Experiencing Extremes: A Design Team's Guide to Accessibility by Jess Vice, Struck | SIC 2022
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Experience may be the best teacher, but how does a team experience accessibility? We generally learn best by doing or feeling for ourselves. An accessibility workshop has the power to bring that immediate sense of understanding to teams – and personal understanding results in better solutions. In this session, Jess Vice outlines why accessibility is a strategic investment. With her expertise in UX and design responsibility, she will walk the audience through a framework for a tactical accessibility workshop to make equitable design a priority for every team.
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Experiencing Extremes: A Design Team's Guide to Accessibility by Jess Vice, Struck | SIC 2022
- 1. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 Accessibility is a UX and Design Responsibility plus How to run an accessibility workshop for creatives
- 2. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 Overview 1.Introductions 2.Understanding Accessibility 3.Accessibility + UX and Design 4.How to Run an Accessibility Workshop 5.Conclusion
- 4. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 So why am I talking about accessibility?
- 5. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 Accessibility whether it’s a physical experience, a mode of transportation, a service or product, or a digital interface is a state where any user at any time can retrieve the information or goods they need with little to no difficulty.
- 6. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 We still hear… Why does accessibility matter? wheelchair users + people who rely on canes or walkers or crutches + people with seeing eye dogs + other mobility supports = 4.8% of the US population
- 7. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 What that doesn’t include… •cognitive •learning •neurological •auditory •visual •socioeconomic
- 9. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 Don’t use averages! The entire purpose of an average is to dampen out the extremes - but the extremes are interesting…When we use the extremes to shape the problem we’re solving for, we often catch most of the middle in the process. Jared Spool “
- 10. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 So what does Accessibility look like? Physical Curb cuts, automatic doors, audible crosswalk signs, ramps
- 11. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 So what does Accessibility look like? Physical - Digital Screen reader, high-contrast keyboard, single-handed or Braille keyboard
- 12. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 So what does Accessibility look like? Visual Color palettes, alternate views, audible versions, voiceover IDs
- 13. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 So what does Accessibility look like? Auditory CC and subtitles on video, transcripts, sign language interpreters
- 14. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 So what does Accessibility look like? Cognitive password help, increased time limits for forms, readability considerations, photosensitivity warnings, labels with icons, large touch targets, chunked text, single-step task flows, longer deadlines, longer times to task
- 15. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 So what does Accessibility look like? Geographic, Socioeconomic ungated content, scholarship programs, virtual visits, design for low-bandwidth connections
- 16. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 Accessibility belongs to UX and Design
- 17. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 As UX and Design, we are experts: We have •practice with empathy •practice centering others in our work •practice asking questions •practice speaking up on behalf of users
- 18. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 As UX and Design, we are advocates: Listening Broadcasting Re-Centering
- 19. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 As UX and Design, we are partners: We know how to work with •clients •other design and UX experts •research teams •managerial teams •vendors •*developers
- 20. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 The business case for Accessibility
- 21. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 Running an Accessibility Workshop for Creative Teams How we got started at Struck
- 22. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 1. Plan •Choose a date. •Let folks know it’s coming. •Start sharing articles and examples. •Be prepared to talk about your own work.
- 23. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 1. Plan (cont’d) Calendar Slack Email Flyers Breakroom Posters Internal Reviews +
- 24. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 2. Research •Understand numbers in your country. •Consider visual, auditory, physical, speech, as well as cognitive, learning, neurological, and socioeconomic. •Find examples of current state.
- 25. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 2. Research (cont’d) CDC Health Departments Special Interest Groups PEW Research Forums Facebook Groups +
- 26. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 3. Present •Share data; make a case for the need. •Connect with your audience - use the Microsoft Inclusive Design spectrum. •Anchor the context around your work. How does it apply? •Let’s build some empathy.
- 27. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 4. Experience •Set up specific stations. •Have a guide at each station to demo the tool or experience. •Assign a timekeeper or host. •You know your audience. Get creative with it!
- 28. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 Experience Station Ideas Colorblind apps and plugins Colorblind test Contrast checker Closed captions Voice to text Screen reader Sign language interpreter Brainstorm your work Videos/anecdotes from real people + High visibility VoiceOver (iOS) Voiceover IDs Lip reading TTY-based phone calls Readability scores Icons and meanings Single-handed typing Take a walk/field trip
- 29. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 A designer at Struck leads teammates in taking a colorblind test.
- 30. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 5. Implement •Share the data. •Post resources and tools. •Add accessibility to your process. •Practice speaking up!
- 31. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 The outsides reflect the insides.
- 32. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 Questions to Ask Who has been included in this work? Who has not been included? Where are the extremes, the outliers? Who benefits from the current setup? Who is hurt by it? Whose voice needs to be heard? How might we find those voices? How hard are we trying? Who else needs to hear these design decisions? How might we do better next time?
- 33. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 UX and Design hold the tools to create meaningful access for every person.
- 35. @JessViceUX #SIC2022 About Jess I love people. I am curious and always excited to understand what drives people. I offer a deep background in qualitative and quantitative research, user experience best practices, and high-level strategic planning. I’m particularly good at making meaning from research and using it to create data-informed strategies for creative and development teams. I’ve been working in marketing and advertising, CRO, SaaS, and product for over 14 years and am consistently thrilled with how much more there is to learn. LinkedIn Twitter Medium About Struck Struck is a creative agency with a 25-year legacy of brand building and experiential design. The award-winning agency makes market leaders out of brands by transforming the physical and digital to create “Experience Affinity,” garnering awareness, affection, and results at every touchpoint. Based in Salt Lake City, Struck got its start in Los Angeles and has been heralded as a beacon of creativity in Utah for nearly two decades. Struck.com For a comprehensive list of resources and supporting articles, as well as a transcript of one version of this talk and a full video of it, visit Medium: Accessibility is a UX and Design Responsibility
Editor's Notes
- VISUAL ID I’m the Strategy Director at Struck - I lead a group of brand, media, UX, and experiential strategists. I’d love to connect on Twitter (at least until it changes ownership). And Struck is a creative agency based in Salt Lake City, Utah. We’re an award-winning shop that specializes in brand transformation for biotech, hospitality, and tourism organizations.
- UX history - 14 years in tech and product, both agency side and in-house - the general theme for my career has been advocating for humans. I got to where I am today by always concerning myself with the end user experience. I’ve always asked “What do people really want? Is it working? Are we making people’s lives better?” It has always seemed unfair to me that we expect folks with disabilities to both navigate this world AND advocate for themselves. I believe UX and design experts have the background, tools, and experience to be advocates and allies. We are human-centered problem solvers - accessibility is a perfectly-matched challenge.
- Still hear this argument Tick off examples they can think of - it’s true, those aren’t very many people But this categorization of disability is too narrow…
- Because not all disabilities are visible. When you look at disability through these lenses, we’re considering a much larger portion of the population.
- And not all disabilities are permanent. They exist on a spectrum. Each one of us stands a good chance of experiencing a situational or temporary disability in our lifetimes. Stop and think: when this week did you find yourself unable to access the information you needed because of your surroundings or situation? Example: dangerous one - weather shifted, got our first heavy rain of the season, and my wipers are shot. Suddenly, my vision is the equivalent of someone with cataracts…
- Let’s talk about a different kind of maths. When we make personas or define target audiences, we’re averaging… Soccer Mom Susan… My friend Jared Spool says…
- In an effort to consider all possibilities, we have to remember that accessibility isn’t just for websites - it’s applicable to everything. And when we consider accessibility first, when we design with our most outlying users in mind, we find solutions that lift all of us. Physical You may have heard of the curb cut effect - in the early 1900s in America, a few city planners and developers started building shallow ramps into the sidewalk corners to aid people in wheelchairs crossing the street. What they found was that mothers with strollers, children on bikes, elderly or unsteady folks, and more used them as well - a solution designed for a small group ended up being exponentially beneficial to the community. This is now recognized as the curb cut effect. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Home_Depot_Design_Center_Charlotte,_NC_(6936855015).jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Star_Parade_-_Wheelchair_Ramp.jpg
- We’ve seen some really helpful adaptive technology in the last several decades. The picture on the left is a Braille keyboard with a readout along the bottom edge. And the picture on the right is a single-handed keyboard. In our research for the workshop, we found that Apple actually built one of the better screen readers - it’s called VoiceOver, and it’s on your phone, in your pocket, accessible to anyone right now. https://www.beeraider.com/products/#Optimized%20Keyboard https://www.flickr.com/photos/kazuhito/132436943
- In my experience, the gaming industry is leading out on visual accessibility. One of my favorite examples of visual accessibility is from Two Dots, a matching game (right). The main mode in the game is solid-colored dots, but there’s a colorblind mode where you can add shapes to the dots to distinguish between them. Modes like this are being added to Fortnite as you see on the left, as well as lots of other games and portals. Another example is the voiceover ID like the one I gave at the beginning of the presentation. Think about being on a Zoom meeting in your car with the video turned off (not that any of us would do that!) - a voiceover ID would be incredibly helpful. https://www.reddit.com/r/FortniteCompetitive/comments/bjgq1a/comparing_all_color_blind_modes_in_fortnite/ https://play.google.com/store/apps/topic?id=campaign_editorial_si2019_accessibility_games_twodots&hl=en_US&gl=US
- Closed Caption and subtitles are becoming more ubiquitous, as well as transcripts for podcasts or interviews. And if you’ve been watching TV at all lately, we’ve seen sign language interpreters more and more in news conferences and public addresses. **I realize that closed captioning is not available for the presentation today, so I will happily share a link to a recorded version of the talk and a full transcript afterwards on social media. https://blog.video.ibm.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/closed-captions-vs-subtitles-facebook.jpg https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Sign_language_interpreter.jpg
- For cognitive and learning disabilities, measurement tools like the Flesch-Kincaid scale or readability checkers help keep content to an accessible reading level. Neurological and cognitive disabilities are below the surface - remember the agenda I walked through at the beginning? That’s a great way to help anyone with anxiety (chronic or situational) to know what to expect, relax, and be able to be present. Adding labels to icons reduces cognitive load for the viewer. This is the one I notice most - I don’t know if y’all saw Venmo’s recent UI upgrade, but the biggest complaints I heard were about the unfamiliar icons in the bottom navigation, shown here on the right. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Photosensitivity-Warning.png https://material.io/components/bottom-navigation#usage https://www.w3.org/WAI/WCAG2/supplemental/patterns/o6p01-login-cognition/ https://www.androidpolice.com/2021/09/06/venmo-wont-let-you-snoop-on-random-users-payment-histories-anymore/
- It’s pretty clear that there’s more to accessibility than we immediately think. There’s an extra wrinkle when you account for geographic location and socioeconomic status. Many populations in the US alone are so rural that access to information is a challenge. Telehealth programs are starting to help reach them, but we have a ways to go - the best internet they can get is still satellite, and it’s almost unusable in places. The cost is the same as fiber, for a fraction of the speed with a monthly data cap. Socioeconomic accessibility removes cost barriers from vital information. A great example is: HmntyCntrd … an org led by Vivianne Castillo … bring information and ideas to help folks flourish in their careers and challenge the status quo … always offer access to information, even if folks can’t pay the entry fee… scholarships are funded by those who have more…
- I believe accessibility is our job. It’s not additive, it’s foundational. And expecting the development or compliance team to mention it at the end of a project is irresponsible. Let’s talk about why
- We are experts at getting to the why, experts at helping others understand the desired outcome - whether with words or with illustrations. We are research practitioners and students of humanity…
- What’s the first rule of user experience? …You are not your user. So we’ve learned how to find people who are our users. We’ve practiced listening to their experiences. We’re the perfect voice to share what we heard. And we’re experienced at advocating for our designs. So it should be easy work to keep recentering our team’s efforts on the humans who will be accessing our solutions, and advocating for ALL users’ success in the solutions we create.
- Because we study people and listen closely and hold the desired outcomes in mind, we’re also great partners. We can help others along on the journey to understanding why accessibility matters and how they can participate. Especially developers. I’ve worked alongside developers for 14 years. They’re a terrific bunch of humans, with some really wild skill sets and some great ideas. But we can’t pin accessibility on them and expect it to be done. Developers need to build empathy with the end user, too, and sometimes that takes more creativity and patience on our part than we’re inclined to invest. But we’re the ones who understand the end user. And I’d always rather have my developers be partners than an enemies.
- And if all of that STILL isn’t enough… there’s a pretty solid business case here. This is an illustration of a case study I read on Podium (and it’s linked in the resources). When we build websites, there’s generally a starting point and a launch point, so each line here represents a project from beginning to end, left to right. In the top line, this team found that when they did frequent, small accessibility checks throughout a project, the costs were low and manageable. When they waited to the end of a project, but before launch, the second line, costs were significantly higher - about $9,500 more. But in projects where no accessibility work was accounted for, a user struggling to access the site could result in lawsuits under ADA, WCAG, and GDPR guidelines. And the cost of a lawsuit after the fact came out closer to a million dollars.
- But how do we make this matter to a design team? How do we help a UX strategist embrace adding accessibility to their job description? For most of us humans, empathy comes through experience - hands-on, first person, fingers in the dirt experience. So we put together a workshop. Now, we are far from perfect. But we had to start somewhere. So at Struck, we decided to start with our own work and see how it held up to the most commonly available accessibility tools.
- We started talking about the benefits of an accessibility workshop months in advance, finding ways to relate awareness to the work we do. As a creative shop, we talked about the kinds of innovation that assistive technologies have brought to us (like voice to text) and how to use other technologies to elevate the accessibility of the things we create. We spread the word around the office and reminded folks about the interactive workshop to ensure a good turnout.
- Since we’re based in Utah, in the western United States, and most of our clients are local or national, we researched disability statistics in America. We put together a brief presentation that set the tone and case for accessibility, covering data around visual, auditory, physical, and cognitive impairments. We also found some examples of assistive technologies or folks demonstrating how hard the average interface was to use with a disability.
- On the day of the workshop, we gathered everyone who was participating and went through the research presentation, then pointed out each station and invited folks to break out and try the existing assistive technologies for themselves.
- You can see by the crossed arms, wide leg stances, and smiles that it felt a little funny, but trying new things together breaks us open and grows our understanding. By doing these exercises together, we also created a basis for accountability. Because we all shared an experience, it got easier afterwards for someone to say, “We need to consider accessibility.”
- We were careful to share the presentation data publicly and link all the tools we tried in our internal Wiki for easy access. We sent a survey out as well, asking if the workshop was useful or helped change anyone’s perspective. But the most important piece of implementation is speaking up: if you see something that doesn’t consider accessibility, say so. It may not be comfortable, but it’s our responsibility. SHARED EXPERIENCES
- At Struck, we create everything from digital to fully immersive physical experiences. But our deliverables will only ever be as good as our internal alignment, communication, and accessibility. In talking about how we could be better at our jobs, we uncovered opportunities for improvement in our processes, tools, beliefs, and collaboration.
- We need to monitor our insides. We need to uphold accountability and the idea of being a little better every day… I’ve found that an easy way to point out uncomfortable things is to ask questions. These questions are riffs on a quote by Dr. Victoria Verlezza, a Social Justice Educator. I find that they’re incredibly relevant to UX and design research as well.
- And that’s the power of designing for accessibility, of experiencing for ourselves through an accessibility workshop. When we feel first hand, even a tiny bit, what others are experiencing, we begin developing awareness and empathy. And by exposing ourselves to new tools that solve new-to-us problems, we level up our ability to be inclusive, create accessible work, and make the world around us better.