accessibility

American  

[ak-ses-uh-bil-uh-tee] / ækˌsɛs əˈbɪl ə ti /

noun

1. the quality of being easy to approach, reach, enter, speak with, use, or understand.

   Transportation in boats, land vehicles, and eventually aircraft dramatically increased the accessibility of most locations on the planet.

   What is most immediately noticeable about the music is its accessibility.

2. the quality of being usable, reachable, obtainable, etc..

   The closeness and accessibility of the moon allow us to operate there in a way that is not possible with other space destinations.

   The Open Access policy establishes the company’s expectations relating to the public accessibility of data from research done by staff members or outside contractors.

3. the quality of being suitable or adapted for use by people with disabilities.

   Undoubtedly, tourism and travel revenues will come to depend more and more on adequate accessibility as the number of senior and disabled visitors grows in the coming decades.

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Other Word Forms

• unaccessibility noun

Etymology

Origin of accessibility

accessibl(e) ( def. ) + -ity ( def. )

Explanation

Accessibility is approachability. One of the things you may want to consider in a job is the accessibility of the managers. If you have a concern, are they available to help, or are they always in meetings or "at lunch"? Accessibility also refers to the quality of being available when needed. You like the accessibility of the company's customer service because you don't have to wait endlessly on hold in hopes of reaching a human being. Accessibility also refers to how easily a disabled person can negotiate part of a building or structure. The stadium had wheelchair accessibility with ramps and a special seating area.

Example Sentences

Indeed, if you’re listening to this on a screen reader, you’re enjoying digital accessibility, which was built on the foundation of usability for those with disabilities.

From Slate • Apr. 4, 2026

Everton fans say the scenario is "damaging supporter accessibility, matchday experience, and long-term engagement".

From BBC • Mar. 30, 2026

“It’s not about accessibility, but about what is trusted and valuable research.”

From MarketWatch • Mar. 21, 2026

This is the type of movie that serves as an amuse-bouche to proper, headier dramas for the PG-13 crowd, and its bespoke accessibility is thoroughly appealing.

From Salon • Mar. 19, 2026

The musical had, as the twentieth century matured, gratefully filled the vacuum created by opera’s self-imposed exile from accessibility, an attribute it had successfully maintained from the 1630s to Puccini’s last operas in the 1920s.

From "The Story of Music" by Howard Goodall

Related Words

• convenience