In our webinar, Dafydd Henke-Reed, Principal Accessibility and Usability consultant at AbilityNet, provides a run through of the design challenges and solutions for people with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). This presentation begins with an overview of ASD. The current accessibility concerns for people with ASD will then be shared along with details of why bleeding-edge technology may not be autism-friendly. The presentation concludes with examples of how technology can be helpful and beneficial for people on the autism spectrum. This presentation will be of interest to anyone with a personal or professional interest in autism and/or accessibility, as well as business owners, project managers, etc.

1. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018 1
DOWNLOAD THESE SLIDES NOW AT
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AbilityNet Webinar
17 April 2018
Autism and Accessibility,
Design Challenges and Solutions

2. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018 2
Dafydd Henke-Reed
Principal Accessibility and Usability Consultant
AbilityNet
Mark Walker
Head of Marketing & Communications
AbilityNet
Welcome

3. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018 3
AbilityNet is a charity that helps older people and people with
disabilities achieve their goals at home, at work and in education
• Digital Accessibility Testing and Consultancy
• Workplace Assessments
• DSA Assessments
• IT Support at Home
• Free expert resources on our website
• Free helpline: 0800 269 545
About AbilityNet

4. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018 4
NHS
“Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term for a
range of conditions … that affects social interaction,
communication, interests and behaviour”
National Autistic Society
“Autism is a lifelong developmental disability that affects how
people perceive the world and interact with others”
What is Autism?

5. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018 5
Social anxiety / impairment
Obsessive interests
Ritualistic behaviour (stimming)
Sensory sensitivity (photophobia)
NHS : ~1 in 100 people = 700,000 in UK
CDC observes growing childhood diagnosis
1 in 150 (2000) to 1 in 68 (2012).
4.5 times more common in boys
Common Symptoms of Autism

6. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Why Autism Needs Considering
Desktop web is:
• social e.g. Facebook
• sensory e.g. YouTube
Most popular uses of the
internet are social e.g.
gaming and MOBAs,
PUBG (multiplayer
games with tens of
millions of players)
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7. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Why Autism Needs Considering
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Communication innovations with mobile e.g. expression-based comms (animojis)

8. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Accessibility and Autism Today
Websites which automatically
present sensory information – e.g.
Facebook auto-playing videos.
Devices that cannot be used with
stimming – e.g. a flashlight app
that automatically activates when
shaking phone.
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9. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Accessibility and Autism Today
WCAG AA can provide a baseline of
autism accessibility. Key success
criteria include:
• 1.4.2 Audio Control - A
• 2.2.2 Pause, Stop, Hide - A
• 3.2.2 On Input - A
• 3.2.2 Consistent Navigation - AA
• 3.2.4 Consistent Identification – AA
The keyword is predictability. Some
checks come under WCAG AAA (e.g.
3.1.5 Reading Level). Other are not
captured (e.g. gentle colours).
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10. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Accessibility and Autism Tomorrow
Two areas of impairment and technologies.
Strengths, weakness, and design
considerations.
• Anxiety therapy—Blue Room
• Emotion agnosia—Seeing AI
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11. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Blue Room – Newcastle University & NHS
AR / VRE environment helping children
with autism overcome fears and phobias:
‘Current treatment is CBT but that
often doesn’t work… it relies on their
imagination’.
‘They move around the scene using
iPad controls - interacting and
navigating as they wish allowing them
to fully control the environment.’
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12. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Autism & Simulation
Realism may not be amenable to those with autism.
They may prefer the uncanny over the realistic.
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13. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Seeing AI – Microsoft
Wearable prototype
with emotion
recognition—
informed by machine
learning
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14. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Autism & Wearables
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*FROM: The association between self-injurious behaviours and autism
spectrum disorders. Minshawi et al (2014)
People with ASD are six times more
likely to show self-injury*
Behaviours include:
• head banging
• face or head slapping or punching
• forceful head shaking

15. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Autism & Wearables
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Trying to help those social anxiety with
technology attached to their faces.
Visible assistive technology – be it low
or high-tech – can be a statement (e.g.
a symbol cane).

16. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Takeaways
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1. Basics of autism - symptoms and
stats
2. Current accessibility concerns
3. Future accessibility tech - therapies
and tools
4. Tech can be a boon for treatment
5. The bleeding-edge may not be
autism-friendly
6. Tools may promote fruitful dialogue
7. Robust, subtle, and / or be accepted
as a statement by the Aspie
community
The tech discussed seeks to help people with autism be more ‘normal’.
We haven’t talked about tech that helps neurotypical people understand autism.

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Q&A
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Thank you
😊Are there any questions?
Dafydd Henke-Reed
Dafydd.henke-reed@abilitynet.org.uk

18. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
Next webinar
• The Business Case for Accessibility
• 18 April @ 13:00 BST
Need more help?
• Speak to our accessibility services team
• www.abilitynet.org.uk/request-a-quote
Call our free helpline 0800 269 545
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What next?

19. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
References/Useful Docs
NAS – Designing Autism-friendly websites - http://www.autism.org.uk/professionals/others/website-design.aspx
GA Architects – Designing Environments for children and adults with ASD https://www.autism.org.uk/~/media/nas/documents/working-
with/creating-autism-friendly-places/designing_environments_for_children_adults_with_asd.ashx
GOV – Designing for users on the autistic spectrum - https://github.com/UKHomeOffice/posters/blob/master/accessibility/dos-
donts/posters_en-UK/accessibility-posters-set.pdf
NHS - Autism Spectrum Disorder - https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/autism/
NAS - What is Autism - http://www.autism.org.uk/about/what-is.aspx
CDC ASD Data & Stats - https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/autism/data.html
Ofcom - Adult Media Use - https://www.ofcom.org.uk/research-and-data/media-literacy-research/adults/adults-media-use-and-attitudes
University of Hertfordshire – KASPER – http://www.herts.ac.uk/about-us/case-studies/research-and-innovation/kaspar-the-social-
robot-helping-children-with-autism-to-communicate
NCU - Blue Room -http://www.ncl.ac.uk/press/news/2017/02/blueroomautismnhs treatment/
Microsoft – Seeing AI - https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/seeing-ai/
Stanford University – Autism Google Glass Project - http://autismglass.stanford.edu/
Association between SIB and ASD - https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24748827
RNIB – The Cane Explained – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69gDygNlP0c
Cambridge University – Autism Research Centre - https://www.autismresearchcentre.com/
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20. Autism and Accessibility, Design Challenges and Solutions | AbilityNet Webinar, 17 April 2018
References/Useful Docs
Which terms should be used to describe autism? Perspectives from the UK autism community -
https://altogetherautism.org.nz/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/2015-Kenny-terms-to-describe-autism.pdf
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