In this day and age, there is quite the negative reputation tied to accessible design. Of course, everyone would like designs of all sorts of things from pamphlets to websites to be more accessible to everyone, regardless of any physical or technical impairments, but often accessibility is regarded as a chore by designers–as just another tedious extra step to top off a design project (Murphy, 2017)

This is a huge misconception though, accessible design should be a point of active concern and focus right from the beginning of a design project, not simply an afterthought.

So, without further wait, here are some common misconceptions about accessible design that I hope will get all you designers out there more actively involved in designing for accessibility.

Myth: Accessible designs are plain and mostly boring. Reality: Accessible designs can be visually appealing and a pleasure to use if done right. Ultimately, accessible design does not entail a sacrifice to design quality or appearance by any means (Murphy, 2017).

Myth: Accessible design is just another check on the list of things designers have to do but doesn’t really matter all that much. Reality: Accessible design means considering EVERY user and the ways in which they will interact with a design. Usability and accessibility are closely linked. If a design is already usable, then it won’t take much to make it more accessible too. Further, accessible design is for everyone–for the end user–not just for a small group of inconsequential people necessarily. So, with accessible design you are essentially designing for anyone and everyone that will potentially use or see your design (Murphy, 2017).

When designing with accessibility in mind, designers ought to keep two important user groups in mind: those with different technical abilities and those with different physical abilities from, say, the general population (Ivey, 2016).

First, to understand the technical abilities of one’s end users or target audience will considerably impact one’s approach to design. This entails identifying, for example, what types of devices your end users are operating on, if you are designing on the web, what their location is or where they are accessing your content, and how technically savvy they are (Ivey, 2016)

When designing for this group of end users, designers should keep the following in mind:

1. Include alternative test to images. Oftentimes, someone in a location of the world, such as developing country perhaps, with spotty internet connection will have trouble loading any images or other media on your website or web ad, for instance. Thus, it is extremely important to ensure there is an alternative way for these sorts of people in such situations to access your content (Ivey, 2016).
2. Perhaps put together a lightweight version of the website you are designing that would be better for use by someone with lower bandwidth than normal (Ivey, 2016).

When designing with accessibility in mind, it is also key to consider users’ physical limitations. This can include people with visual, auditory, physical, speech, or neurological disabilities (Ivey, 2016).

When designing for this group of end users, some ideas that designers should keep ready in their toolkit are as follows:

1. Providing screen readers that recite any information on a web page aloud to the user. This can provide someone with a visual disability with an alternative way to access the information presented on your website.
2. Incorporating screen magnification options that make small content for those partially visually-impaired more easily readable.

A helpful framework to guide you through your accessible design journey is as follows… The POUR framework (Smyk, 2017).

The POUR framework asks four essential questions regarding inclusivity and accessibility in design:

Perceivable: How will whatever content that is to be designed interpreted by the end user? Through which medium or format will the information be relayed to the end user?

Operable: What kinds of inputs are available to the end user to interact with and understand the information presented in your design? Are there any helpful visual or auditory cues to guide the user?

Understandable: Is the information/content presented in the design meaningful? Can the end user effectively interpret and derive some sort of use from the content of your design? Is the design clear, concise and to-the-point? Is the design riddled with unnecessary flourishes for aesthetic effect but with no real purpose?

Robust: Can your design cross language or other barriers effectively? Will your design stand the test of time? In the example of the web, how backwards compatible is your website? Will users operating on an older browser or system be able to access your website the same as someone using an up-to-date browser?

Accessible design is so important, especially in this day and age, because it promotes inclusion of all types of people. When designing with accessibility in mind, you open up the doors to all kinds of people globally to interact with your designs, regardless of their language, location or ability (Accessibility, n.d.)

The web, for example should be accessible to all types of people, providing equal access and opportunity to people with diverse sets of abilities. Why is this so important? Well, for one, accessibility promotes social inclusion for people with a disability or for the elderly. Accessibility even goes so far as to provide people in rural areas and developing countries equal access to all the resources and opportunity the internet has to offer. Matter of fact, the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities states that access to information and communication technologies, or in other words the Web, is a basic human right (Accessibility, n.d.).

Accessible design also presents many benefits to the designer or business in question. On the web,  studies show that accessible websites tend to garner improved search results, much lower maintenance costs (as good good web design practices often go hand-in-hand with accessible design practices), and higher audience reach (Accessibility, n.d.).

Let me end by sharing a quote I think sums up the importance of accessible design, in terms of the web, but that can be applied to most if not all design:

“The power of the Web is in its universality.
Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect.” – Tim Berners-Lee, W3C Director and Inventor of the World Wide Web

Accessible design can often be overlooked. However, this is not always an intentional decision. A big misunderstanding with accessible design arises with the definition of accessibility versus usability.

Usability, on the one hand, is a term used to describe design that is so seamless and purposeful that the design itself is nearly invisible. A tremendously usable website, for instance, will be laid out in such a way that users can easily get around without much or any hassle (Ivey, 2016).

Accessibility, the topic of this blog post today, can be described as an effort to enable people with a range of diverse abilities to effectively understand or interact with a design (Ivey, 2016).

Accessible design combines the enabling efforts of accessibility with technical design elements, taking an ideal concept and making something concrete from it. In other words, accessible design is a process by which the wide variety of needs of people with mental or physical disabilities are specifically considered (What is the difference between accessible, usable, and universal design?, 2017).

Thanks for joining me! Here, on this blog, I will be diving into the many different aspects of accessible design that stand out to me. I will cover the importance of designing with accessibility in mind, good accessible design practices, and so much more. So, if you are a designer like me with an interest in making your own designs accessible to all types of people, then you are in the right place!

“Accessible design in good design.” — Steve Ballmer