Accessibility Study Answers

 

Here are the answers, organised clearly for studying:

Universal Design Principles

• Perceptible Information — Communicates necessary information effectively to the user.
• Tolerance for Error — Minimises hazards and the consequences of accidental or unintended actions.
• Low Physical Effort — Can be used efficiently and comfortably with minimal fatigue.
• Equitable Use — Useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.

Accessibility Audit — Correct Sequence

1. Assemble a diverse audit team
2. Evaluate policies and systems
3. Test environments and tools
4. Collect user feedback

Q18 — Fill in the Blank

_____ Design is the term for creating content and environments usable by all people, without needing adaptation.

Answer: Universal

➡️ Universal Design

Q19 — Fill in the Blank

_____ is a dynamic interaction between a person's health condition and contextual factors, including environmental and personal factors.

Answer: Disability

This definition comes from the WHO's International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

Q20 — Fill in the Blank

A _____ comes before disability in person-first language.

Answer: Person

➡️ “Person with a disability”

The idea is to put the person before the disability. However, some disabled people prefer identity-first language, such as “disabled person.”

Q23 — Design Thinking Sequence

The typical design-thinking process is:

1. Empathize
2. Define
3. Ideate
4. Prototype
5. Test

Q24 — Fill in the Blank

_____ is the practice of recognizing and addressing multiple and overlapping forms of discrimination.

Answer: Intersectionality

➡️ Intersectionality recognises that a person can experience overlapping forms of discrimination or disadvantage.

Q25 — Fill in the Blank

In the year _____, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was adopted.

Answer: 2006

➡️ The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) was adopted on December 13, 2006.

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⭐ Quick Memorisation Sheet

Question/Topic	Answer
Universal Design	Universal
Dynamic interaction between health condition & context	Disability
Person-first language	Person
Multiple/overlapping discrimination	Intersectionality
UN CRPD adopted	2006
Design Thinking	Empathize → Define → Ideate → Prototype → Test
Accessibility Audit	Team → Policies/Systems → Environments/Tools → User Feedback

Key idea: Accessibility isn't just about changing an individual. It is about designing environments, systems, information, and services so that people with diverse abilities can use them effectively.

The 7 models of disability

 

Model	Main idea
Medical model	Disability is primarily viewed as an impairment or health condition within the individual, with treatment or rehabilitation as the response.
Social model	Disability is created or increased by barriers in society, such as inaccessible buildings, discrimination, poor design, and inaccessible information.
Biopsychosocial model	Disability results from the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors.
Economic model	Focuses on employment, productivity, costs, and economic participation.
Functional solutions model	Concentrates on practical solutions such as accommodations, assistive technology, accessible design, and usability improvements.
Social identity/cultural model	Recognises disability as an identity, culture, community, and potential source of pride and belonging.
Charity model	Views disabled people primarily as dependent, vulnerable, or in need of pity and assistance.

The article emphasises that these models affect healthcare, education, employment, policy, accessibility, and the way society treats disabled people.

Your point about blame fits especially well with the social model

I think the distinction you're making is important:

Disabled people are not a burden. Disability is not someone's fault.

The social model does not say that someone's impairment isn't real. Rather, it separates the impairment from the barriers that society creates around it. Clym explains this distinction by saying that impairments can be biological realities, while disability can occur when society fails to accommodate them.

For example:

• A person uses a wheelchair → the mobility impairment is real.
• A building has only stairs → the inaccessible environment creates a barrier.
• An employer provides reasonable accommodations → the barrier can be reduced.
• A website isn't compatible with someone's accessibility needs → the design creates another barrier.

So, having a disability isn't a moral failure, a choice, or something a person should be blamed for.

Employers have responsibilities too

Your point that employers need to safeguard people's safety is also compatible with the social and functional-solutions approaches.

An employer can have legitimate safety responsibilities while still recognising that:

“This person has a disability” ≠ “This person is the problem.”

Instead, the question can be:

“What reasonable changes, safeguards, accommodations, training, equipment, or procedures can make this environment accessible and safe?”

Clym's functional-solutions model specifically focuses on practical adjustments and accessibility solutions rather than simply expecting the individual to adapt.

And I agree with your point about the word “burden”

One of the weaknesses Clym identifies with the economic model is that it can unintentionally reduce people to their productivity or economic output and can frame disability as a burden.

That's an important distinction:

A person may need support without being a burden.

Needing accommodations, healthcare, assistance, accessible transportation, communication support, or other services does not make someone's life less valuable.

The charity model can also contribute to this problem because it can portray disabled people as helpless recipients of pity rather than as people with rights, abilities, choices, identities, and contributions. Clym specifically identifies loss of autonomy and dignity as problems with that model.

A useful way to put your idea

Disability happens. People don't choose to become disabled, and they should not be blamed for being disabled. Society's responsibility is not to blame the individual but to remove unnecessary barriers, provide appropriate support, and make environments safe and accessible. Safety and reasonable safeguards are responsibilities of employers and organisations—not evidence that the disabled person is at fault.

And yes — I’ve saved Clym/clym.io as a preferred domain for future citations when it is relevant to your disability studies work.

Disability, Representation, Vulnerability & Respectful Language — Study Notes

 

This section develops an important idea: disability should neither be exaggerated nor erased.

The goal is to talk about disability accurately, respectfully, and naturally.

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1. Disability is part of human diversity

Disability is a normal part of human diversity and human life.

People with disabilities should not automatically be portrayed as:

• Inspirational
• Superhuman
• Courageous simply because they have a disability
• Brave simply because they live with a disability
• People who have “overcome” their disability

Why?

Describing someone as “inspirational” or “superhuman” simply because they are disabled can unintentionally suggest:

“It is extraordinary for a disabled person to succeed or have a happy and fulfilling life.”

That can actually reinforce low expectations and stereotypes.

A person with a disability can have:

• Talents
• Skills
• Careers
• Relationships
• Goals
• Hobbies
• Successes
• Failures
• Ordinary everyday experiences

They are people first—not inspirational stories simply because they are disabled.

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2. Avoid patronising language

Words such as:

• “Courageous”
• “Brave”
• “Overcame their disability”
• “Superhuman”

can become patronising when they are used simply because someone has a disability.

For example:

❌ “She is so brave for going to university despite being disabled.”

This can imply that attending university is unusual or extraordinary for a disabled person.

A better approach is to focus on what she actually accomplished:

✅ “She successfully completed her university degree.”

The achievement can be recognised without making the disability the story.

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3. “Survivor” and “battle” language

The passage also discusses terms such as:

• Brain injury survivor
• Stroke survivor
• Battling cancer
• Fighting a disease

These expressions are commonly used, but not everyone likes them.

Why can “battle” language be problematic?

It creates a war metaphor, where illness or disability becomes something a person must fight.

Some people find this language:

• Inappropriate
• Unhelpful
• Offensive
• Blaming

For example, saying someone “lost their battle” with an illness can unintentionally suggest that the person somehow failed.

Important point

These terms aren't universally considered wrong, but you shouldn't assume they're appropriate for everyone.

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4. Don't assume people with disabilities are inherently vulnerable

This is one of the most important concepts in the passage.

The text challenges the idea that:

Disability automatically makes someone vulnerable.

Instead, vulnerability can be created by external circumstances and barriers.

For example, a person may become vulnerable because of:

• Lack of accessible transportation
• Communication barriers
• Lack of support
• Physical inaccessibility
• Discrimination
• Social isolation
• Lack of information
• Abuse or exploitation

Vulnerability can change

A person might be vulnerable in one situation but not another.

For example:

Someone might face increased risk of gender-based violence but not necessarily have increased risk of identity theft.

Therefore, we should not treat vulnerability as an automatic characteristic of every disabled person.

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5. The social model connection

This connects very strongly with the social model of disability you've been studying.

Instead of asking:

“What's wrong with this person?”

we can ask:

“What barriers or circumstances are creating difficulties for this person?”

For example:

Person uses a wheelchair

↓

Building has stairs but no ramp

↓

Person cannot enter

The problem isn't simply the person's impairment.

The inaccessible environment creates the barrier.

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6. Don't mention disability unless it is relevant

The passage also recommends avoiding unnecessary labeling.

You don't need to mention someone's disability simply because you know they have one.

Instead, focus on the person's:

• Skills
• Abilities
• Requirements
• Experience
• Role
• Communication method

Example from the passage

Suppose you are discussing the quality of Braille documents.

Instead of saying:

❌ “Our blind colleague checked the document.”

You could say:

✅ “Our colleague who reads Braille checked the document.”

Or:

✅ “Our Braille user reviewed the document.”

Why?

Because the relevant information is their ability to read Braille, not their blindness.

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7. But don't make disability invisible

This is an equally important point.

The message is not:

“Never talk about disability.”

Instead:

Talk about disability when it is relevant and important.

Disability should be included in:

• Policies
• Education
• Workplace discussions
• Accessibility planning
• Service provision
• Research
• Representation
• Advocacy
• Inclusion discussions

People with disabilities have historically been excluded, ignored, underrepresented, or left behind.

Therefore, avoiding all discussion of disability can create another problem: invisibility.

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⭐ The Balance

The central message can be remembered as:

Don't exaggerate disability.

Don't portray disabled people as superheroes simply because they are disabled.

Don't stereotype disability.

Don't assume every disabled person is vulnerable or incapable.

Don't hide disability.

Disability inclusion and accessibility need to be openly discussed.

Don't make assumptions.

Ask what the person needs and respect how they identify.

Focus on the person.

Talk about their skills, abilities, interests, requirements, and achievements.

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Easy-Read Summary

Disability is part of human diversity.

People with disabilities do not need to be described as:

• “Superhuman”
• “Brave”
• “Courageous”
• “Inspirational”

just because they have a disability.

These descriptions can sometimes suggest that disabled people are not normally expected to succeed.

People with disabilities are also not automatically vulnerable. Barriers, discrimination, lack of support, and unsafe situations can create vulnerability.

We should also avoid talking about someone's disability when it isn't relevant.

However, we should not hide disability either.

Disability needs to be openly and respectfully included in:

education + services + workplaces + policies + conversations + representation.

⭐ Key principle

Disability should be neither sensationalized nor made invisible. It should be discussed accurately, respectfully, and when relevant.

People-First Language — Study Notes

This section explains people-first language, while also recognising that people with disabilities do not all use the same language to describe themselves.

 

1. What is people-first language?

 

People-first language places the person before the disability.

 

Instead of defining someone by their disability, the language emphasises that they are a person who has or experiences a disability.

 

Examples

Children with albinism

Students with dyslexia

Women with intellectual disabilities

People with disabilities

 

The basic pattern is:

 

Person + “with” + disability

 

For example:

 

“student with dyslexia” rather than “dyslexic student.”

 

2. Why does people-first language matter?

 

People-first language emphasizes that:

 

A disability is one part of a person's life; it does not define the whole person.

 

This can help avoid reducing someone to a diagnosis or disability label.

 

For example:

 

❌ “She is an intellectual disability.”

 

This is grammatically incorrect and treats the disability as though it is the person.

 

✅ “She has an intellectual disability.”

 

This identifies the disability while recognising the person separately.

 

3. People-first language is not a universal rule

 

An important point in this passage is that people’s first language should not automatically be imposed on everyone.

 

There are exceptions and differences between disability communities.

 

For example, both of these can be used:

 

Blind person

Person who is blind

 

Similarly:

 

Deaf person

Person who is deaf

 

Therefore, the language someone prefers may depend on the individual, community, culture, and type of disability.

 

4. Ask the person

 

The passage gives an important principle:

 

When in doubt, ask the person how they prefer to identify.

 

This is especially important because people with disabilities are not a homogeneous group.

 

That means they don’t do it all:

 

Think the same way

Identify the same way

Describe their disabilities the same way

Prefer the same terminology

 

One person may prefer people’s first language, while another may prefer identity-first language.

 

For example:

 

First people:

 

“A student with autism.”

 

Identity-first:

 

“An autistic student.”

 

Neither should automatically be assumed to be the person's preferred choice.

 

5. Identity-first language

 

Identity-first language places the disability or identity before the person.

 

Examples include:

 

Autistic person

Deaf person

Blind person

Disabled person

Dyslexic person

 

Some people prefer this because their disability or identity may be an important part of who they are, rather than something separate from themselves.

 

This is why the passage's advice to ask the person or group is important.

 

6. Key principle: Respect for self-identification

 

The most important message is:

 

Respect how people choose to identify themselves.

 

Language should not be used to tell a person how they are supposed to describe themselves.

 

A respectful approach is:

 

If you know the person's preference → use it.

 

If you don't know → ask when appropriate.

 

If you cannot ask → use respectful, widely accepted terminology appropriate to the context.

 

⭐ Easy-Read Summary

 

People-first language puts the person before the disability.

 

Examples:

 

Student with dyslexia

Person with an intellectual disability

Child with albinism

 

However, not everyone prefers people-first language.

 

Some people prefer:

 

Autistic person

Deaf person

Blind person

Disabled person

 

People with disabilities are individuals, and they may identify in different ways.

 

The key rule:

 

Don't assume. Ask and respect the person's preference.

 

This is particularly important for your study notes because it shows that respectful disability language is not simply about following one rigid rule—it is about respecting the individual and their chosen identity.