Accessibility Starts With Awareness And Builds With Empathy

By going beyond legal requirements, embracing accessibility and taking a collaborative and empathetic approach to software development, we can move closer to a world where accessibility is the norm, not the exception.

In this blog post, we will discuss how software teams can create accessible software by adopting an inclusive design and development approach and considering the needs of all users, including those with disabilities. We will also dive into the crucial role of awareness and empathy and the scientific research that supports these concepts.

Awareness and Empathy in Software Development

Awareness and empathy are essential in creating accessible products and services. Awareness involves understanding the needs and abilities of people with disabilities and recognising that they face barriers to participation in everyday life. In software development, this means understanding the specific challenges that people with disabilities face when using software and how they interact with it. This understanding can help developers identify and address accessibility issues and ensure that software is designed and built to be usable by everyone.

For example, people with visual impairments may rely on screen readers to use software. Developers need to ensure that software is built to work with screen readers and that the necessary information is presented in a way that can be read by the screen reader. Similarly, people with motor impairments may use alternative input devices such as keyboards, switches or eye-tracking devices. Developers need to ensure that software is built to work with these input devices and that users can navigate through the software using them.

Empathy goes beyond awareness and involves putting oneself in another’s shoes, feeling their emotions, and understanding their perspective. In software development, this means imagining the experience of people with disabilities when using software and considering how it might feel to encounter barriers or limitations. This understanding can help developers create software that is not only technically accessible but also emotionally accessible.

For example, people with cognitive disabilities may have difficulty understanding complex language or following multi-step processes. Developers need to ensure that software is designed to be simple, intuitive and easy to understand. Similarly, people with hearing impairments may feel excluded or frustrated if there is no closed captioning available for audio content. Developers need to ensure that software includes closed captioning options for audio content.

Both, awareness and empathy are critical in the software development process. Inclusive software development involves considering the needs of all users, from the start of the process. This approach creates products and services that are accessible to as many people as possible and does not require retrofitting or additional expenses later.

Inclusive Software Design and Development

Inclusive design and development is an approach that involves incorporating accessibility considerations into all stages of the software development lifecycle, from planning to testing. Designers should involve people with disabilities in the design process and seek feedback from them to ensure that their needs and abilities are considered. Additionally, developers should use accessibility tools and guidelines to ensure that software meets the necessary accessibility standards.

Scientific Research Supporting Awareness and Empathy in Digital Accessibility

Scientific research widely advocates the significance of awareness and empathy in promoting accessibility. This is evidenced by several examples, such as:

A study by Lazar and Jaeger found that awareness and empathy are essential for designing accessible websites. The study also emphasised the importance of involving people with disabilities in the design process to ensure that their needs and abilities are considered. [1]

Another paper by De Jong and colleagues investigated the role of empathy in inclusive design. They found that empathy is a key factor in creating inclusive products and services and that empathy can be learned and taught.[2]

A study by Cudd and colleagues explored the impact of awareness and empathy on the attitudes of college students toward people with disabilities. The study found that increased awareness and empathy lead to more positive attitudes toward people with disabilities and decreased the fear and discomfort associated with interacting with them. [3]

A study by Kim and Sun explored the relationship between website credibility and the aesthetic appeal of a website, as well as the role of empathy in this relationship and found that websites that are more aesthetically appealing are also perceived as more credible, and that empathy plays a mediating role in this relationship. [4]

Another study by Zhao and Niu examined the impact of user diversity on the user experience of mobile applications. The study found that users with different abilities and disabilities have different needs and preferences when it comes to mobile applications, and that designers need to be aware of these differences in order to create truly inclusive and accessible applications. [5]

Another study by Hattar and colleagues investigated the role of empathy in the design of mobile health applications for chronic disease management. The study found that an empathetic design approach can lead to better user engagement, increased motivation, and improved health outcomes for users with chronic conditions. [6]

In addition to awareness and empathy, collaboration and communication are also critical as highlighted in Sheehy and Heumann’s report “Disability Inclusion and Access: Moving Beyond Compliance” [7]. We’ll explore the importance of collaboration and communication in my next post.

Summing Up

Awareness and empathy are critical in accessible software design and development, as they allow development teams to identify and address accessibility issues and create accessible software from the very start. Adopting an inclusive design and development approach ensures that software is accessible to as many people as possible and does not require retrofitting or additional expenses later.

Research in this field consistently emphasizes the crucial role of awareness and empathy. Furthermore, involving people with disabilities in the design process leads to more effective and user-friendly products and services.

Do you like this article? Follow me and stay tuned to my next publications. Do not forget to show some love by 👏 this article and sharing it.

References

1. Lazar, J., & Jaeger, P. T. (2013). Reducing barriers to online access for people with disabilities. Universal Access in the Information Society, 12(1), 1–5.
2. De Jong, M. J., Boersema, T., van der Voort, M. C., & van der Burg, S. (2019). Empathy as an enabler of inclusive design. International Journal of Design, 13(3), 45–58.
3. Cudd, P. A., Plant, A., Smith, J. L., & Smyth, B. (2017). Changing attitudes towards people with disabilities through an empathy-based intervention. Journal of Social. Psychology, 157(5), 602–611.
4. Kim H., Sun Y. (2013). The Influence of Empathy and Aesthetic Appeal on Website Credibility. Journal of Interactive Advertising.
5. Zhao S., Niu S. (2019). The Impact of User Diversity on the User Experience of Mobile Applications. International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction.
6. Hattar S.J et al. (2021). The Power of Empathy in the Design of Mobile Health Applications for Chronic Disease Management. Journal of Medical Internet Research.
7. Sheehy J., Heumann J.E. (2017). Disability Inclusion and Access: Moving Beyond Compliance. National Council on Disability.