6 best practices to make product design more accessible.
The field of product design is evolving really quickly. This fast paced evolution of UI/UX demands the next step: products and services must be accessible to all and inclusive of all use cases. With 3.2% of the global population suffering from visual impairment and 6% from hearing loss, inclusive design is now a necessity for any product or service. Moreover, by emphasizing accessibility in a product can lead to impeccable UI/UX design.
Designing for accessibility means creating digital experiences that can be used by people with disabilities, such as those with visual, auditory, motor, or cognitive impairments.
1. Provide alternative text for images.
Alternative text (alt text) is a brief description of an image that is read aloud by screen readers. Providing alt text for images ensures that users with visual impairments can understand the content of your site or app. A good example is Medium itself, every time you add an image it asks for the “Alt Text” option. (consider using it more)
2. Use high contrast color schemes.
Incorporating high contrast color schemes into your designs to help users with low vision or color blindness can be a really good idea, it helps them to distinguish between different elements on a page. Selecting colors that have a high contrast ratio to ensure that the text and other essential elements like your primary buttons are easy to read and accessible to all users.
There’s many websites and plugins you can use to research colors and their contrast ratios. ( For best practices refer to Human Interface Guidelines and Material Design System for contrast ratios.)
3. Ensure keyboard accessibility.
Ensuring keyboard accessibility is an essential aspect of designing for accessibility in UX. Many users with disabilities, particularly those with motor impairments, rely on keyboard navigation to interact with digital experiences. Therefore, we as designers must ensure that all interactive elements on their web pages or applications can be accessed and used with a keyboard.
To achieve this, designers can follow best practices such as adding keyboard support to all interactive elements, including links, buttons, and forms. It is crucial to test keyboard accessibility in different scenarios, such as when using different browsers, screen sizes, and operating systems.
Furthermore, designers should ensure that focus is visible and easy to navigate. This is particularly important for users with visual impairments who rely on assistive technologies, such as screen readers, to navigate through the page.
4. Provide captions and transcripts for video and audio content.
Providing captions and transcripts for video and audio content is another important aspect of designing for accessibility in UX. Captions and transcripts make sure that users with hearing impairments can understand the content of your video and audio content. They also benefit users who may not be able to listen to audio content in certain situations, such as in a noisy environment.
Designers should follow best practices for captioning and transcribing, such as using accurate and consistent language, syncing captions with the video or audio content, and providing descriptive text for non-speech elements, such as sound effects or music.
It’s also essential to provide users with the option to turn on or off captions or transcripts based on their individual preferences.
5. Avoid using flashing or blinking elements.
Avoiding the use of flashing or blinking elements in your designs is another crucial aspect of designing for accessibility in UX. These types of elements can trigger seizures in users with epilepsy or other photosensitive conditions. Therefore, it’s essential to create designs that are safe and accessible for all users, including those with medical conditions.
Designers can follow best practices to ensure that their designs don’t contain any flashing or blinking elements. For example, they can avoid using animations or transitions that flicker or flash quickly. They can also use color schemes that are less likely to cause discomfort or seizures in users with photosensitive conditions.
In addition to avoiding flashing or blinking elements, designers should also consider including warning messages or alternative content for users who may be affected by flashing or blinking elements. This can help users make informed decisions about whether to interact with certain content or not.
6. Test with users with disabilities.
Testing with users with disabilities is a crucial step in designing for accessibility in UX. It’s the most effective way to identify any potential issues and make necessary improvements to ensure that your designs are accessible to all users. By involving users with disabilities in the design process, designers can gain valuable insights into how their designs are perceived and used by people with different abilities.
There are different ways to test designs with users with disabilities. One common method is usability testing, where users are asked to complete specific tasks using the product or service. Another method is user research, where designers conduct interviews or surveys with users with disabilities to gather feedback on the design.
It’s important to note that testing with users with disabilities should be done throughout the design process, not just at the end.
In conclusion, designing for accessibility is not only an ethical responsibility but also a smart design practice. By following these tips and best practices, designers can create inclusive digital experiences that can be used by people of all abilities, ensuring that everyone has equal access to the content and services they need.
Accessible design is good design — it benefits people who don’t have disabilities as well as people who do. Accessibility is all about removing barriers and providing the benefits of technology for everyone — Steve Ballmer.
