Holistic Accessibility

Holistic accessibility is an approach that considers web accessibility not as an isolated technical concern but as one factor within a broader context including usability, user experience, audience characteristics, usage environment, available technologies, and organizational constraints. Rather than applying accessibility guidelines as a rigid checklist, a holistic approach evaluates how well a resource serves its intended audience — including disabled users — by considering the full ecosystem of factors that affect access. This concept, articulated by researchers including Brian Kelly and colleagues in the mid-2000s, influenced the shift toward more context-sensitive, user-centered approaches in accessibility practice and standards development.