How can you advocate for accessibility in your UX design team?

Empathy - an essential trait to understand the user and share the feelings of another person. To understand what accessibility means and why it matters, we must develop "empathy" towards the user. Not everyone uses the app the same way - depending on one's age, gender, environmental factors and cognitive abilities, we perceive differently and use the product differently. Making sure everyone has a good experience while using a product, it is essential to incorporate accessibility features in it. It could be anything and everything that makes the product easy to use and easy to learn.

Lead by Example: In my experience, integrating accessibility features in designs showcases their impact. Educational Initiatives: Conduct syncs to raise awareness about accessible design principles. Inclusive Design Guidelines: Establish guidelines that prioritize inclusivity, like color contrast ratios. Advocating for accessibility not only aligns with ethical design but also enhances user experiences for everyone.

Universal Design is one design for all. I prefer to put accessibility in Inclusive Design, where you take one specific person and design for their instance. When you say, "Hey, team, let's ensure everyone can use this app!" It's a little overwhelming, and there is no clear, actionable place to start. Whereas "Hey, team. Have you seen what Lucille is struggling with? She can't use her smartphone's built-in screen reader to read the books in our online library. What are your suggestions to make this easier for Lucille? And let me know if you want to meet her at some point; she would love to help." Using an accurate and specific scenario sets the team up for success. It takes accessibility out of the theoretical realm and into reality.

Start by educating your team about the importance of accessibility. Highlight its impact on users and the legal and ethical considerations. Encourage empathy by sharing stories of users with diverse needs. Integrate accessibility guidelines and standards into your design processes. Ensure that your team is familiar with and follows best practices, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG).

Champions of accessibility in UX design teams foster a culture of inclusion by educating team members on accessibility principles, integrating accessibility considerations into the design process from the start, actively involving disabled users in testing, collaborating with developers, encouraging accessibility champions, staying updated on accessibility trends, advocating for resources, and measuring and tracking progress.

Accessibility goes beyond being a mere checkbox to validate the usability of design solutions for all users. It should be the foundation of every design process. Every design journey should integrate personas with both situational and permanent disabilities, ensuring their ability to successfully complete end-to-end tasks. This doesn't mean oversimplifying the problem by overlooking complex issues but rather entails offering appropriate solutions that users can utilize as needed. While this may add complexity to UI, it's the designer's responsibility to figure out feature discoverability and enablement. Personalizing a system is beneficial, and embedding accessibility into design systems can reduce challenges in creating UX flows.

By prioritizing accessibility, designers create environments and digital experiences that can be accessed and enjoyed by a diverse range of users, including those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments. This not only enhances user satisfaction and loyalty but also broadens the potential user base. In essence, accessibility is a fundamental aspect of responsible and user-centric design, promoting equal access, dignity, and a positive user experience for all.

Let's talk real talk. Accessibility isn't just a checkbox—it's a game-changer. Picture this: your accessible product isn't just a hit with users facing disabilities; it's a hit with everyone. Reduced bounce rates, increased conversions, and SEO rankings through the roof. The benefits are like a ripple effect, making your product more user-friendly and boosting your brand's street cred. Share these wins with your team using hard data, case studies, and testimonials. Accessibility isn't just good for the soul; it's fantastic for business.

As a designer, you're never going to make traction here unless you have the product or at least the development team on your side. Product typically doesn't care because it makes the entire process of creating features and enhancements slower. Many developers I've worked with feel the same way. Find ones that get it, and work with them on your platforms to know what you can, and cannot do.

Not just looking at the positive effect accessibility will have on a product, but also looking at the discomfort and pains that lack of accessibility will cause to users is a nudge for UX designers to prioritize accessibility.

It is really important to involve end users with access needs in design decisions. In reality, it often happens near the end of the design process. This means that even simple design decisions that could have been easily done earlier on in the design process do not get implemented. As a user researcher I definitely think involving users with access needs in discovery is key.

Often overlooked, this is the most crucial step since we are creating for the users in the first place and should be done from the start. A wide range of users should be involved, encompassing various disabilities, ages, cultural backgrounds, and technological proficiencies. This diversity will provide a comprehensive understanding of different needs and experiences.

Body storming as a workshop is always useful to orient your team towards the challenges of accessibility. I did one workshop in my early years and have not forgotten it.

I completely agree that knowledge about accessibility ,WCAG guidelines is a crucial part of basic knowledge which every designer in the team should have. Accessibility audit should be included and followed as a part of basic design project . It also needs to be complemented with a set of tools and checklist which every one should follow to ensure that all ongoing projects are accessibility compliant. At the same time it’s also important to look at the hind site and gauge the critical non compliances and get them clearly defined .Also bring them on the product roadmap as critical fixes to be done and get them resolved.

In my view this comes down to coaching in a way that isn't presumptuous or arrogant, which can take the form of occasional friendly geeking out with team mates about interesting ways to improve UI, fostering an environment of collaboration and constant love of learning.

To educate the team on accessibility, we highlight its importance by tying it to the core concept of the design thinking process, starting with "Empathize." By empathizing, we encompass the needs of all users. For a product with a diverse user base, particularly those with disabilities, it's crucial to incorporate their perspectives in user personas and interviews. This ensures that our design solutions are not only innovative but also genuinely inclusive, meeting the needs of every user.

Teams should be proficient here, and from an operational perspective, should be in-sync as a group so everyone is singing the same song and producing compelling results, stories and ideas.

One technique we've been using recently at Biglight is to use different preconfigured user profiles within Google Chrome to make it easy to simulate different accessibility needs with a few clicks. For example, I can quickly switch to a profile based on a persona named "Chris - a user with rheumatoid arthritis and Deuteranopia" by selecting it from the menu. The profile is set up with extensions that help to simulate Chris' experience. In this case, only being able to use the keyboard to navigate, removing the cursor and setting the colours on screen to simulate his Deuteranopia colour blindness. This technique has been invaluable in client meetings and workshops, when we need to quickly show what different accessibility needs look like.

When I started my UI/UX journey, my passion for UX design drove me to lead by example. I made a conscious effort to integrate accessibility and UX principles into my projects, demonstrating my commitment to creating inclusive user experiences. As I shared the outcomes and insights with my team and stakeholders, something remarkable happened. The positive results and the improved usability and accessibility of my designs inspired my team. Witnessing their enthusiasm to learn UX concepts and engage in discussions to enhance usability and accessibility was not just a personal victory but a testament to the contagious impact of leading by example.

Think of this like adding spices to your UX stew—what secret ingredients can take your accessibility efforts to the next level? Maybe it's sharing personal stories of how accessibility touched your life or your users'. Perhaps it's exploring cutting-edge technologies that are pushing the boundaries of inclusivity. This is your chance to sprinkle in the stuff that doesn't neatly fit into checkboxes—those little nuances that can elevate your team's understanding and appreciation of accessibility. What's your secret sauce?

In advocating for accessibility within your UX design team, it's crucial to dispel the misconception that accessibility is exorbitantly expensive and reserved for tech giants like Google. While it's true that major companies invest heavily in accessibility, it doesn't mean smaller teams can't afford or implement it effectively. Many accessibility improvements are pragmatic and cost-efficient, especially when integrated into the early stages of the design process. By fostering an understanding that accessibility is not a luxury but a necessity, and showcasing how it can be achieved incrementally, you empower your team to embrace inclusive design practices within their means.

Well, this is not a hard one: European Directives/legislation makes it mandatory with likely penalties if you don't comply. So, you better incorporate accessibility by design in your teams DNA.