The Art of Accessibility: Inclusive Design for a Better User Experience
What is accessibility in design?
Accessibility in design refers to the practice of creating products, environments, and technologies that can be used by people with a wide range of abilities. This includes those with disabilities, such as visual or auditory impairments, mobility impairments, and cognitive impairments.
Designing with accessibility in mind is important because it ensures that all users, regardless of their abilities, can access and use a product or service. This is not only a legal and ethical responsibility, but it also makes good business sense. By designing for accessibility, businesses can increase their customer base, improve customer satisfaction, and avoid costly lawsuits.
Industry best practices
There are several industry best practices for designing with accessibility in mind. One important principle is to provide alternative ways of accessing information, such as through text, audio, or video descriptions as this helps users with visual impairments.
Another important principle is to provide clear and consistent navigation. This can help users with cognitive impairments. The use of clear headings, labels, and instructions are some of the best ways to do this.
Other best practices include providing keyboard-only navigation, designing for larger touch targets, and providing high contrast between text and background.
Design for one, extend to many
The “Design for One, Extend to Many” theory is a design principle that suggests that designers should create products and interfaces with a specific user or group of users in mind, and then extend those designs to accommodate a wide range of users. This approach is often used in accessibility design, where the needs of users with disabilities are considered first and the design is then modified to include the needs of users without disabilities.
The theory is based on the idea that by focusing on the needs of a specific group of users, designers can create a more intuitive and user-friendly interface for everyone. For example, designing a website or application with the needs of users with visual impairments in mind, such as providing larger text and high contrast between text and background, can make it more usable for users without visual impairments as well.
The a11y initiative
A11y, an organization dedicated to promoting accessibility, was established in 2013 to make it easier for both designers and developers to understand and implement accessibility guidelines. They advocate for the use of WCAG standards and offer valuable resources for those just starting to incorporate accessibility into their work.
Lastly
I want to emphasize that accessible design is not just about making products usable for people with disabilities, but it is about creating inclusive and user-friendly products for everyone, by designing for all, you’re opening yourself to reach more users and potential customers, which ultimately leads to better business outcomes.
Follow for more and connect with our design community on instagram @designassembly.co
