What does it mean when we make something available to people, and what does it mean when we make something accessible to them? Do they mean the same thing?
In this episode of Know the Difference, we are going to explore the key differences between what it means when we are making admission, resources and support available to people and what it means when we make admission, resources and support accessible to them.
In the workplace, there are many things that organizations, leaders, and managers provide to employees; things like resources, opportunities, perks and accommodations. But are we overlooking the degree to which all employees are able use and engage with them?
To explore this, let’s start by first defining Available and Accessible.
Available refers to the effort to make admission, resources and support obtainable to everyone by presenting equal opportunity for use or delivery.
An example of something being available would be when a government department has vital information for the public and provides it written out in full detail all on their website. All people affected have equal opportunity to view it. It is present and available to everyone looking for it.
Now, Accessible refers to the effort to make admission, resources and support obtainable to everyone by providing to them in multiple mediums, methods, or chances to use it. The purpose is to overcome barriers or inequalities that may hinder some population’s ability to receive it with the same ease as others.
An example of something being accessible would be going back to that same government department’s website. Rather than only providing it in written form, if they provided the information in multiple forms; video, audio, multiple languages. This would allow more equitable access to it for people with different learning preferences or language fluencies. They could also provide it to people in a method that is not reliant on the website for those who struggle with poor or no internet access.
The difference between Available and Accessible has a lot in common with the difference between equal and equitable. When something is Available and Equal it is offered to all people in the same way, regardless of their needs, situation, or preferences. When something is Accessible and Equitable, it is offered to people in a way that levels the playing field and recognized that a single method or a single audience is not sufficient to reach all people.