Making News Accessible
Research from 15 West
Supported by DePaul University
1 in 4 people in West Side Chicago have disabilities, are neurodivergent, or are learning English. Most local news isn't built for them. We partnered with DePaul University to understand what needs to change.
Help Us Continue This Research
Live in Cook County? Share your experience with local news accessibility and earn $25.
Take the SurveyWest Side Communities Need Accessible News
Data from The Chicago Health Atlas (2019-2023) reveals the scale of accessibility barriers in our coverage area. Nearly 40,000 residents across five West Side communities live with disabilities that affect how they access information.
Vision Difficulty
Blind or low-vision residents who need screen readers, Braille, or audio alternatives to access local news
Cognitive Difficulty
Residents with challenges in memory, concentration, or decision-making who benefit from plain language and clear structure
Hearing Difficulty
Deaf or hard-of-hearing residents who need captions, transcripts, and visual alternatives
26.3% of West Garfield Park residents have some form of disability — more than 1 in 4 people. The community has a 7.2% vision difficulty rate, more than double the citywide average, and a 10.9% cognitive difficulty rate, the highest among West Side communities. These numbers reflect deep health disparities, including diabetes-related vision loss, that disproportionately impact Black and Latine communities on the West Side.
Disability Rates by West Side Community
| Community | Population | Vision Difficulty | Cognitive Difficulty | Any Disability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| West Garfield Park | 17,423 | 7.2% | 10.9% | 26.3% |
| North Lawndale | 34,817 | 4.2% | 8.3% | 20.7% |
| Austin | 96,753 | 4.9% | 6.6% | 18.0% |
| East Garfield Park | 19,995 | 5.2% | 6.9% | 16.9% |
| Humboldt Park | 53,832 | 2.9% | 5.4% | 13.3% |
| TOTAL | 222,820 | 4.5% | 7.0% | 17.8% |
The reality: When nearly 18% of West Side residents live with disabilities, accessible journalism moves from option to essential.
Understanding the Barriers
In partnership with DePaul University's Research Collaborative, we are conducting accessibility research to establish what barriers prevent people from accessing local news. While our survey reaches participants nationwide, the barriers they identify—complex language, missing alt-text, poor navigation—are the same barriers facing the 25,000+ West Side residents living with vision and cognitive difficulties.
Help Us Continue This Research
Live in Cook County? Share your experience with local news accessibility and earn $25.
Take the SurveyWho We Heard From
People with Disabilities
Visual, hearing, motor, and cognitive disabilities that affect how people access news
Neurodivergent Readers
ADHD, autism, dyslexia, and other ways of processing information
English Language Learners
Speakers of Spanish, Polish, Arabic, and other languages in our communities
What's Getting in the Way
When news is only accessible to some, we fail our communities. Accessible journalism isn't a "nice to have" — it's essential for democratic participation.
What Actually Works
Plain Language
Short sentences, simple words, and clear structure make news accessible to all reading levels
Better Design
High contrast, larger fonts, and plenty of whitespace improve readability for everyone
Audio Versions
Podcast-style news and text-to-speech options serve auditory learners and visually impaired readers
Multiple Languages
Spanish translations and multilingual content reach more of our diverse communities
Mobile First
Responsive design ensures news works on all devices and screen sizes
Image Descriptions
Detailed alt text enables screen reader users to understand visual content
How 15 West Will Use This Research
We're not just documenting the problem — we're using these findings to build 15 West differently from day one. This research informs everything from how we write headlines to how we design our website.
Validating Accessibility Barriers Nationwide
11 participants across 7 states confirmed consistent barriers in accessing local news
While this research captured experiences nationwide, our reporting focuses exclusively on Chicago's West Side, where Chicago Health Atlas data shows 10,000 residents with vision difficulty and 15,500 with cognitive difficulty face these same barriers.