Designing for All: Human-Centered Approaches to Digital Accessibility

In today’s dynamic environment, digital accessibility is seen as a necessary component of design and development. Human-centered approaches, on the other hand, have shown to be effective means of producing digital experiences that are accessible to all users, regardless of their ability. 

The phrase “human-centered” refers to approaches to digital accessibility that center the design process around the user. Through active participation and empathy, these approaches not only entail comprehending the wants, limitations, and behaviors of users but also basically guaranteeing that the finished product is made to satisfy the wide range of needs of the audience, including those of individuals with disabilities. 

Some of the most important and commonly used approaches are mentioned here.

Empathy

Empathy is one of the cornerstones of human-centered approaches, in which designers imagine themselves in the place of users with disabilities and try to identify their challenges and gaps in accessing a system or interface. A designer might, for example, read a website in a screen reader to identify opportunities for improving its accessibility, which eventually helps to imagine the perspectives of individuals with disabilities and build more intuitive and accessible interfaces.

User Feedback

Getting user feedback is fundamental for improving any digital product and should be carried out in the wild, by regularly conducting usability tests with a wide range of users. This way, accessibility features can remain usable and useful. For example, beta testing with sight-impaired users can reveal the compatibility problems of a website with screen readers.

Inclusive Design Methodologies

Products designed using inclusive design methodologies work for as many people as possible without modifications, and they are among the most adopted human-centered approaches. Many companies aiming at creating digital experiences also leverage human-centered approaches to enhance digital accessibility. For instance, in 2019, Microsoft released the Xbox adaptive controller, a game controller designed for people with limited mobility, and created it through an empathy-based design process that included extended conversations with representative groups of users.

Industry Trends and Statistics

Industry trends and statistics reflect the growing recognition of the importance of digital accessibility. In 2023, there was a significant increase in ADA digital accessibility lawsuits, with a total of 4,605 reported cases, which is a 14.1 percent rise from the 4,035 cases reported in 2022. This surge highlights the increasing demand for accessible digital environments and the legal implications of noncompliance.

According to Straits Research, by 2027, the global accessibility testing market size is expected to reach $606.46 million. This growth underscores the expanding market for accessibility solutions, driven by an upsurge in demand for inclusive digital experiences.

The entire global internet user count stood at 5.3 billion individuals as of October 2023, which is about 65.7 percent of the world’s population. Meanwhile, according to Statista, there were 4.95 billion people representing 61.4 percent of all global inhabitants actively using social media platforms. These statistics underscore how far-reaching digital content can be and how important it is that it be made accessible online.

Thus, designing for all through human-centered approaches to digital accessibility creates not only inclusive but also usable designs that appeal widely. For instance, through empathy prioritization, involving users in the design process and in iterative design are critical.  Start your accessibility journey with Amnet’s Digita11y. As your accessibility partner, we help you clarify your needs and develop a design that best suits your goals. 

Sources

https://www.statista.com/statistics/273018/number-of-internet-users-worldwide/.

https://www.accessibility.works/blog/2023-ada-website-lawsuits-legal-statistics/.