The document summarizes a workshop on accessibility empathy. It introduces the presenters and defines accessibility, disabilities, and why accessibility is important. It discusses the importance of empathy over sympathy and provides exercises to experience disabilities through simulation tools. The workshop explores how to design interfaces and technology with accessibility in mind and encourages participants to continue practicing empathy and applying it to their work.

1. 2017 SXSW Workshop
Yvonne So, Samantha Rembo
#AccessEmpathy
How Deep is Your
Accessibility Empathy?

2. Quick Introductions
#AccessEmpathy 2

3. Who we are
Yvonne
• Principal UX Designer, Intuit
• Mobile Product Lead & Strategist
• Accessibility Advocate
• Background at University of Texas’
Accessibility Institute
#AccessEmpathy 3
Samantha
• Head of Design and Research Studios, Intuit
• Global Co-Leader, Special Needs & Abilities
Employee Network
• President, Board of Directors, Adaptive Sports
and Recreations Association, San Diego

4. What and Why
#AccessEmpathy 4

5. What is accessibility?
Accessibility
“...the degree to which a product, service, or environment is
available to as many people as possible.”
#AccessEmpathy 5

6. What is a disability?
Disability
“...physical or mental
impairment that substantially
limits one or more major life
activity.”
#AccessEmpathy 6
• Vision
• Movement
• Thinking
• Remembering
• Learning
• Communicating
• Hearing
• Mental Health
• Social Relationships
Types of disabilities

7. Why should I care?
15% of the world’s
population (approximately
one billion people)
experience some form of
disability, and each of us will
likely encounter some form
of disability in our lives.
#AccessEmpathy 7

8. There are also many legal rules and regulations
#AccessEmpathy 8
1990: Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
1998: Section 508
1999: WCAG 1.0
2008: WCAG 2.0
2010: 21st Century Communications and
Video Accessibility Act (CCVA)

9. Quick statistics on vision alone
1.3 million Americans have legal
blindness
More than 3 million Americans have
low vision
One in six Americans (17%, 16.5
million), 45 years and older, have some
form of vision impairment even when
wearing glasses or contact lenses
Vision impairment increases with age
(21%, age 65 and older)
#AccessEmpathy 9

10. Colorblindness
Colorblindness
affects approximately
8% of males and
0.5% of females.
#AccessEmpathy 10

11. How can we keep accessibility in mind
when making decisions about the things we
build for the public?

12. Empathy is key
Understanding disabilities, practicing accessibility, and
designing inclusively begins with getting deeply rooted in
customer empathy.
#AccessEmpathy 12

13. Empathy vs. Sympathy
#AccessEmpathy 13
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1Evwgu369Jw
Empathy
“the ability to
understand and
share the feelings
of another.”

14. Empathy Exercises
#AccessEmpathy 14

15. Auditory
#AccessEmpathy 15
With the noise canceling
headphones (or with cotton balls in
ears), try:
• Listening to what your neighbor
is saying
• Watching a video on your
Facebook feed
• Lip reading what we are saying

16. Mobility
#AccessEmpathy 16
Using the limiting gloves, try:
• Opening and closing the Ziploc bag
• Taking a picture with your phone
• Writing your name or drawing
something on a piece of paper

17. Vision
#AccessEmpathy 17
With a pair of simulator goggles,
try:
• Reading this slide
• Reading Hamlet
• Finding Waldo
• Reading the signs in this room
• Shaking your neighbor’s hand

18. #AccessEmpathy 18

19. Choose your own empathy experience
#AccessEmpathy 19
Wearing a pair of blindfolds, limiting
gloves, or cotton balls or all of them
together, try:
• Making a phone call or sending a text
• Taking a selfie
• Draw your journey from home to
SXSW in the flipbooks provided

20. Table discussions
#AccessEmpathy 20
What was your experience like?
How did you feel?
What were some of the challenges you faced?
How has your perspective changed?
What might you do differently moving forward?

21. Examine life scenarios
#AccessEmpathy 21
How would you:
Travel to your next destination?
Order your meal at a café or restaurant
or food truck?
Shop for groceries?
Use the restroom?
Read a book?
Write a letter?

22. Interactions with Interfaces
#AccessEmpathy 22

23. Security Verification
#AccessEmpathy 23

24. Weather App
#AccessEmpathy 24

25. Text and Readability
#AccessEmpathy 25

26. Virtual Reality
#AccessEmpathy 26

27. Battery Charger
#AccessEmpathy 27

28. Washer and Dryer
#AccessEmpathy 28

29. Technology Capabilities
#AccessEmpathy 29

30. Leverage native device capabilities
#AccessEmpathy 30

31. Leverage common built-in accessibility features
#AccessEmpathy 31
Text-to-speech
Speech-to-text
Pinch and zoom
Text magnification
Alternate gestures
Custom ring and vibrations
Color or brightness contrast
Haptic feedback

32. Thinking inclusively, designing for everyone
#AccessEmpathy 32
http://www.apple.com/accessibility/

33. Next Steps
#AccessEmpathy 33

34. Next steps beyond
this workshop
Understand that people with
permanent disabilities live
with a disability 24/7.
#AccessEmpathy 34
Remember that this is just a 1.5 hour
workshop…

35. Keep practicing empathy
Don’t lose the empathy, and keep practicing empathy!
Some exercises to try:
Try brushing your teeth with your non-dominant hand
Use keyboard only, no mouse allowed
Try out different accessibility features on your device
Speak out your text messages
#AccessEmpathy 35

36. Take this back to your teams
Implement empathy
exercises with scrum
teams
Get issues and stories
on project boards
#AccessEmpathy 36

37. Learn together
Learn together!
Test with your
teams, question if
there’s any technical
limitations, etc.
#AccessEmpathy 37

38. Get connected
Get plugged in with local
networks and communities
Find and test with users
#AccessEmpathy 38

39. Additional Resources
#AccessEmpathy 39
Get inspired through innovation
Example Accessible Apps
Vibeat Wearable
Color Scale Demo
The Bradley Watch
Voice Access Beta
Bone Conduction Headphones
Wayfindr
Get deeply rooted in empathy
Spark Innovation Through Empathic
Design
Design for Delight Empathy Map
Girls Who Code Summer Camp at Intuit
Special Needs and Abilities Network
Deer Valley Disability Awareness Packet
Enabled by Design

40. “Accessibility is a creative challenge,
not a challenge to creativity.”
Manifesto for Accessible User Experience
https://accessibleux.org/manifesto-for-accessible-user-experience/
#AccessEmpathy 40

41. Thank you!
Yvonne So
yvonne_so@intuit.com
Twitter: @yvonniks
Tumblr: blog.yvonniks.com
#AccessEmpathy 41
Samantha Rembo
samantha_rembo@intuit.com
Linkedin: @samantharembo