The Accessibility Revolution: Innovation Through Inclusivity

Full feature originally published on our blog: https://www.testbirds.com/en/blog/the-accessibility-edge/

Accessibility is your best strategy for creating an innovative and inclusive product that resonates with a wide audience and complies with new regulations. It's time to include it in your digital strategy. 

Background 

With diversity comes beauty, but also many challenges. Overcoming these challenges defines progress, especially in digital spaces. Accessibility is the litmus test of innovation - the more accessible a product is to a wider audience, the more advanced it is considered. Top tech brands like Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Netflix, and Spotify have all launched accessibility initiatives with assistive features and tools, demonstrating that personalization and accessibility are key drivers of success. 

Why Accessibility Equals Innovation 

The "curb cut effect" shows how accessibility features, originally designed for people with disabilities, benefit everyone. Curb cuts, initially for wheelchair users, also help parents with strollers, travelers with luggage, and more. This principle applies to digital spaces too, where accessible design leads to universal improvements. Historical innovations like the telephone, typewriter, and electric toothbrush were initially developed for accessibility and have since become mainstream, benefiting a broader audience. 

Modern-Day Tech and Accessibility 

What’s more, accessibility has played a significant role in the development of AI systems like ChatGPT. Natural Language Processing, initially developed to help computers understand and process human language, has roots in creating assistive communication devices for people with disabilities. This underscores how the need for accessibility has driven technological advancements that we use daily. 

Understanding the Basics 

Digital accessibility means designing and developing digital services so that regardless of a person’s physical or mental ability, they can still interact with your app, website, or other digital product in a meaningful way.  

According to Sir Tim Berners-Lee, inventor of the World Wide Web, "The power of the web is in its universality. Access by everyone regardless of disability is an essential aspect." 

Significance of Accessibility 

1.3 billion people globally experience significant disabilities. By 2050, 2 billion people will be aged 60 and older, many experiencing age-related disabilities. Additionally, situational barriers like bright sunlight, noisy environments, or slow internet connections can affect anyone. So you see, you could be missing out on a much, much larger group of potential customers than you imagined. 

Categories of Users Benefiting from Accessible Design: 

• Users with temporary and permanent health disabilities 

• Elderly people with cognitive and physical impairments 

• Users in situationally restrictive environments 

• Users with slow or intermittent internet connections 

Health Disabilities and Accessibility Needs: 

• Visual Impairment: Solutions must be compatible with screen readers, scalable content, and avoid reliance on color contrast. 

• Hearing Disorders: Audio and video content should have synchronized text captions. 

• Speech Disorders: Solutions should offer alternative interaction methods beyond voice input. 

• Cognitive and Learning Disabilities: Interfaces should be simple, with clear icons, short onboarding processes, and large fonts. 

• Mobility and Vestibular Disorders: Solutions should not rely solely on mouse or touch inputs and avoid autoplay features. 

Challenges of Accessibility Adoption 

While 15% of the world population lives with some form of disability, according to WebAIM only 2% of websites meet accessibility standards, leaving many users with disabilities unable to fully engage online. This discrepancy might surprise you and you’re not alone. But let’s look at the reason why there’s such a big discrepancy between the need and the adoption of accessibility 

• Awareness: Lack of understanding about digital accessibility principles. 

• Cultural Norms: Societal stigmas around disabilities. 

• Diverse Needs: Need for tailored and innovative solutions. 

• Technical Complexity: Specialized knowledge and skills required. 

• Compliance: Keeping up with evolving regulations like the European Accessibility Act (EAA). Which we’ll talk more about in our next article. 

• Integration: Difficulty integrating accessibility into existing processes. 

• Resource Allocation: Costs and time associated with implementing accessibility. 

• Testing: Engaging a diverse group of testers. 

• Maintenance: Ongoing updates to ensure continued accessibility. 

Conclusion 

Accessibility is not just about compliance—it’s about creating a digital world where everyone can participate fully. It fosters innovation, expands market reach, improves user experience for everyone, and so much more. To understand all of these benefits, stay tuned for our next Pulse where we discuss it in greater detail. See you there! 

Full feature originally published on our blog: https://www.testbirds.com/en/blog/the-accessibility-edge/