Understanding Accessibility in UX Design

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Image Source: An Article on Medium for Accessibility

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Accessibility in UX design is crucial for creating inclusive experiences that cater to all users, regardless of their abilities. By prioritising accessibility, you ensure that your digital products are usable by everyone, regardless of their physical, sensory, cognitive, or neurological differences. 

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It is so important, yet one fails to adopt it. According to a report by WebAIM (Web Accessibility In Mind) in 2022 found that 96.8% of the internet’s top 1 million homepages had detectable accessibility errors. That number was actually a slight improvement from previous years: WebAIM’s 2021 analysis found that 97.4% of websites had potential barriers for users with disabilities.

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Let’s get to know a bit more about accessibility in UX design through this article.

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What is Accessibility?

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According to the Interaction Design Foundation, accessibility in UX design refers “to the concept of whether a product or service can be used by everyone—however they encounter it. Accessibility laws exist to aid people with disabilities, but designers should try to accommodate all potential users in many contexts of use anyway. To do so has firm benefits—notably better designs for all.”

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What Are Some Accessibility Guidelines for UX Designers

The World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has established guidelines for accessible design in its most recent Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG). The latest version of the guideline is WCAG (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines) 3.0. Here are some of the pointers that one can incorporate in to their product to make it more accessible for diverse users:

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Include Diverse User Persona

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Image Source: UXPRESSIA

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The users are diverse and so should be personas, we can’t generalise our audience with the use of a single persona. Personas are fictional characters of our product, which are based upon our research in order to represent the different user types that might use your service, product, site, or brand in a similar way.

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Have an Alt Text For Your Content

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Image Source: Interaction Design Foundation

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Now what does that mean? Do you remember when a picture or a resource on a webpage doesn’t load and it gives a cracked image icon and, at times, just a text? That is called Alt Text. It helps us ensure accessibility and a smooth user journey. Imagine a case where a site couldn't load properly and the resources didn’t have any alt text; one won’t be able to identify or distinguish among each other, so we need a defined alt text about that particular resource.

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Have Accessible Audio and Video Elements

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Image Source: Interaction Design Foundation

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We can make a video or audio accessible for everyone by adding subtitles, transcripts, or even making the audio available in different languages. It helps in catering to a large audience. Remember how we mentioned above to always have a diverse persona? This is how it helps us understand accessibility. There might be instances where the user doesn’t understand an accent,and we need to keep accessibility in mind. A transcript can help them understand the context or a subtitle for a non-native speaker in their local language.

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Visual Accessibility in UX Design

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Check Colour Contrast

Image Source: Interaction Design Foundation

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We may think that using different colours can help users differentiate among elements, but that’s not how it goes in user experience (UX). One needs to understand and accept the inclusiveness of diverse user groups. That’s how one creates an inclusive design. There might be a chance that some of our users have disabilities like colour blindness or are visually impaired, and to keep accessibility and usability in mind, one needs to focus on accessibility in UX design.

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Include Visible Typography

Image Source: Rocketspark

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Line height (line spacing) should be at least 1.5 times the font size. Spacing following paragraphs to at least 2 times the font size.

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Letter spacing (tracking) to at least 0.12 times the font size. Word spacing to at least 0.16 times the font size

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Font sizes should not be smaller than 10 points. This helps people to be able to recognise and read the words. People with disabilities like low vision and dyslexia are benefited by adopting this approach, working towards usability and inclusive design.

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What is Usability?

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Image Source: Interaction Design Foundation

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Usability is a measure of how good a design or a product is in terms of how a user interacts with it and is able to use it. Designers usually measure a design’s usability throughout the development process—from wireframes to the final deliverable—to ensure maximum usability.

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What is Inclusive Design?

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Image Source: Interaction Design Foundation

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According to the Interaction Design Foundation “Inclusive design has its roots in the disability rights movement, which began in the 1950s. The goal of this movement was for people with disabilities to have access to the same rights, opportunities, and resources as non-disabled people. One example of a powerful design benefit that came from this is the curb cut. Curb cuts help wheelchair users, but they also act as ramps for cyclists and many others.”

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In web accessibility Inclusive design is a combination of accessibility, usability, and inclusivity. We have already discussed them above in the article.

Accessible Design Includes Everyone

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Image Source: Interaction Design Foundation

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A design is called accessible when everyone is able to use it. Not only is it morally acceptable to prioritise accessibility, but it also frequently benefits all users. That's because accessibility features that aid persons with impairments also benefit others. For example, subtitles for videos that assist those with hearing loss also assist those who are watching the video silently (for example, in a social media feed). 

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When using the app outdoors in broad sunshine, persons with excellent vision can also benefit from the readable, high-contrast language designed to aid those with visual impairments. Demanding circumstances will provide obstacles for a large number of users, regardless of ability. You may make goods and services that anybody can use and enjoy, or at the very least find beneficial or peaceful, when you design for all ability levels.

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Types of Common Accessibility Issue in UX Design and Their Solutions

Accessibility issues in UX design means any barrier or restriction that makes it difficult to make a person with any disability a website or product less accessible. To understand how accessibility issues can occur, you need to understand how people with disabilities access and use websites. The types of disabilities to be aware of are:

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Colour Contrast and Visual Impairments

• Challenge: Users with visual impairments may struggle to distinguish between colours or see text clearly.
• Solution: Ensure sufficient colour contrast between text and background, provide alternative text for images, and offer options to adjust font size and colour.

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Keyboard Navigation and Motor Impairments

• Challenge: Users with motor impairments may rely on keyboards or assistive devices to navigate websites or apps.
• Solution: Implement keyboard shortcuts, provide clear focus indicators, and ensure all interactive elements can be accessed and operated using a keyboard.

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Screen Reader Compatibility and Blindness

• Challenge: Users who rely on screen readers need clear and logical content structure to understand the information presented.
• Solution: Use appropriate HTML headings, provide alternative text for images, and ensure proper labelling of form elements. Avoid relying solely on colour to convey information.

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Cognitive Impairments

• Challenge: Users with cognitive impairments may have difficulty understanding complex information or completing tasks.
• Solution: Use clear and concise language, break down information into smaller chunks, and provide visual cues to guide users through the interface.

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Mobile Accessibility

• Challenge: Mobile devices present unique accessibility challenges, such as small screen sizes and touch interactions.
• Solution: Optimise touch targets, ensure sufficient contrast for mobile displays, and provide alternative input methods like voice commands.

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It is important that you regularly test your product for accessibility is essential to identify and address potential issues. Consider the following:

• User Testing: Involve users with disabilities in the testing process to gather feedback and insights.
• Accessibility Audits: Conduct thorough audits to identify accessibility barriers and prioritise remediation efforts.
• Automated Testing Tools: Utilise accessibility testing tools to identify potential issues early in the development process.

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Incorporating Accessibility Into the Design Process

To effectively integrate accessibility into your design process, consider the following steps:

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Educate Yourself

Keep learning about things like, web accessibility, different types of disabilities, learn about accessibility guidelines (WCAG, Human Interface Design, Material Design, etc.). There are other guidelines and tutorials available in the market that one can always go through.

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Include Users With Disabilities

Conduct user testing with disabled (people with special needs) to understand what can make your design accessible to everyone. It’s always better to understand this from the start, rather than getting inputs after the launch.

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Use Accessibility Testing Tools

There are tools like Maze, User Testing, ColorBlindly, and much more than one can use in order to check their usability and accessibility in UX design. 

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Continuously Work on Improvements

If you think of accessibility as something that can come later, then you have got it wrong! By doing this you are hampering your product’s growth. It will lead to the end can result in last minute fixes, reworking aspects of the project, and generally complicating, and delaying the build. Keep working on improvements for better accessibility.

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The Role/Importance of Accessibility in UX Design

Accessibility is important in more than one way. Here is what it can do for you:

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Improved Usability

Accessibility increases the usefulness of a website or program. All users benefit from features such as straightforward navigation and intuitive design. They also improve customer happiness, usability, and general engagement with products and services.

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Maximised User Retention

If your product is accessible and has ensured its usability since the beginning, it indirectly helps companies retain their user base and avoid shifting towards their competitors.

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Enhanced User Experience

Incorporating accessibility in your designs will enhance the experience of your users (disabled or not), making it easier to interact with your platform.

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Reaching a Wider Audience

When your platform is accessible, it increases your user base, as people from different backgrounds and situations can use your platform. This expands the reach and customer base of your product.

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Promote Equal Rights and Inclusion

It promotes inclusivity and prevents any sort of discrimination based on disabilities. Everyone deserves to have an equal access to opportunities, information, and social services.

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Legal and Ethical Requirements

Many countries have passed laws for internet and products to be easily accessible by a wider audience, in order to avoid any legal implications it is for the best interest of the company to make it accessible by adhering to the guidelines. 

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Conclusion

Making accessible digital experiences is not just a moral imperative, but also a sound business strategy. Understanding the requirements of people with disabilities and using the appropriate solutions allows you to build products that are inclusive, useful, and pleasant for everybody. Remember that accessibility is a continual process that requires progress and review.

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Want to empower your product and create a unique and accessible experience for your users? UX Design Experts are here to help you. Don’t believe us? No worries, check out our work and decide for yourself!

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