Accessibility Timeline

March, 2025: I’m studying for certification called CPACC: Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies. There is a 100-question multiple choice test one must pass to earn this certification. Twenty percent of this test is about Standards, Laws, and Management Strategies. I figured I’d make a visual aid using Timeline.JS, a free script I’d used for previous timeline projects. Here is my study material.

Glossary

I needed to know the difference between the types of laws, etc. that I was studying, so, for clarification, I asked Chat GPT. Here is a glossary of the terms used in the timeline:

• Bill – A collection of important rights and freedoms, usually written down as a single document. A bill can be national or international, and it often explains what governments must do (or not do) to protect people’s rights. Example: The International Bill of Human Rights is made up of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and two covenants that make those rights legally binding.
• Covenant – A formal and legally binding agreement between countries, often used in international human rights law. Covenants are similar to treaties but usually focus on protecting specific rights. Example: The International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights, which help turn the Universal Declaration of Human Rights into enforceable law.
• Treaty – A formal agreement between two or more countries. It’s legally binding, meaning the countries that sign it must follow its rules. Example: The Marrakesh Treaty, which helps blind and visually impaired people access books.
• Convention – A type of treaty, but usually broader. Conventions often set big goals and guidelines for many countries to follow. Example: The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), which promotes disability rights worldwide.
• Declaration – A statement made by a country or a group of countries about a big idea or goal. Declarations are not legally binding, meaning countries don’t have to follow them, but they show a country’s commitment. Example: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
• Charter – A document that sets up an organization or system of rules. Charters often create new institutions or governing bodies. Example: The United Nations Charter, which created the UN.
• Act – A law passed by a national government. Acts are legally binding and apply within the country that created them. They can be used to carry out international agreements or set new national rules. Example: The Equality Act 2010 in the United Kingdom, which protects people from discrimination in areas like work, education, and services.
• Directive – a type of legal act used primarily by the European Union (EU). It sets out goals or results that all EU member states must achieve, but leaves it up to each country to decide how to implement the law within their own legal system.
• National Instrument – A law, policy, or program created by a single country to follow international agreements. Example: A country might pass a national accessibility law to meet the goals of the Marrakesh Treaty.

Don’t you want this world to be designed for you?

I found this TEDx talk by Christine Ha very inspirational for understanding why we content creators should remember to post accessible content on our social media, blogs, and websites. She says: “Life is ever-changing, and aging is inevitable…life is surprising. Disability or blindness can affect our parents, our grandparents, our children, our best friends, and ourselves. So when that time comes, don’t you want this world to be ready and designed for you?”