How to design for accessibility

Aspects of design that can help improve accessibility

Below are just a few things that can be considered when it comes to ensuring accessibility within both digital and physical design:

Contrast

Creating differentiation is vitally important for accessibility. Colour can be one way to do this (so be sure that your brand colours pass accessibility guidelines), however colour alone might not be the most robust way of ensuring contrast.  Shape and size should also be considered. Using a combination of these contrasting techniques will help cement understanding and accessibility for users.

Clarity

Typography, language and white space are a few ways to make sure designs are clear. For example, certain typefaces have been specifically designed to be more legible at larger or smaller sizes, so consider the environment or your users and how they’ll be viewing content.

Order and Hierarchy

Try to prioritise placement and content in terms of importance. Creating order and a clear hierarchical system will aid navigation and ultimately be easier for users to understand – road signs are a great example of how a strong systematic approach can aid accessibility.

Be Descriptive

People with impaired vision often use screen readers to help make sense of digital content – it essentially enables users to ‘hear’ web pages. Images require ‘alternative text’ in order for a screen reader to ‘see’ them, so ensuring your alternative text supports what the image is visually showing is also important.

Principles of inclusive design

Inclusive design aims to make your products more accessible. It is not a process for meeting accessibility standards. Practising inclusive design with accessibility in mind allows us to create usable, compliant experiences for everyone.

It’s worth noting that exclusion isn’t necessarily always permanent. A short-term injury can dramatically change the way a user interacts with a product or service – a broken arm, for example, means that tasks will mostly be done one-handed. Loud crowds can dramatically reduce hearing. Cramped spaces remove full mobility. Harsh sunlight can be visually impairing, and ordering a meal in a different country can be incredibly restrictive if you don’t speak the language.

There are a few key principles that can help when designing for inclusivity:

Clear

Using simplistic, clear layouts and informative call outs will aid user navigation. Language and tone of voice can also help with clarity.

Robust

Putting products through robust and rigorous testing will allow you to test for problems that might come up in future. Consider all possibilities that might affect your users, including situational changes.

Specific

Be specific in what exclusive issues your product or service could encounter. When you look to improve accessibility for a specific user, you tend to enhance and improve the overall experience for a number of others.

Practising inclusive and accessible design will help to highlight opportunities where innovative ideas that benefit all, especially those who need it most, can flourish. When it comes to people, there is no such thing as ‘normal’. Human diversity is an invaluable resource for breaking through barriers and producing better design: assuming that everyone is fully able at all times means you are potentially ignoring the vast majority of your users and their needs.