A presentation I made at this year's A11y Camp conference in Sydney, Australia.

1. Designing with Compassion:
Social Model of Disability and Inclusive Design
Sarah Christopher
@Sarah_Jayne
Digital Accessibility Analyst — Media Access Australia

2. Models of Disability
Social Model
British:
● Response to institutionalisation of people with disabilities
● Radical approach
● Society creates disability
● Disability = social oppression

3. Models of Disability
Bio-Psycho-Social Model
● Cross-over between medical and British social model
● Recognise impairment but emphasis on social changes
● People without impairments also experience disability
● ‘Bio-Psycho-social’ = factors in understanding disability
● Disability is socially constructed

4. Barriers to Inclusion
What:
● Stop full social inclusion for people experiencing disability
● Appear as:
○ Attitudes/biases/opinions
○ Policy
○ Physical environment
Why:
● Lack of engagement/interaction
● Groups (intentionally or unintentionally) excluded

5. Marriage equality postal vote
● Paper postal ballot mailed to people on the electoral roll
● Barriers = method of postal vote
● Excluded groups
○ Blind/low vision
○ Mobility impairments
○ English as Second Language (ESL)
○ Homeless
○ Aussie expats
○ People living in regional areas
■ Aboriginal
■ Indigenous LGBTI communities in remote areas

6. Inclusive Design
Inclusive design:
● Considers human diversity
● Human-centred approach
● Disability = mismatch between needs and environment
● Recognises social exclusion
● Empathetic
● Keeps our biases in check

7. Inclusive Design
Toolkits:
● Microsoft: ‘Inclusive -- Microsoft Design’
● AirBnB: ‘Another Lens’
● Paciello Group: ‘Inclusive Design Principles’

8. Inclusive Design
Why?
● Increased access
● Reduced friction and frustration
● Minimise or removal of barriers to participation
● Reduce disability in a social context

9. Thank you!
Twitter: @Sarah_Jayne