Q&A with Julie Rawe: Understood.org, W3C, and the next set of global accessibility standards
November 13, 2025
World Usability Day is November 13, a yearly reminder that good design helps technology work better for everyone. At Understood, we see accessibility and usability as two sides of the same goal: helping people easily find what they need, understand it, and take action. This benefits all users. But it’s especially helpful for people who learn and think differently.
We’re proud to play a role in shaping new global standards for digital accessibility. In this Q&A, we talk with Julie Rawe, Understood.org’s director of content strategy and accessibility. She also co-leads the Cognitive and Learning Disabilities Task Force at the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). Keep reading to learn about what this work means, why plain language matters, and how it connects to Understood’s mission.
1. What is the W3C, and what’s your new role there?
The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) sets global standards for how the web works. Thanks to the W3C, a webpage will work if you open it on any browser or device in any country. W3C also sets accessibility standards to ensure that websites and apps can be used by everyone. To give just one example, W3C is a big reason why so many videos now include captions.
Understood has been a member of W3C since 2021. Through this partnership, I recently became co-leader of W3C’s Cognitive and Learning Disabilities (COGA) Task Force.
COGA covers a broad range of differences and disabilities. Some are central to Understood’s work, like ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia. Others go beyond our usual focus, such as dementia and intellectual disabilities. COGA is also expanding into mental health.
2. One of your projects is updating a guide on cognitive accessibility. What’s changing, and why does it matter for people who learn and think differently?
I first got involved with COGA a few years ago by giving feedback on a draft of Making Content Usable for People With Cognitive and Learning Disabilities. It’s a really helpful resource. But it’s also really long. That can make it hard for people to quickly find what they need.
One of our main COGA projects right now is to reformat the next version so it’s easier to skim. We’re making lots of other updates, too, like adding more illustrated examples. It’s a big team effort, and I’m excited to help make this resource even more useful.
3. Understood.org has prioritized plain language for years. How are we helping shape this as a global standard — and modeling it in our own work?
I was part of the team that launched Understood way back in 2014. Before our site even had a name, we started creating content at an eighth-grade reading level so parents could easily understand it. For example, we always say “use” instead of “utilize.” We also break up long sentences and use bulleted lists, short sections, and clear section headers. This helps people find what they need.
Through my work with W3C, I’m helping develop plain language standards for the next version of the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 3). I also recently joined the team of WCAG 3 editors.
One big challenge is figuring out how to make plain language standards testable. For example: What makes a word common enough to use without adding a definition? When is it OK to use passive voice? And how can we make sure the rules work across many languages?
In September, W3C released a new WCAG 3 working draft. It will get refined over time, but it gives a helpful look at how we’re evolving the standards.
4. Can you share an example of how writing more clearly helped make a big difference?
Here’s a recent example I loved working on at Understood. A partner came to us with a problem: Every year, it runs a large student survey, and it found out that students with disabilities were much more likely than others to say the survey was hard to finish.
We suggested several changes, like cutting out jargon and streamlining multi-part questions. This summer, the partner told us the updates worked. The gap was gone. Students with disabilities no longer reported more trouble than others in completing the survey. It was really exciting to hear that.
5. What’s your hope for how Understood.org continues to lead in cognitive accessibility — in our content, products, partnerships, and beyond?
Ooh, there are so many things I want to highlight! Emerging technologies and human-centered design are big topics at this year’s World Usability Day. And they’re big topics at Understood, too. We’re exploring more ways to use artificial intelligence (AI) to help meet our users’ needs. We also recently launched an immersive platform to help users understand what it feels like to have ADHD, dyslexia, and dyscalculia.
To make Through My Eyes, we partnered with middle-schoolers who co-developed and narrated interactive simulations that are based on their real-world experiences. Our goal with this free new tool is to build empathy and reduce stigma.
In our ongoing efforts to improve cognitive accessibility, we’re expanding the number of best practices that we follow. For example, our podcasts recently started making the background music at least 20 decibels lower than the main audio. This is the highest WCAG standard level, known as AAA.
We’re also building new tools that are designed for people who learn and think differently. As part of this work, we’re expanding our user testing so we can dig deeper into questions like “What engages people with ADHD without distracting them?”
And last but not least, I’m excited that Understood wants to help other groups learn how to meet the needs of neurodivergent users. Our mission is to shape the world for difference. This means making changes at our own organization, with our partners, and with anyone anywhere who uses guidance we help create.
