannot claim conformance if any part of the page fails the criterion (partial conformance is not allowed under WCAG 2.x).

Maturity model stages: reactive/ad hoc compliance → defined policy and standards → embedded in process and procurement → measured, audited, and continuously improved.

Governance: assign executive ownership, an accessibility policy, roles (accessibility lead, developers, content authors, procurement, legal), and escalation paths; accessibility is not a single team's job.

Shift left: integrate accessibility requirements into design, definition of done, code review, and automated CI checks so defects are caught before release, when fixes are cheapest.

Procurement: require a completed VPAT/ACR, demand a testing methodology and evidence, and include accessibility warranties and remediation clauses in contracts.

Accessibility statement / conformance report: publish scope, standards targeted, known limitations, feedback contact, and remediation timeline - accuracy matters more than a perfect claim.

Feedback and complaints: provide multiple contact channels and a defined response process; user feedback is a primary defect-discovery source and often a legal expectation.

Training and culture: role-based training (designers, developers, authors, testers, leadership), plus lived-experience involvement - advisory panels, usability testing with disabled users, and disability employee resource groups.

Metrics and monitoring: track audit findings, remediation backlog age, percentage of components meeting criteria, ticket volume, and training completion; combine automated scans with expert manual review and user testing.

Document and content lifecycle: accessible templates, authoring guidance, alt-text and caption workflows, and review gates prevent inaccessible PDFs, slide decks, and media from entering circulation.

Medical model: disability is a defect located in the individual, to be treated, cured, or fixed by professionals; the locus of the problem is the person's body or mind.

Social model: disability is produced by societal barriers (attitudinal, architectural, informational, institutional); impairment is the underlying condition, disability is the resulting exclusion.

Biopsychosocial model (WHO ICF): disability arises from interaction of health condition, body functions/structures, activities, participation, environmental factors, and personal factors - no single cause.

ICF components: Body Functions and Structures, Activities (capacity), Participation (performance), Environmental Factors, Personal Factors; functioning is a dynamic interaction, not a linear chain.

Human rights model: grounded in the CRPD; impairment is a natural part of human diversity, and the state bears obligations to remove barriers and ensure equal enjoyment of rights.

Identity-first language ("disabled person", "autistic person") is preferred by many in the disability community; person-first language ("person with a disability") is preferred by others - ask or follow local convention.

Avoid euphemisms and pity framing ("special needs", "differently abled", "wheelchair-bound", "suffers from", "victim of"); prefer neutral, factual phrasing ("uses a wheelchair").

Disability categories commonly used: physical/mobility, sensory (vision, hearing, deafblind), intellectual, learning, mental health/psychosocial, chronic health, neurological, and speech/language - categories overlap and are not mutually exclusive.

Prevalence and demographics: disability rises with age, is more common among people with lower income, and intersects with other marginalized identities - the disability community is heterogeneous, not a single group.

Universal Design (Mace, 1997) seven principles: equitable use; flexibility in use; simple and intuitive use; perceptible information; tolerance for error; low physical effort; size and space for approach and use.

Universal design = design usable by all people to the greatest extent possible without adaptation; accessibility = removing barriers so people with disabilities can access on an equal basis - related but not identical.

Inclusive design broadens the lens to the full range of human diversity (age, culture, language, ability); it emphasizes designing with, not just for, excluded users.

POUR is the organizing framework for WCAG: content must be Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust; each principle contains guidelines, then success criteria.

WCAG conformance levels: A (minimum), AA (standard target in most laws and policies), AAA (enhanced, not required for whole sites because some content cannot satisfy it).

WCAG 2.x success criteria are testable and technology-agnostic; WCAG 3.0 introduces a draft scoring model and outcome-based requirements - do not treat 3.0 as final.

Design for the extremes: designing for users with the greatest needs (e.g., keyboard-only, screen reader, low vision) typically benefits all users - the curb-cut effect.

Accessible design applies across built environment, digital content, documents, media, products, and services; each has distinct barrier types (e.g., contrast and alt text for visual; captions for audio; ramps and clear width for physical).

Usability testing with disabled participants is the most reliable check; automated tools catch only a subset of success criteria and cannot judge meaning, alt-text quality, or cognitive load.

Assistive technology (AT) definition: any item, piece of equipment, software, or product system used to increase, maintain, or improve functional capabilities of people with disabilities.

Screen readers (JAWS, NVDA, VoiceOver, TalkBack) output text via speech or braille; they depend on correct semantic markup - headings, landmarks, labels, roles, and alt text.

Refreshable braille displays render text as raised pins; braille literacy and contracted braille are distinct skills from print literacy.

Screen magnification and low-vision tools (ZoomText, OS magnifiers) enlarge content; reflow and text-resize support are essential so magnification does not force horizontal scrolling.

Speech input / voice recognition (e.g., Dragon) supports hands-free control; accuracy depends on microphone quality, acoustics, and vocabulary training.

Switch access, head pointers, eye gaze, and sip-and-puff devices provide alternative input for people with limited motor control; scanning with a switch trades speed for fewer required actions.

Captions (for audio), transcripts (for audio and video), audio description (for visual content), and sign-language interpretation are distinct accommodations - captions are not a substitute for audio description.

Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) includes symbol boards, speech-generating devices, and text-to-speech apps for people with speech or language impairments.

Cognitive and learning supports include text-to-speech, word prediction, plain language, consistent navigation, and reduced-distraction interfaces; environmental controls and smart-home tech support independent living.

UN CRPD (2006): Article 9 covers accessibility; Article 21 access to information/expression; Article 24 education; Article 27 work; Article 30 participation in cultural life - states parties must ensure access on an equal basis.

ADA (US, 1990): Title I employment, Title II state/local government, Title III public accommodations and commercial facilities; Title IV telecommunications relay; Title V miscellaneous.

ADA Title II web rule (published 2024): public entities must conform to WCAG 2.1 Level AA, with larger-population compliance deadlines earlier than smaller ones.

Section 508 (US Rehabilitation Act, as amended 1998): federal agencies' electronic and information technology must meet the Revised 508 Standards, which incorporate WCAG 2.0 Level AA by reference.

EN 301 549: European harmonized standard for ICT accessibility procurement, aligned with WCAG; the European Accessibility Act (EAA) sets requirements for products and services, with member-state enforcement and staggered application dates.

Web accessibility laws by jurisdiction: EU Web Accessibility Directive (public sector websites and apps), UK Equality Act 2010, Canada's Accessible Canada Act, Australia's Disability Discrimination Act 1992, Ontario AODA.

WCAG 2.2 (2023) adds criteria such as Focus Not Obscured, Dragging Movements, Target Size (Minimum), Consistent Help, Redundant Entry, and Accessible Authentication - check which version a law references.

Procurement rules: US Section 508 requires accessibility in acquisition; EU public procurement directives reference EN 301 549; VPAT/ACR is the common voluntary conformance reporting format.

Conformance claim rules: claims must state the WCAG version, level, and scope; a page cannot claim conformance if any part of the page fails the criterion (partial conformance is not allowed under WCAG 2.x).

Maturity model stages: reactive/ad hoc compliance → defined policy and standards → embedded in process and procurement → measured, audited, and continuously improved.

Governance: assign executive ownership, an accessibility policy, roles (accessibility lead, developers, content authors, procurement, legal), and escalation paths; accessibility is not a single team's job.

Shift left: integrate accessibility requirements into design, definition of done, code review, and automated CI checks so defects are caught before release, when fixes are cheapest.

Procurement: require a completed VPAT/ACR, demand a testing methodology and evidence, and include accessibility warranties and remediation clauses in contracts.

Accessibility statement / conformance report: publish scope, standards targeted, known limitations, feedback contact, and remediation timeline - accuracy matters more than a perfect claim.

Feedback and complaints: provide multiple contact channels and a defined response process; user feedback is a primary defect-discovery source and often a legal expectation.

Training and culture: role-based training (designers, developers, authors, testers, leadership), plus lived-experience involvement - advisory panels, usability testing with disabled users, and disability employee resource groups.

Metrics and monitoring: track audit findings, remediation backlog age, percentage of components meeting criteria, ticket volume, and training completion; combine automated scans with expert manual review and user testing.

Document and content lifecycle: accessible templates, authoring guidance, alt-text and caption workflows, and review gates prevent inaccessible PDFs, slide decks, and media from entering circulation.