Who this helps

A11y-Equitas is built for everyone, with extra care for neurodivergent users. This page explains who benefits, and why neurodivergent groups are disproportionately underserved. It also explains which WCAG 2.2 AAA rules help each group most.

Notes: Stats are estimates. Sources differ. “SC” = Success Criterion. “AAA” is WCAG’s strictest level — not legally required, but it helps a lot of people.

The neurodivergent bias in this model

A11y-Equitas has a deliberate neurodivergent (ND) bias. The model prioritizes WCAG criteria that help ND individuals. It also includes all ADA disability categories by default. That bias is intentional, and it is explained below.

Why ND groups are ignored in most accessibility work

• Invisible disabilities. You cannot see ADHD, dyslexia, autism, OCD, or DID. There is no assistive device to signal the need. Auditors often check for screen-reader compatibility or wheelchair ramp equivalents. They often miss the cognitive and sensory barriers entirely.
• Misunderstood group. ND conditions are still widely mischaracterized as laziness, attitude, or low intelligence. This is most common among people who have not encountered these conditions professionally. That misunderstanding means ND needs do not make it into requirements documents, RFPs, or acceptance criteria.
• Easier to serve one group as cover for ignoring others. Accessible design fixes visible, measurable barriers — screen reader compatibility, color contrast for low vision. This kind of fix is easier to demonstrate in a compliance audit. It is also easier to use as proof of “accessibility.” But it leaves cognitive, timing, and sensory barriers untouched.
• Compliance history favored visible barriers. ADA and WCAG implementation have historically handled visible and measurable barriers more easily. Cognitive, sensory, and executive-function barriers have been harder to address. The National Council on Disability found that ADA Title I compliance activity focused heavily on architectural modifications. It also found that cognitive accommodations are harder to quantify. W3C’s Cognitive Accessibility at WAI says some cognitive accessibility needs remain outside existing standards and require supplemental guidance. A 2022 rapid evidence assessment identifies the same gap. Later W3C work — including COGA and WCAG 2.2 additions noted by the U.S. Access Board — addresses some cognitive-disability barriers that earlier standards did not cover. But it does not fully close the gap.

Why ND employees or staff are reluctant to speak up

• Disclosing an ND condition at work or in a public-facing interaction carries real social and professional risk.
• Many ND employees or staff have learned to mask. Masking means they work around barriers quietly rather than report them. They leave the service, not a complaint.
• Formal feedback channels (web forms, accessibility contact pages, helpdesks) are often themselves inaccessible for ND employees or staff. Examples include long forms, CAPTCHAs, and phone-only support.
• Many ND employees or staff have been told before that their complaint is not a “real” accessibility issue. They stop reporting.
• Casual belittling comments normalize masking. Remarks like “I think I have ADHD sometimes” minimize the real challenges ND individuals face. Such remarks describe a bad day, not a genuine neurological difference. Jokes about public figures exhibiting unusual behavior as shorthand for “that’s ADHD” or “that’s autism” do the same. These comments signal to ND employees or staff that their condition is not taken seriously. This reinforces the pressure to mask rather than disclose.
• Rigid accommodation deadlines can create ADA risk. The EEOC reasonable-accommodation guidance requires an interactive process and allows only limited documentation. When an employer imposes deadlines that prevent meaningful interactive-process participation, that deadline can itself become an access barrier. This is especially true for workers whose disability affects executive function, paperwork, appointments, or follow-up. Dwyer et al. (Autism in Adulthood) describes the executive-function demands of multi-office documentation. The HHS ASPE adult-ADHD report (PDF) covers diagnosis-side barriers (wait times, cost, unnecessary neuropsychological testing). Many ND workers do not submit paperwork on time. Requests then close for non-response. The accommodation process is used against the very people it was designed to protect.

The result is that ND barriers go unfixed. Agencies interpret silence as compliance. A11y-Equitas is built to surface these gaps before an employee or staff member ever has to report them.

Coverage table

Population and age denominators differ across sources. Cells include the age group or population so readers can compare apples to apples. Always treat these figures as estimates. Diagnosed prevalence and symptom prevalence are different things. Many ND adults remain undiagnosed.

Why AAA contrast (7:1) matters

The WCAG 2.1 AA bar is 4.5:1 for body text. AAA raises it to 7:1. That extra margin is the difference for someone with vision close to 20/80. It is also the difference for anyone reading in sunlight glare, late at night when tired, or against a busy background. Text stays readable instead of fading away.

The most important AAA rule: let the user choose

The biggest AAA principle for neurodivergent and dissociative users is user customization. People must be able to switch the font, spacing, and colors to what works for them. WCAG SC 1.4.12 Text Spacing (AA) makes sure your layout does not break when they do.

Default typography matters too. See Default fonts for how this site picks its typeface and why.