Web Content Accessibility
Cognitively Impaired

Cognitive Disabilities and Our Website

Cognitive disabilities are some of the hardest to accommodate in terms of website design and function. This is primarily because of the broad nature/extremes and unpredictability of such disabilities. Some of the categories of cognitive disabilities that can affect the usefulness of web content include:

• Attention
• Memory
• Problem-solving
• Reading, language, and verbal comprehension
• Math comprehension
• Visual comprehension

ADF&G recognizes that users suffering from cognitive disabilities have special needs and requirements when it comes to using our website. We respond with the following methods/solutions:

1. We do our best to present information in simple, user-friendly terms and provide contact information to individuals who can provide even more personal attention to the needs or questions of the site user.
2. We try to use simple, consistent design both for page layouts and for navigational elements on our website.
3. We try not to require time-limited responses to options on our web content/pages (the user can work at their own pace without fear of losing their place in the workflow of a web application or navigational path).
4. We try to design our 404 (page not found) responses in such a way as to present the user with logical, common sense options to getting back on track to information or helpful individuals.
5. We try to avoid multiple pop-up windows, scrolling or blinking text or other elements that could easily distract a user from their intended course of action or navigation.
6. We try to write using literal meanings to our text and try not to imply hidden or inferred meanings so that misunderstandings are less likely to occur.
7. Technical and scientific papers may contain very complex mathematic expressions, terms, or meanings. Sometimes these elements cannot be easily simplified any further than they appear in the publication or online page. On such materials, however, we will always include names of individuals that can be contacted should further explanations be useful.
8. We will do our best to present information in multiple ways to reach a broad audience whenever possible.

Questions? Concerns? Want to Report Problems?

Please contact our ADF&G Webmaster if you have questions, concerns, or wish to report web content accessibility issues.