Access to Information

In the context of web accessibility, the concept that certain accessibility criteria are fundamentally about whether users can reach and perceive content at all, as distinct from criteria that improve the quality or experience of that access. Access to information serves as a structuring principle for prioritizing accessibility work — ensuring that essential technical devices (such as alt attributes, video transcripts, and proper heading structures) are present and relevant before addressing criteria that enhance but do not gate the user experience. The concept was formalized in the MIPAW model as a way to reorganize WCAG criteria into a more intuitive, user-needs-driven implementation sequence.