Accessibility

Accessibility

Easily used or accessed by people with disabilities: adapted for use by people with disabilities

The concept of whether a product or service can be used by everyone—however they encounter it

These laws exist to aid people with disabilities, but designers should try to accommodate all potential users in many contexts of use anyway

Social Model of Disability

• Disability is caused by the way society is organised

• Seeks to find ways of removing barriers that restrict life choices for disabled people

• Help to develop more inclusive ways of living, with independence choice and control

Medical Model of Disability

• The medical model of disability says that people are disabled by their impairments or differences

• The medical model looks at what is ‘wrong’ with the person and not what the person needs

• It can create low expectations and leads to people losing independence, choice and control in their own lives

W5H

A good starting point when considering the user experience and designing a product is to ask the following questions (also known as the W5H): 

• Who: Who is using your product? 

• What: What are they doing? 

• Where: Where are they doing it? 

• When: When are they doing it?

•  Why: Why are they doing it? 

• How: How are they doing it?

Digital Accessiblity

The design of and building of websites and web apps that disabled people can interact with in a meaningful and equivalent way

“Digital accessibility means designing and building your digital offerings so that, regardless of a person's mental or physical ability, they can still interact with your website, app, or other digital product in a meaningful and equal way

Compliance and Accessibility

Often, accessibility is viewed as a series of checkboxes to complete

Accessibility is not only about compliance, but it is also about usability

WCAG - Web Content Accessibility Guidelines

• not an introduction to accessibility - ensures accessibility

• documents explain how to make web content more accessible to people with disabilities

• for those who want a technical standard

Usefulness

has two key parts:

• Utility: Does the system do what users need?

• Usability: Can users easily use the system’s features?

Nielsen’s Usability Characteristics

• Learnability – the system should be easy to learn

• Efficiency – the system should be efficient to use

• Memorability – the system should be easy to remember

• Errors - the system should have a low error rate

• Satisfaction – the system should be satisfying to use

Web Accessibility

Websites, tools, and technologies are designed and developed so that people with disabilities can use them

Perceive, Operate, Understand (Navigate, Interact and Contribute to the Web), Robust.

Encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the Web:

• auditory, visual, cognitive, physical, and speech

Benefits for people without Disabilities

• Small screen devices

• Older people (with changing abilities)

• Temporary disabilities e.g., a broken arm, lost glasses

• Situational limitations e.g., bright light, noisy environment

• Slow internet connections or limited bandwidth

Accessibility is Important for Business

• Drive innovation

• Enhances the brand

• Extend the market reach

• Minimise the legal risk

Web Accessibility Principles

• perceivable

• operable

• understandable

• robust

Perceivable

• Users must be able to perceive all essential information on the screen, and it must be conveyed to multiple senses

• Is there any content or functionality in your digital product that a person with a specific disability would not be able to perceive?

• Be sure to consider all the different types of disabilities—visual, mobility, hearing, cognitive, and speech impairments, vestibular and seizure disorders, and more

Perceivable Examples

• Adding text alternatives to all non decorative images and essential icons

• Adding captions, transcripts, and audio descriptions to videos

• Ensuring colour is not the only method of conveying meaning

Operable

• Users must be able to operate the digital product's interface

• The interface cannot require interaction that a user cannot perform

• Can users control the interactive elements of your digital product?

• Are there any focus order issues or keyboard traps? 

• How are touch interfaces handled?

Operable Examples

• Adding keyboard and touchscreen support to all active elements

• Ensuring slideshows and videos have all of the necessary controls available

• Giving users enough time to fill out a form or a method to extend the time

Understandable

• Users must understand the information and the operation of the user interface

• Is all the content clearly written?

• Are all of the interactions easy to understand?

• Does the order of the page make sense—to sighted users, keyboard-only users, screen reader users?

Understandable Examples

• Writing simply—don't use a complex word when a simple one will do

• Ensuring your digital product has predictable navigation

• Ensuring error messages are clear and easy to resolve

Robust

• Supporting assistive technologies and ensuring that, as devices and user agents evolve, the digital product remains accessible

• What types of assistive technology are you supporting?

• Does your digital product only work on the newest browsers or operating systems? 

• Does it work at all breakpoints and in different device orientations?

Robust Examples

• Testing keyboard-only navigation

• Testing with different screen reader technologies

• Ensuring all of the content and functionality can be accessed, regardless of device size or orientation