Design For All
We are committed to designing with accessibility in mind, ensuring that our products are usable by everyone.
Approximately 1 in 5 Americans live with disabilities that affect their interaction with various products. This discrepancy has led to over 800 accessibility-related lawsuits in federal and supreme courts in 2017 alone. As designers, we have the ability to understand our users more deeply and tailor products to meet their needs. By prioritizing accessibility, we enhance not only the usability of our products for everyone but also ensure that individuals with disabilities can navigate digital tools just as easily as anyone else.
​ By allowing ourselves to pause and consider accessibility from the outset, we can make the design process more manageable and ultimately improve the quality of our work. Incorporating accessibility into your design approach doesn’t have to be daunting. Here are three key themes to help you consistently integrate accessibility considerations throughout your creative journey.
Utilize Technology
Smartphones enable interactions that extend beyond mere touchscreen taps. As designers, we should take advantage of the advanced sensors built into these devices to enhance accessibility. For instance, accelerometers can measure acceleration, vibration, and tilt, providing insights into movement and orientation across three dimensions. Gyroscopes offer even more precise orientation and directional information, such as up/down and left/right. This technology empowers users to engage with products through various gestures and voice commands, accommodating different interaction styles.
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Additionally, several tools are available to help you incorporate accessibility into your design process. These five resources can simulate disabilities, assess your designs for accessibility compliance, and provide suggestions for improvement, ensuring that your designs are inclusive for all users.
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Recommended Tools
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Contrast Analyzer
is a plugin designed to ensure compliance with WCAG contrast guidelines. By selecting two elements in your design, it assesses how well their contrast meets the required standards.
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NoCoffee Vision Simulator
is a Chrome extension that allows you to experience various types of vision impairments. It can simulate conditions like colorblindness, low visual acuity, and different forms of blocked vision.
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Tota11y
is a JavaScript tool that adds a button to the bottom corner of your document. This button activates plugins that provide valuable insights into your site’s accessibility status.
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Wave
is an online tool for accessibility evaluation. By entering a website URL, you receive an immediate report detailing any errors related to code, structure, or contrast, helping you identify areas for improvement.​​