Accessibility and Inclusivity: Study Guide

Each user is unique. Digital products should be accessible and inclusive not only because it is the right thing to do but also because it makes good business sense. An estimated 15-20% of the world’s population live with a disability of some kind, and we cannot afford to exclude these users from our target markets.

Accessibility and inclusivity are branches of usability. They aim to make designs easy to use for individuals in specific circumstances. Accessibility and inclusivity are mindsets rather than collections of procedures, regulations, or checklists.

Accessible design helps users with different levels of ability. Many users struggle to interact with digital products because of visual, auditory, or motor impairments.

Inclusive design aims to welcome users from diverse backgrounds and circumstances, ensuring that factors such as race, gender, and religion do not hinder their digital experiences.

Resources in this guide can help you assist users with varying types of circumstances and abilities.

Visual Treatments

Accessibility efforts must go beyond simply adding ALT text to images — they must help sighted users too. Mindful visual treatments help users find, see, and understand the information on web pages.

Elderly Users

An increasing number of users over the age of 65 rely on digital products in their everyday lives. While seniors are becoming more tech-savvy with time, there are still many who struggle with digital interfaces. Many challenges that seniors experience, such as fading eyesight and poorer dexterity, will not change as technology advances.

Screen Readers

Users who struggle to see may rely on screen readers to access the web. Screen readers create a linear, 1-dimensional experience that is much different from how sighted users interact with designs. An accessibility widget is not enough; digital products must be designed so that they make sense to screen-reader users.

Conducting Accessibility Research

The only way to know if designs are both accessible and usable for users with disabilities is to test them with this population. You must test designs with real people from the target user population to get accurate and useful results.

Conducting accessibility research can be more challenging and intimidating than doing other user research. However, preparing for what is different can help things go smoothly.

Inclusive Design

With an increasingly diverse population, it is critical for interfaces to welcome and accommodate as many different users as possible. It is disappointing and unfortunate when a design is offensive or exclusionary of certain groups of people — whether intentionally or unintentionally.

It is also important to recognize that not all disabilities are permanent or severe. Users often find themselves with physical, mental, and emotional challenges that are mild or temporary.

Early Accessibility Articles by Jakob Nielsen

Jakob Nielsen has advocated for accessible web design since before Nielsen Norman Group was founded, in 1998. While accessibility efforts and technological sophistication have changed since that time, the same basic principles described in these early articles are just as relevant today as they were back then.

Additional Paid Resources

1-Hour Talks

• Making Accessibility Happen
• Mobile App Accessibility
• How Accessibility Lawsuits are Driving Better Web Design

Reports

• UX Design for Seniors (Ages 65 and older)
• Usability Guidelines for Accessible Web Design