Accessibility myth busting

Myth number 1 - a tiny proportion of users are disabled

The proportion of people who have a disability is already very high, but the number of people impacted by poor accessibility are even higher when considering the full range of factors.

• 1 in 5 people in the UK are disabled
• 1 in 4 people could have a disability if you include temporary disabilities that impact digital use.
• These figures would be even higher if you also consider situational factors such as using a phone on a sunny day; holding a sleeping baby while using a phone; low battery mode reducing screen brightness; using a phone in a noisy environment; multitasking; having an illness such as a migraine, and so on.
• "Businesses lose approximately £2 billion a month by ignoring the needs of disabled people." - The purple pound.
• Age-related impairments like declining vision, hearing loss, or decreased motor skills also affect a significant portion of the population, particularly as people age.
• Cognitive disabilities such as autism and ADHD are more common than visual impairments.

Myth number 2 - accessible sites are boring

Adopting inclusive practices inherently leads to broadening your appeal.

• One of the biggest challenges in UX is that websites are marketing vehicles or a 'shop front'.
• Steve Jobs said "Design is not just what it looks like and feels like. Design is how it works."
• People have jobs to do, a website our app's purpose is to make that job as easy as possible to complete.
• Yet, even in a shop front analogy, the easier your shop is to access, the more customers you would surely get.
• "When you design for everyone, you create a better experience for all." - Microsoft's Inclusive Design Team
• Dieter Rams, one of the most influential designers of the 20th century said "Good design is as little design as possible.".
• Simplicity and ease of use, are attractive facets and can trigger positive emotions.
• Apple is widely admired for its aesthetics yet pioneers accessible technologies such as having assistive technologies built into their devices.
• According to Silktide who have a leaderboard, based on automated checks, some of the most accessible websites in the UK are Asos, Marks and Spencers, Tesco and Channel 4. These all happen to be market leaders with well respected digital services.

Myth number 3 - accessibility is just the right thing to do

Promoting equity through accessibility is undeniably an ethical responsibility. Yet this isn't the only reason to promote accessibility and the commercial factor shouldn't be underestimated.

There are a number of other benefits:

• The more people who can use your service, the bigger your market reach is
• Customer loyalty
• Search engine optimisation
• Legal and legislative risk mitigation
• Improved conversion rates
• Brand reputation
• Cost savings of retrofits
• Competitive advantage

Myth number 4 - accessibility is a phase two

Not only does this risk never addressing accessibility but there's a number of negative factors which make separating accessibility from an initial solution, a bad idea.

• According to UX guru, Paul Boag, Forrester reports that for every $1 to fix a problem during design, it would cost $5 to fix the problem in development and $30 if spotted after release.
• This means that it can be up to thirty times more expensive to introduce accessibility, than considering it from the outset.
• Considering the varying needs of users leads to more usable and simpler designs that benefits everyone. Not considering accessibility from the outset can negatively impact the performance of the design solution, which is then harder to rectify.
• Delivering accessibility at a later date wouldn't be in line with common legal and legislative obligations.
• Degrading accessibility could lead to a loss in consumer trust, customers or brand perception.
• At Amazon, Jeff Bezos famously used an empty chair in meetings to represent the customer, ensuring their needs were always considered. Would decision-makers think differently if they imagined speaking directly to a customer?

Myth number 5 - accessibility is about screen readers

The range of user needs are extensive and it is most often the case that people have many common needs. It is just that the impact of account for this need can vary between people.

For example, most people would say that they like a quick and efficient experience. Most people would say that they find it annoying when websites are hard to use.

Amazon reduced their clicks to purchase down to just 1.

Usability, robustness, simplicity and compatibility benefit all users. It's just that for certain users, these are an absolute necessity.

Of course, accounting for vision orientated disabilities is important and also, people impacted by sight related accessibility issues will apply to more than people with a registered disability. Yet, the breadth of considerations is greater than accounting for screen readers.

• It's reported that around 75% of disabilities are hidden
• Mobility disabilities are reported to account for nearly 50% of registered disabilities, in the UK
• 12% of people with disabilities have vision orientated disabilities.
• Motor issues can impact mouse use or increase the necessity of efficient experiences.
• Motor disabilities can increase the importance of keyboard access, touch target size and accounting for a range of assistive technologies.
• 10% of the UK are thought to be dyslexic where clear fonts, a simplified experience and copy writing can be beneficial.
• 8% of men are colour blind which mean it's important to consider colour contrast and communicating information using more than colour alone.

Conclusion

Awareness of accessibility is increasing all the time. It's understandable that there are misconceptions around the benefits of accessibility.

Adopting inclusive practises is an essential facet of product design and management.