Accessibility occasions
Four days about disability and access, from World Braille Day to the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, with dates and how to write about them respectfully.
Four days, and between them they cover sight, hearing, neurodivergence and disability rights.
World Braille Day on 4 January marks Louis Braille's birthday. World Autism Awareness Day on 2 April is a UN observance, though a growing number of autistic people prefer "acceptance" to "awareness" and say so publicly. The International Day of Sign Languages falls in September, and the International Day of Persons with Disabilities on 3 December is the largest of the four.
Getting the language right
India's Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 recognises 21 conditions and uses "persons with disabilities", which is the wording government communication follows.
Beyond that, people differ, and the honest position is that there is no single correct term. Many disabled people in India and elsewhere prefer identity-first language ("disabled person", "autistic person") to person-first. If you know the person, use their words.
Do
- Ask the person what they use, and use it.
- Say what you are actually doing: captions, ramps, a screen-reader pass on your site.
- Add alt text to anything you post on these days. It is the smallest possible proof you meant it.
Avoid
- Don't describe anyone as suffering from, afflicted with, or a victim of a condition.
- Don't call disabled people inspirational for existing.
- Don't post about accessibility in an image with no alt text.