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:
- 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).
- 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:
- 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.
- 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 - How you can do it. 