The Sensory Accessible Technology Initiative

The Sensory Accessible Technology Initiative (SAT-I) is a movement created by The International Misophonia Foundation 501 (c)(3) to provide guidance, outreach, for tech companies to work toward meaningful improvements to the lives of individuals with sensory accessibility needs with technology including web, user interfaces, and hardware.

An initiative of the International Misophonia Foundation (IMF)

Digital services are part of everyday life. People use websites, operating systems, applications, online banking, healthcare portals, utility accounts, games and communications platforms for work, education, essential services and social participation. Yet common interface features, including blinking cursors, repetitive animations, unexpected sounds and notifications, can make these services difficult to use for people with sensory sensitivities. This is not an exhaustive list of sensory considerations, and SAT-I is designed to analyze the problems faced by neurodivergent users and provide direct actionable feedback. Our mission is to hand over user control over sensory experiences in digital environments. We invite technology companies, accessibility professionals, researchers, utility providers, and people with lived experience to help define practical priorities, evaluate barriers and pursue measurable improvements.

What We Want to Change

Our goal is not to eliminate every animation or sound for every user. It is to provide practical, reliable choices so that a person’s ability to use a service does not depend on tolerating avoidable sensory input.

• Visual motion and blinking: options to reduce or disable nonessential blinking cursors, repetitive animations, flashing elements, motion and transitions.
• Unexpected audio: user control over autoplay, interface sound effects, repeated alerts and notification sounds, with non-auditory alternatives where appropriate.
• Predictable interaction: clearer control over interruptions, pop-ups, time pressure and persistent visual or auditory notifications.
• Persistent preferences: settings that are remembered and, where technically feasible, respect operating-system or browser accessibility preferences.
• Essential digital services: accessible ways to use healthcare portals, banking, government services and electricity, water and internet utility accounts when switching providers or platforms is not practical.

Who This Initiative Is For

Although IMF’s work began with misophonia, sensory accessibility is relevant to people with a wide range of experiences and conditions, including misokinesia, autism, ADHD, migraine and vestibular or sensory processing differences. Needs vary: a feature that helps one person may not help another. The project will therefore prioritize consultation and configurable options over assuming one universal sensory profile.

Building on Existing Accessibility Work

SAII will draw on established standards such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2, including existing provisions concerning motion, flashing and user control. It will identify practical gaps in implementation and investigate additional sensory accommodations where existing guidance is insufficient. SATI- is not an official W3C standard or a certification program.

IMF has already corresponded with major technology companies about sensory accessibility, particularly blinking text cursors. Its Goals and Projects and Our Impact pages document this prior advocacy and other programs. The proposed initiative builds on those efforts and on our developing Misophonia Accessibility Guide.

How the Initiative Will Work

1. Listen and document. Gather specific barriers and accommodation preferences from affected users, caregivers and professionals.
2. Review the evidence. Consult accessibility specialists, researchers and developers, accounting for different sensory needs and potential trade-offs.
3. Develop guidance. Publish practical recommendations and implementation examples for websites, software and essential service portals.
4. Invite implementation. Work with willing companies to review settings and explore achievable improvements.
5. Report progress. Document commitments, implemented changes, outstanding barriers and project limitations.

Two Ways for Organizations to Participate

1. Technical and Accessibility Participation

No financial contribution is required. Companies and public-service providers can participate by identifying an accessibility liaison, reviewing relevant sensory barriers, sharing implementation expertise, evaluating a feasible improvement, or documenting progress toward greater user control.

We especially welcome participation from browser and operating-system developers, productivity and communications software providers, game developers, financial and healthcare platforms, internet service providers, electricity and water utilities, and government digital services.

2. Research and Program Funding

Individual donors, corporations, family foundations and charitable funds may support independent work such as community consultation, analysis, accessibility testing, technical documentation, accessible publication, project coordination and public outreach.

The IMF can develop project-specific scopes, proposed budgets, deliverables and reporting arrangements for prospective funding partners. Funding does not purchase a favourable assessment, product endorsement, or control over research findings.

Proposed Corporate Commitment

We intend to invite participating organizations to consider a practical commitment that can include:

• Designating an accessibility contact
• Reviewing at least one relevant digital product or service for sensory barriers
• Consulting affected users and accessibility professionals
• Identifying a feasible improvement or documenting a technical investigation
• Establishing a reasonable timeline for next steps
• Sharing progress and outstanding limitations transparently
• Corporations will have access to the IMF’s sensory accommodation data collected from users for feedback on sensory needs in technology; as well as on-going correspondence

These are proposed participation criteria, not commitments that have already been accepted. Participation will not imply certification, compliance with a new standard, or endorsement by IMF.

Current Stage and Next Steps

SATI- is in its initial development and outreach stage. The immediate priorities are to refine the scope with community and expert input; prepare technical guidance and a corporate participation framework; recruit initial participants; and develop funding proposals for defined workstreams. Corporate participation and future technical implementations will be reported only after they are confirmed.

Get Involved

Technology and utility providers: We welcome discussions with accessibility, product, engineering, and corporate responsibility teams about practical sensory accessibility improvements.

Donors and foundations: To explore funding community consultation, technical research, publication or implementation outreach, please request a project-specific funding discussion.

Researchers, clinicians and people with lived experience: Contribute perspectives through the developing Accessibility Guide and future project consultations.

To contact IMF directly, you can email shaylynn@misophoniafoundation.com. You can also review Where Donations Go and Our Impact.

The Sensory Accessible Technology Initiative is a project of the International Misophonia Foundation, a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization incorporated in Missouri. EIN: 93-2017604.