Universal Design Theory

Accessibility Fundamentals

Accessibility, Usability, and Inclusion

Accessibility, Usability, and Inclusion

Accessibility

Accessibility addresses discriminatory aspects related to equivalent user experience for people with disabilities. Web accessibility means that people with disabilities can equally perceive, understand, navigate, and interact with websites and tools. It also means that they can contribute equally without barriers. For more information, please refer to the Introduction to Web Accessibility in the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) Web Accessibility Initiative resource.

Usability

Usability is about designing products to be effective, efficient, and satisfying. Usability includes user experience design. This may include general aspects that impact everyone and do not disproportionally impact people with disabilities. Usability practice and research often does not sufficiently address the needs of people with disabilities.

Inclusion

Inclusion is about diversity, and ensuring involvement of everyone to the greatest extent possible. In some regions this is also referred to as universal design and design for all. It addresses a broad range of issues including:

  • accessibility for people with disabilities;
  • access to and quality of hardware, software, and Internet connectivity;
  • computer literacy and skills;
  • economic situation;
  • education;
  • geographic location;
  • culture;
  • age, including older and younger people;
  • and language.

Web Accessibility

Web accessibility also benefits people without disabilities, for example:

  • people using mobile phones, smart watches, smart TVs, and other devices with small screens, different input modes, etc.
  • older people with changing abilities due to aging
  • people with temporary disabilities such as a broken arm or lost glasses
  • people with situational limitations such as in bright sunlight or in an environment where they cannot listen to audio
  • people using a slow Internet connection, or who have limited or expensive bandwidth

Content Accessibility

Content accessibility encompasses all disabilities that affect access to the Web tools, platforms, and digital content, including:

  • Auditory
  • Cognitive
  • Neurological
  • Physical
  • Speech
  • Visual

Content accessibility also includes functionality and usability.

Creating Inclusive and Accessible Content Experiences is a Proactive Process

Creating inclusive and accessible content experiences is a proactive process that requires activating design systems and content creation processes that are resulting in content experiences that go Beyond Compliance.

Referring directly to WCAG 3 and integrating Universal Design Principles, Universal Design for Learning since we are an academic institution, into the earliest stages of content planning, from ideation and creation to publishing, is essential to begin meeting the needs of our community where they are.

Accessibility begins with ideation and planning and touches every phase of the process from the tools we use to create content to the platforms we use to share and distribute content.

Accessibility can show up as users having more control over their digital experiences.

Accessibility can show up as equitable access to information, and consideration and thinking about our information design and storytelling from multiple angles and perspectives.

Accessibility requires that we think creatively and differently.

An important filter to consider when navigating ADA compliance is whether compliance is also meeting current standards of functionality and usability.

Sometimes this is not the case.

First Do No Harm

Meeting Compliance Standards

Because WCAG 2.1 is the threshold for compliance and digital content below that threshold is problematic enough that it is legally negligent, WCAG 2.1 AA and Section 508 compliance is considered more of a threshold of harm than a success standard by many. A content experience can be considered harmful if it:

  • Denies access to participation or information to a certain group or individual
  • Causes physical discomfort, pain, or harm to a certain group or individual
  • Causes cognitive difficulty or fatigue, which can also result in triggering physical symptoms for groups or individuals

Meeting compliance standards is the first step we need to take at this time to first do no harm.

The Four Principles of Accessibility

The Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Success Criteria are organized around the following four principles, which lay the foundation necessary for anyone to access and use Web content. Anyone who wants to use the Web must have content that is: Perceivable, Operable, Understandable, and Robust (POUR). If any of these are not true, users with disabilities will not be able to use the Web.

1. Perceivable

Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. This means that users must be able to perceive the information being presented (it can’t be invisible to all of their senses).

2. Operable

User interface components and navigation must be operable. This means that users must be able to operate the interface (the interface cannot require interaction that a user cannot perform).

3. Understandable

Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable. This means that users must be able to understand the information as well as the operation of the user interface (the content or operation cannot be beyond their understanding).

4. Robust

Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. This means that users must be able to access the content as technologies advance (as technologies and user agents evolve, the content should remain accessible).

Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Success Criteria

Under each of the principles are Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) and Success Criteria that help to address these principles for people with disabilities. There are many general usability guidelines that make content more usable by all people, including those with disabilities. However, in WCAG 2.1, we only include those guidelines that address problems particular to people with disabilities. This includes issues that block access or interfere with access to the Web more severely for people with disabilities.

WCAG Compliance: 2.1 Level AA

A content experience is considered compliant if it meets all applicable WCAG 2.1 Success Criteria with a Level A and Level AA.

Text Alternatives

Provide text alternatives for any non-text content so that it can be changed into other forms people need, such as large print, braille, speech, symbols, or simpler language.

There is one Success Criterion under Guideline 1.1 Text Alternatives:

Time-based Media

Provide alternatives for time-based media.

Not everyone is able to see or hear time-based media, otherwise known as multi-media, so alternatives are needed. Text alternatives in the form of transcripts or real-time synchronised captions will enable people who are deaf or hard of hearing to experience audio content, and text also forms the basis for scripted audio description that describes video content to people unable to see it.

There are 9 Success Criteria under Guideline 1.2 Time-based Media:

Adaptable

Create content that can be presented in different ways (for example simpler layout) without losing information or structure.

There are 6 Success Criteria under Guideline 1.3 Adaptable:

Distinguishable

Make it easier for users to see and hear content including separating foreground from background.

There are 13 Success Criteria under Guideline 1.4 Distinguishable:

Keyboard Accessible

Make all functionality available from a keyboard.

Many people with physical disabilities will use a keyboard, but some will use voice recognition software that is also dependent on the content being keyboard accessible. People who use other assistive technologies like screen readers or screen magnification often use a keyboard too.

There are 4 Success Criteria under Guideline 2.1 Keyboard Accessible:

Enough Time

Provide users enough time to read and use content.

There are 6 Success Criteria under Guideline 2.2 Enough Time:

Seizures and Physical Reactions

Do not design content in a way that is known to cause seizures or physical reactions.

There are 3 Success Criteria under Guideline 2.3 Seizures and Physical Reactions:

Navigable

Provide ways to help users navigate, find content, and determine where they are.

People can find it difficult to navigate web content or to be sure of where they are. For example, someone with a cognitive disability that affects memory may use the page title to remind themselves where they are, a sighted keyboard user will depend on a visible indicator that tells them where their keyboard is currently focused, and a screen reader user will find links easier to use if the link text makes it clear where the link leads.

There are 10 Success Criteria under Guideline 2.4 Navigable:

Input Modalities

Make it easier for users to operate functionality through various inputs beyond keyboard.

As well as the keyboard, people will use touch-screen devices and voice recognition as alternatives to using a mouse or trackpad. For example, making sure links and buttons have visible labels will help voice recognition users target them more accurately, not triggering actions the moment someone places a finger on a touch-screen will help prevent people with dexterity problems doing things unintentionally, and offering alternative ways to complete tasks that require multi-touch gestures is helpful to anyone unable to use their own fingers.

There are 6 Success Criteria under Guideline 2.5 Input Modalities:

Readable

Make text content readable and understandable.

Not everyone finds text easy to read and understand. For example, someone who finds reading difficult may find it helpful if the meaning of unusual words is explained, or someone with a learning disability will find simple content easier to understand.

There are 6 Success Criteria under Guideline 3.1 Readable:

Predictable

Make Web pages appear and operate in predictable ways.

Most people find content easier to use when it looks familiar and behaves consistently. For example, putting things like the logo and navigation in the same place on every page helps screen magnification users orient themselves, and using the same labels for links and buttons that do the same thing helps people with cognitive disabilities correctly identify them.

There are 5 Success Criteria under Guideline 3.2 Predictable:

Input Assistance

Help users avoid and correct mistakes.

Nobody wants to make mistakes but avoiding mistakes or correcting them if they happen can be difficult for some people. For example, letting people review their answers before they submit a form that relates to a financial or legal agreement helps people with all disabilities avoid sending the wrong information, and presenting error messages as text means that people who cannot see warning colours or symbols know the errors are there.

There are 6 Success Criteria under Guideline 3.3 Input Assistance:

Compatible

Maximize compatibility with current and future user agents, including assistive technologies.

Writing code in ways that support a range of different devices and technologies makes content more reliable. For example, writing HTML that avoids errors known to cause problems for assistive technologies like screen readers and voice recognition software, and making sure that custom components and notifications are created in ways that include all the accessibility information needed by people who use assistive technologies.

There are 3 Success Criteria under Guideline 4.1 Compatible:

Accessibility Guidelines Working Group

In parallel with WCAG 2.1, the Accessibility Guidelines Working Group is developing another major version of accessibility guidelines. The result of this work is expected to be a more substantial restructuring of web accessibility guidance than would be realistic for dot-releases of WCAG 2. The work follows a research-focused, user-centered design methodology to produce the most effective and flexible outcome, including the roles of content authoring, user agent support, and authoring tool support. This is a multi-year effort, so WCAG 2.1 is needed as an interim measure to provide updated web accessibility guidance to reflect changes on the web since the publication of WCAG 2.0. The Working Group might also develop additional interim versions, continuing with WCAG 2.2, on a similar short timeline to provide additional support while the major version is completed.

Recommendation: WCAG 3

To maximize compliance and compatibility with future WCAG updates and technologies use the most up to date working draft of WCAG 3.0 as your accessibility guide.

As we take steps to update our content and systems of content creation to meet compliance standards, this is also a great opportunity to:

  • Implement Design Systems and Workflows Beyond Compliance when possible
  • Identify areas that need more time and resources to implement accessibility updates so that time and resources can be included in organizational priorities

True accessibility begins with content creation methodologies that center Beyond Compliance accessibility practices.

Beyond Compliance

“When we talk about accessibility, we mean any design choice or element that specifically allows people with disabilities to interact with their environment with roughly the same amount of effort as those without disabilities.”

I like this description of accessibility because it activates two pathways of thinking about accessibility that are very important. The design choices we make can provide equitable access or provide barriers to access. And so incorporating accessibility into how we think about communications and media is essential to making sure we are making choices that provide access.

As a content creator, or even someone who inputs content in a website or platform, you are extremely powerful because you are the gate. You have to own this power. You have to ensure that you are making choices that are ensuring an accessible digital experience and not inserting barriers to access into our systems of engagement.

And to promote access we need to effectively understand and remove barriers to access that commonly occur in content and platform design.

Barriers to Access

  • Lack of training and expertise
  • Lack of time designated towards accessible training and accessibility in content production timelines
  • Lack of demonstrated support for accessibility integration from leadership and work culture
  • Barriers within the methods of production themselves: the platforms we are using are not accessible

Professional Certification

It is important to center the role of accessibility in our professional skill set as professional communicators and content creators.

Taking steps to get the Certified Professional in Accessibility Core Competencies (CPACC) certification is recommended.

If there are financial barriers to the certification process then making sure communications roles integrate the body of knowledge required for certification.

Identify Features That are Not Accessible

Identify patterns of harm and features of social media platforms and distribution channels that are not accessible:

  • Many posting and production practices are not integrating accessibility compliance
  • Instagram Stories do not support alt text or provide access to screen readers and so they are not accessible
  • Reposting content that does not include alt text and image descriptions is not accessible
  • Posting links to content that do not include alt text or meet web accessibility compliance standards is not accessible
  • I have noted that many policies and the interpretation of policies assumes that our digital systems are fundamentally accessible and that is most often not the case
    • The Consent decree and dear colleague letter spotlight UC Berkeley non-compliance
  • The Disability Student Services processes of an accommodation request needed to initiate accessibility processes
    • A student has to request a process be made accessible before action is taken

Meeting compliance standards means that we are being proactive in designing experiences that offset and address the lack of accessibility in the platforms we use and systems we participate in through creative solutions and experience design.

Centering Universal Design, Cognitive Easing, and integrating multiple media options for the different perceivable modalities is necessary for achieving Beyond Compliance Accessibility.

Universal Design

Universal Design is usability for all people.

Universal Design is the design of products and environments to be usable by all people, to the greatest extent possible, without adaptation or specialized design. Universal Design aspires for a place beyond compliance centered on meaningful inclusion of people with functional limitations without individualized accommodations.

The articulation of these original Principles of Universal Design sparked an international movement that includes a diverse body of scholarship, policy, law, and international agreements aimed to integrate people with functional limitations into the global social fabric.

Universal Design (UD) can be used as a verb or a noun. When used as a verb, it refers to the process of designing something to be as functional as possible for as many people as possible. When used as a noun, it refers to a functionally inclusive design of something. Almost anything can be universally designed, but our focus is housing. Universal accessibility is the outcome of a successful universal design process.

Universal Design is the design and composition of an environment so that it can be accessed, understood, and used to the greatest extent possible by all people regardless of their age, size, ability, or disability. An environment (or any building, product, or service in that environment) should be designed to meet the needs of all people who wish to use it. This is not a special requirement, for the benefit of only a minority of the population. It is a fundamental condition of good design. If an environment is accessible, usable, convenient, and a pleasure to use, then everyone benefits. By considering the diverse needs and abilities of all throughout the design process, universal design creates products, services, and environments that meet peoples’ needs. Simply put, universal design is good design.

The 7 Principles of Universal Design

The 7 Universal Design Principles were developed in 1997 by a working group of architects, product designers, engineers, and environmental design researchers, led by the late Ronald Mace in the North Carolina State University. The purpose of the Principles is to guide the design of environments, products, and communications. According to the Center for Universal Design in NCSU, the Principles “may be applied to evaluate existing designs, guide the design process and educate both designers and consumers about the characteristics of more usable products and environments.”

The 7 Principles of Universal Design are:

  1. Equitable Use
  2. Flexibility in Use
  3. Simple and Intuitive Use
  4. Perceptible Information
  5. Tolerance for Error
  6. Low Physical Effort
  7. Size and Space for Approach and Use

Principle 1: Equitable Use

The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.

Guidelines:

  • 1a. Provide the same means of use for all users: identical whenever possible; equivalent when not.
  • 1b. Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users.
  • 1c. Provisions for privacy, security, and safety should be equally available to all users.
  • 1d. Make the design appealing to all users.

Principle 2: Flexibility in Use

The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.

Guidelines:

  • 2a. Provide choice in methods of use.
  • 2b. Accommodate right- or left-handed access and use.
  • 2c. Facilitate the user’s accuracy and precision.
  • 2d. Provide adaptability to the user’s pace.

Principle 3: Simple and Intuitive Use

Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.

Guidelines:

  • 3a. Eliminate unnecessary complexity.
  • 3b. Be consistent with user expectations and intuition.
  • 3c. Accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills.
  • 3d. Arrange information consistent with its importance.
  • 3e. Provide effective prompting and feedback during and after task completion.

Principle 4: Perceptible Information

The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.

Guidelines:

  • 4a. Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information.
  • 4b. Provide adequate contrast between essential information and its surroundings.
  • 4c. Maximize “legibility” of essential information.
  • 4d. Differentiate elements in ways that can be described (i.e., make it easy to give instructions or directions).
  • 4e. Provide compatibility with a variety of techniques or devices used by people with sensory limitations.

Principle 5: Tolerance for Error

The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.

Guidelines:

  • 5a. Arrange elements to minimize hazards and errors: most used elements, most accessible; hazardous elements eliminated, isolated, or shielded.
  • 5b. Provide warnings of hazards and errors.
  • 5c. Provide fail safe features.
  • 5d. Discourage unconscious action in tasks that require vigilance.

Principle 6: Low Physical Effort

The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.

Guidelines:

  • 6a. Allow users to maintain a neutral body position.
  • 6b. Use reasonable operating forces.
  • 6c. Minimize repetitive actions.
  • 6d. Minimize sustained physical effort.

Principle 7: Size and Space for Approach and Use

Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of a user’s body size, posture, or mobility.

Guidelines:

  • 7a. Provide a clear line of sight to important elements for any seated or standing user.
  • 7b. Make reach to all components comfortable for any seated or standing user.
  • 7c. Accommodate variations in hand and grip size.
  • 7d. Provide adequate space for the use of assistive devices or personal assistance.

Cognitive Easing

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