Communicational Accessibility

An approach to accessible design that goes beyond providing access to raw content (content accessibility) to preserving the designer's intended communicative strategy across all modalities and for all users. Where content accessibility asks "can the user access the information?", communicational accessibility asks "does the user receive the same message the designer intended to convey?" For example, a website using symbolic artwork to represent team identities might provide empty alt text to meet WCAG requirements, giving screen reader users access to navigation but stripping away the symbolic and cultural meaning that sighted users receive. Communicational accessibility would seek an equivalent non-visual representation — such as auditory icons — that conveys the same meaning. The concept originates from applying semiotic theory to accessible interface design.