Why Should Product Thinkers Give a Damn About Accessibility

Let’s take a slight detour to understand why did I start giving a damn about accessibility in the first place. 

sometime in December 2022, while jogging the park, I heard my knee making a sound. (for those under 30, this is never a good sign!) The knee specialist I consulted advised me to stay away from stairs for a couple of months since that was the one thing causing me pain. however, I was advised to walk as long as there is no pain. Fortunately, I was in Singapore!

Singapore is a well-planned and modern country, where people with wheelchairs can roam freely without any assistance. there are ramps everywhere to get in and out of metro stations, to go into the malls, and even parks. But there are certain cases, where I had to climb the stairs. This was the moment when I realized that when we are healthy and fit, we take a lot of mundane things for granted. a couple of stairs were not a big deal for an amateur hiker like me before the accident (they are no longer a big deal, now!), but with the anticipated knee pain, I felt stuck. climbing the stairs is something we don't even consider a challenge, but it could be a complete (and literal) roadblock for someone in a wheelchair, or in temporary or permanent pain. 

A similar principle applies to digital experiences as well. while designing the experiences, we, as designers tend to assume that all the users using this application, can see(assumption) the button, interpret(that's presumptuous), and tap (assumption) on an element on the phone. Androids talkback and iOS voiceover are robust assistive software that comes pre-built with the phone. however, the designer and the developers need to go the extra mile to map the elements on the screen so that the assistive technologies can interpret them right and the users can then interact with them.

Back to Accessibility 

Coming back to the topic, let’s talk about accessibility! Abbreviated as A11y, (reads like ally!) accessibility should be very important to you. More than just a catchphrase, accessibility, part of inclusivity, is an essential design element that can improve everyone's lives. According to the 2021 Global Census, over 1 billion people worldwide, or 15% of the total population, have a disability of some kind. Assuming a third of them suffer from sensory limitations like vision or hearing, there are still a huge number of users who could gain from accessible design.

Let's begin our conversation by delving into a few compelling tales that highlight why accessibility needs to be a priority. These stories are made up, but they do serve the purpose of illustrating the pains and frustrations.

Meet John

John is a graphic designer, with colour-blindness

Picture this: John's a talented graphic designer, but he has always struggled with distinguishing between certain shades of colors. One day, he stumbles upon a color-blindness test and realizes he's been experiencing the world differently than most. This revelation changes his life, and he starts advocating for color accessibility in digital products.

Imagine the untapped potential if your product caters to people like John! By considering color accessibility in your design, you can make a positive impact on millions of colorblind users' experiences. While focussing on the positive side, we should also consider the frustrations users may face, where they could not differentiate between red and green icons and ended up making a wrong choice!

Sarah's Journey

Sarah runs a company and just had to undergo eye surgery 

Sarah, a successful entrepreneur, recently underwent eye surgery. As she recovers, she relies heavily on accessibility features like screen readers and voice commands. She quickly realizes that many products don't prioritize these features, leaving her frustrated and unable to use them.

By incorporating accessibility features into your product from the get-go, you can ensure that users like Sarah don't get left behind. Plus, you'll be widening your audience and creating a more user-friendly experience for everyone.

Emily taking over the world

Emily is blind and is a social media influencer

Now let's talk about Emily, a blind influencer who has made a name for herself in the wellness industry. She preaches about the importance of mental peace and how an accessible digital environment can contribute to that. Her message is clear: when product designers prioritize accessibility, they're helping to create a more inclusive and harmonious world.

By listening to voices like Emily's, product thinkers can better understand the needs of users with disabilities and create experiences that bring joy and ease to their lives.

consider the benefits Lucy Edwards got from the assistive technologies. She is a thriving influencer on social media platforms like Instagram and Tiktok. 

Dr. Maria

a brilliant scientist, recently diagnosed with Parkinson's disease

Finally, meet Dr. Maria, a brilliant scientist living with Parkinson's disease. Her condition affects her fine motor skills, making it challenging for her to use traditional communication methods. However, she has groundbreaking ideas that could change the world. By designing products with accessibility in mind, you can empower people like Dr. Maria to share their knowledge and contribute to society.

To truly understand the impact of accessible technology, let's take a moment to consider the late Stephen Hawking. This legendary physicist and cosmologist were able to communicate his groundbreaking ideas, despite being almost entirely paralyzed due to ALS, thanks to the development of advanced communication technologies tailored to his needs.

Imagine what the world would have missed if Hawking hadn't been able to share his insights into the nature of black holes, the expansion of the universe, and the origins of time itself. His work has had a profound impact on our understanding of the cosmos and has inspired generations of scientists and thinkers.

Conclusion: A Serious Reflection

While our lively discussions have illustrated the benefits of accessible design, let's pause to consider a slightly more somber reality: As we all become older, we may someday need help from such technology to carry out our daily activities. We may experience cognitive or physical problems that make it difficult for us to interact with the digital world as we do today. This is an unavoidable aspect of life.

This is why it's essential that product designers consider accessibility now. By concentrating on it now, we can ensure that future generations of designers and developers create stuff with accessibility in mind, right from the start. Everybody knows that the younger generations do what they see and not what they are told. This makes it crucial to imbibe the accessibility practices in our work now so that we can ‘show’ the youngsters how it's done!  This foresight will help those who already have disabilities, but it will also pave the way for a more hopeful future in which people of all ages and abilities may easily utilize and enjoy the items we create.

So product creators, let's accept this reality and work together to create a more open and accessible digital environment. We'll make life better for ourselves and the coming generations if we make accessibility considerations a part of product development rituals starting today!