Access for all; why digital design for your whole market matters

It’s almost a decade since the London 2012 Paralympic Games heralded a generation of 'superhuman' athletes. Since then, the visibility of disabled people in everything from advertising to TV programmes has increased considerably. 

The assumption has been that [accessibility in design] relates to making websites accessible to visually impaired users. In reality it’s about much more than that.

Alongside this focus on visibility, accessibility issues are also increasingly under the spotlight. Which is why giving due consideration to accessibility in design is long overdue. Looking at this from a digital design standpoint, a cursory glance at most brands’ websites reveals a glaring level of inequality in online accessibility. 

Accessibility in design refers to the extent to which a product or service can be used universally, specifically taking into account the needs of users living with disabilities. Traditionally the assumption has been that this relates predominantly to making websites accessible to visually impaired users. In reality it’s about much more than that.

Above: Channel 4's Meet the Superhumans spot for the London 2012 Olympic Games.

The commercial cost of overlooking accessibility in design 

Ecommerce has made sales more competitive than ever before so it’s no surprise that many brands prioritise speed to market ahead of most other strategic considerations, not least accessibility in design. But, in the rush to build sites to launch the latest product or service, it’s easy to forget users who need more help to navigate the web, even though doing so could spell commercial disaster. 

If brands don’t make it easy for their entire consumer base to engage and buy then the consequence could be tangible financial loss.

Consider this: according to Scope/Family Resources Survey there are 14.1 million disabled people in the UK, including almost a fifth (19%) of working-age adults. Moreover, plenty of disabilities that cause online accessibility problems aren’t obvious. Did you know, for instance, that one in every dozen men across the globe is colour blind? That’s just one example. There are a host of other issues, from motion sickness to epilepsy, that can affect consumers' ability to engage with poorly designed sites. 

There is a huge part of the population we need to work harder for so that their purchase journeys are easier. If brands don’t make it easy for their entire consumer base to engage and buy then, over time, the consequence could be tangible financial loss.

Above: You wouldn't have a shop which wheelchair users can't access, so why have a website that doesn’t work for large swathes of the population? 

Making the consumer journey more accessible

It’s harder to retrofit accessibility to a website than to build it in from the beginning. So, the trick is to treat it as a strategic imperative from the start, not just a box-ticking exercise. There will almost always be a section of a brand’s target market that need more support so it’s important to pose the question upfront. 

The trick is to treat [accessibility in design] as a strategic imperative from the start, not just a box-ticking exercise.

Historically, and despite the 2010 Equalities Act writing the requirement into law, only third sector and government service providers seem to have made this a priority. It is time commercial organisations caught up. You wouldn’t have a shop which wheelchair users can’t access, so why have a website that doesn’t work for large swathes of the population? 

The World Wide Web Consortium’s (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative (WAI) has guidelines that offer a good starting point. They split accessibility into three standards:

●       A - basic accessibility, but still serviceable

●       AA - ‘middle ground’ accessibility; most government service websites conform to this standard as a minimum

●       AAA - ‘hyper-accessible’ site design, but anything ‘flashy’ has to go

Choosing the standard suitable for a brand’s audience is challenging because there are often multiple different business objectives at play that require balancing out. Luckily, technology and rigorous techniques now present solutions that mean you can avoid needing to decide between having an eye-catching site and an accessible one. 

Good design and accessibility can go hand-in-hand, with a practical approach to UX that considers aspects such as:

●       Layout - balanced, logical, and straightforward to navigate

●       Motion - awareness that animation can be destabilising or disorienting for some users

●       Size and space - should be proportionate, particularly relevant to buttons and interactive elements

●       Typography - clear hierarchy of legible fonts at appropriate sizes

●       Language - simple, well written, without jargon or acronyms

●       Colour - harmonious use of colour with strong contrast for typography