Disability and Design
Accessibility for all
When we think of design, we think of aesthetically pleasing visuals, that draw us in and spark our curiosity. This idea is true, but not for everyone. I am not disabled, but “1 out of 7 people are disabled, according to the WHO”, which is more than 1 million people (Xia). Recognizing the disabled population is crucial to advance society towards a more inclusive culture. Graphic design focuses on providing the user with an aesthetically pleasing and easily viewable medium to view and access information. It has a strong focus on compatibility and user experience. When designing websites, the designer needs to have a strong knowledge of inclusive design/universal design and web accessibility. Inclusive design/universal design is “a general approach to designing in which designers ensure that their products and services address the needs of the widest possible audience, irrespective of age or ability” (Cornish). The world is a mixture of non-disabled people and people with disabilities. This mixture requires the unique needs of all people to be considered when designing a new website or product. Web accessibility works to ensure that “digital products and services are designed in such a way that they are useful and usable for everyone, regardless of their abilities” (“Benefits of”). The design of websites needs to be manipulated and expanded to meet the unique needs of disabled people.
Accessibility is a key word when thinking about disability studies. Disabilities require more accommodations and increased accessibility to help people with disabilities to have as many opportunities as their non-disabled peers. This does not only include physical accommodations such as ramps to access buildings, because disability is not just physical, it is mental and emotional as well. Accessibility in design has a stronger focus on the mental aspect of disability. Different design aspects such as shapes, colors and text size require a more cognitive response from the user. Individuals with disabilities present more questions about which design aspects are easiest for the user to process. When designing a building, accessibility is at the forefront of design. People cannot access the building if there is no door; they cannot access the floors if there are no stairs or elevators. In a similar sense, graphic design needs to be focused on providing the most visually, cognitively, and physically accessible designs which accommodate a wide range of users.
The intersection between disability, accessibility and graphic design is so important, but often overlooked. Goodman-Deane Cornish investigates the communication between clients and designers when it comes to accessibility in the article “Visual Accessibility in Graphic Design: A Client–designer Communication Failure.”. The study presented in the article found that there is a clear disconnect between clients and designers when it comes to accessibility within the designs. Clients fail to incorporate accessibility in their design request, and designers fail to incorporate accessibility in the design because it was not directly requested. “The lack of effective communication surrounding visual accessibility between graphic designers and clients may prevent it from being considered fully in practice” (Cornish). Graphic design needs more accessibility, especially since the world is becoming more digital and tech-savvy.
Website designers have a job to create the most viewable and easy-to-use websites for their clients and users. If a designer does not consider a wide range of individuals who may use the website, they may not include certain accessibility features or visual elements to meet the needs of all the users. Up until now, design has catered to the needs of the general population, leaving the needs of disabled people to the end of the design efforts, ultimately making them impossible to incorporate. This is where having an accessibility-first mindset as a designer becomes so important. “Designing with an accessibility-first mindset means treating problems faced by people with disabilities as top-priority problems” (Xia). People with disabilities deserve to have equal opportunities as their non-disabled peers. Since the needs of disabled people present more unique problems, they need to be considered first so that the design is shaped around them. The ultimate goal of design is to create a product or image that can be used by the widest audience possible. The design can either promote inclusivity or promote exclusivity. Since the concept of accessibility is so central to the effectiveness of designs, it is crucial that the needs of those which challenge accessibility are treated with priority in the design process.
Design discourse has historically been centered around the general population. The needs of disabled people were never a priority for graphic designers, because the thought of having a diverse user audience in terms of ability never was at the forefront. It is especially difficult to identify the needs of disabled people in graphic design because the product is being used remotely. The only way graphic designers could learn and understand the accessibility disconnect is if people who are having accessibility issues reach out to the designer/company directly to express concern. This process of trial and error is somewhat effective, but can become exhausting for the disabled community. It shows that their needs are never considered to be a priority in the design process. This is where a change in graphic design discourse is needed.
One main goal of disability studies is weaving the disabled community into society. This goal undoubtedly requires many steps and efforts, but it is very attainable if society opens up and progressively works toward change. What better way to help the disabled community than to design products and images around them and to meet their needs. As mentioned earlier, designers need to adapt an accessibility-first mindset, because accessibility for all is one of the hardest aspects of design. As an aspiring designer, I understand the presented difficulty of designing around the needs of disabled people because “ensuring accessibility for all is not easy. There is a lot of ground to cover and guidelines to follow” (“Benefits of”). However, even though their needs present unique design solutions, that does not mean they are impossible to accommodate for. I believe that the next generation of graphic designers has a responsibility to design with the needs of disabled people front and center, so that accessibility can be expanded to all users.
Sources
“Benefits of Web Accessibility in UX Design.” 10 Nov. 2020, www.cofmag.com/2020/11/benefits-of-web-accessibility-in-ux-design/.
Cornish, Goodman-Deane. “Visual Accessibility in Graphic Design: A Client–designer Communication Failure.” Design Studies, vol. 40, Elsevier Ltd, Sept. 2015, pp. 176–95, doi:10.1016/j.destud.2015.07.003.
Xia, Bingying. “5 Lessons I Learned by Designing for Accessibility.” Medium, UX Collective, 5 Apr. 2020, uxdesign.cc/5-lessons-i-learned-by-designing-for-accessibility-65842a74f849.
