How Marketing Attracts & UX Connects: Teaming Up for Inclusive Edtech Experiences
One size does not fit all, but all sizes can fit one.
You walk into a party where everyone’s invited, but not everyone can participate. Unfortunately, that’s sometimes the reality of digital learning for many kids (and teachers) today — but it doesn’t have to be.
Capital ‘A’ Accessibility vs. Lowercase ‘a’
The big ‘A’ gets everyone into the room — the ramps, elevators, and wide doors. The little ‘a’ make sure everyone’s having a good time — the music, lighting, and the good party games. These two ‘A’s are the secret ingredients to a successful, inclusive digital learning experience — making it a no-brainer for all involved.
Capital ‘A’ Accessibility
This big, bold, non-negotiable commitment ensures every student has equal access to and use of products. These legal and technical requirements are typically documented in a WCAG and include functionality such as:
- Alt-text for images, easy screen-reader compatibility, and the ability to toggle on/off animations and auto-play videos.
- Closed captions and transcripts for students who are Deaf, hard of hearing, or have auditory processing difficulties.
- Technical access includes keyboard navigation, screen magnification, high-contrast color schemes, and drag-and-drop functionality.
Accessibility is not only about compliance; it’s also about creating an inclusive user experience for all students.
Lowercase ‘a’ accessibility
This is the “softer” (yet equally important) side of inclusive learning design that goes beyond legal compliance and considers all students' diverse cognitive and physical abilities, ensuring a flexible and engaging learning experience for every user. Examples may include:
- Diversity of characters, voices, and perspectives across content, helping all learners feel seen, represented, and valued.
- Clear, easy-to-understand instructions that prioritize plain language and no jargon so that users of all reading levels have equal access.
- Multiple ways to consume and interact with content, making it easier for everyone to learn in methods and formats that fit their needs.
How Can Marketing Teams Prioritize Accessibility?
This isn’t a one-person job; user experience doesn’t start and end inside the product. Your SEO, paid advertisements, PR strategy, and content marketing are all touch points in the user journey. It’s a collaborative effort, and both UX and marketing play a role.
UX knows what users want, and marketing knows how to keep them interested. When they put their heads together, they can make a product everyone loves — and can use.
Examples of how marketing teams can roll up their sleeves, too, include:
- Intentionally and proactively position your products' accessible features in marketing materials and sales demos.
- Ensure your site meets the mark of technical accessibility, including easy navigation, alt-text, and color contrast ratios.
- Easily optimize for search using alt text and captions to serve users’ specific needs and, in turn, improve SEO.
- Prioritize social accessibility by using #CamelCase for hashtags to help screen readers and avoid over-reliance on color for information.
By crafting stories that resonate with a diverse user base, marketing teams can show that every user matters to the brand. This kind of storytelling, which celebrates user diversity, can expand audience engagement and deepen loyalty to the brand.
How Can Accessible Design Drive the Bottom Line?
The goal is not to check off boxes for WCAG compliance. The true power of inclusive design lies in combining big ‘A’ and little ‘a’ across the customer journey to create products that are universally understood and adopted for every type of user.
- Increased Market Reach: By designing products that are accessible and inclusive, companies tap into a larger market of diverse learners, leading to new customer segments, increased adoption rates, and broader market penetration.
- Greater Share of Voice: By positioning themselves as advocates for accessibility and inclusive design, companies establish themselves as thought leaders in the industry, opening doors to speaking engagements, media coverage, and partnership opportunities.
- Enhanced Customer Engagement: Providing accessible and inclusive features captures attention and encourages active participation, feedback sharing, and a sense of community among customers
- Stronger Brand Trust and Loyalty: When a brand demonstrates a commitment to both types of accessibility, it enhances its reputation as an inclusive product, leading to greater user trust, loyalty, and market success.
True inclusive design helps to shift our understanding of accessibility from a deficit-based model to an asset-based one, sending a powerful message that extends beyond the classroom: When accessibility and inclusivity are the norms, every student is the standard.
Cheat Sheet: 6 Ways UX + Marketing Can Team Up for Accessible, Inclusive Design
Tell Real People’s Stories
Narrate students' and teachers' experiences who’ve found your accessibility features beneficial. For instance, a special education teacher who works with students with visual impairments and navigates your app using the voice-guided feature.
Double Check Your Ads
Just like ensuring our products work for everyone, we should do the same for your marketing assets. Check out free tools like The A11y Project Checklist and AccessibilityChecker.org.
Show How Your Product Helps
Create demos to show how your product’s accessibility features work. You might show how a user with limited mobility can easily navigate your website using keyboard shortcuts.
Run an Inclusive Imagery Audit
Ensure the images you use, whether in your ads or your product, show people of all abilities to ensure you reflect the users you serve.
Give Everyone a Seat at the Table
Remember, not everyone experiences the world the same way. Consider all sorts of people when creating user and buyer personas, including those needing larger text or voice-over commands.
The UX of EdTech Community’s purpose is focused on helping UX practitioners who work on products and services that support learning. We also welcome educators, founders, and those in other disciplines looking to develop a UX mindset applied in the industry of education and future of learning and work.
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