Designing an Accessible User Experience

Question 1

Define “Inclusive design”

Answer 1

Inclusive design

A design methodology that seeks to enable and to accommodate the full range of human diversity, including a wide spectrum of abilities and disabilities. The main goal is to create a unified approach to design that enables multiple methods to access the same functionality.

Question 2

Define “Web accessibility”

Answer 2

Web accessibility

The qualities that make a web experience available to the widest possible group of users. Web accessibility refers to the end result of an inclusive design process.

Question 3

Define “Usability”

Answer 3

Usability

The qualities that make a web experience intuitive and easy to use. A usable web design aligns with the purpose for which the web site was created.

Question 4

List four main principles of web accessibility:

Answer 4

`1. Perceivable - Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive.

2. Operable - User interface components and navigation must be operable.
3. Understandable - Information and the operation of user interface must be understandable.
4. Robust - Content must be robust enough that it can be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies.

Question 5

Regarding the “7 Principles of Universal Design” Define “Equitable Use”

Answer 5

The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.

Guidelines:
• 1a. Provide the same means of use for all users: identical whenever possible; equivalent when not.
• 1b. Avoid segregating or stigmatizing any users.
• 1c. Make provisions for privacy, security, and safety equally available to all users.
• 1d. Make the design appealing to all users.

Question 6

A web site that uses semantic markup in all the appropriate places (headings, landmarks, table structure, form labels, etc.) and creates a single design that works well for users who are sighted as well as for users who are blind is a good example of which of the 7 principals of universal design?

Answer 6

Principle One: Equitable Use

Question 7

Regarding the 7 Principles of Universal Design. Define Principle Two: Flexibility in Use:

Answer 7

The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.

Guidelines
• 2a. Provide choice in methods of use.
• 2b. Accommodate right- or left-handed access and use.
• 2c. Facilitate the user’s accuracy and precision.
• 2d. Provide adaptability to the user’s pace.

Question 8

Define Principle Three: Simple and Intuitive Use

Answer 8

Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user’s experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.

Guidelines
• 3a. Eliminate unnecessary complexity.
• 3b. Be consistent with user expectations and intuition.
• 3c. Accommodate a wide range of literacy and language skills.
• 3d. Arrange information consistent with its importance.
• 3e. Provide effective prompting and feedback during and after task completion.

Question 9

Define Principle Four: Perceptible Information

Answer 9

The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user’s sensory abilities.

Guidelines
• 4a. Use different modes (pictorial, verbal, tactile) for redundant presentation of essential information.
• 4b. Maximize “legibility” of essential information.
• 4c. Differentiate elements in ways that can be described (i.e. make it easy to give instructions or directions).
• 4d. Provide compatibility with a variety of techniques or devices used by people with sensory limitations.

Question 10

Define Principle Five: Tolerance for Error

Answer 10

The design minimizes hazards and the adverse consequences of accidental or unintended actions.

Guidelines
• 5a. Arrange elements to minimize hazards and errors: most used elements, most accessible; hazardous elements eliminated, isolated, or shielded.
• 5b. Provide warnings of hazards and errors.
• 5c. Provide fail safe features.
• 5d. Discourage unconscious action in tasks that require vigilance.

Question 11

Define Principle Six: Low Physical Effort

Answer 11

The design can be used efficiently and comfortably and with a minimum of fatigue.

Guidelines
• 6a. Allow user to maintain a neutral body position.
• 6b. Use reasonable operating forces.
• 6c. Minimize repetitive actions.
• 6d. Minimize sustained physical effort.

Question 12

Define Principle Seven: Size and Space for Approach and Use

Answer 12

Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use, regardless of user’s body size, posture, or mobility.

Guidelines
• 7a. Provide a clear line of sight to important elements for any seated or standing user.
• 7b. Make reach to all components comfortable for any seated or standing user.
• 7c. Accommodate variations in hand and grip size.
• 7d. Provide adequate space for the use of assistive devices or personal assistance.

Question 13

There are at least 10 major categories of disabilities. List as many as possible:

Answer 13

1. Blind
2. Low vision
3. Colorblind
4. Deaf
5. Deafblind
6. Dexterity/motor disabilities
7. Speech disabilities
8. Cognitive disabilities
9. Reading disabilities
10. Seizure disorders

Question 14

If testing a website for compliance with real users. Which types of disabilities should you include? and Why?

Answer 14

• Screen reader users can help you understand whether or not your semantic structure is adequate, whether your videos are understandable when you can only listen to them, and how keyboard-accessible the site is.
• Screen magnifier users can help you understand the low vision experience, including things like the quality of your responsive design, the importance of large click target size, the importance of good contrast, and whether or not the site is usable in high contrast mode.

Question 15

If your site or application allows user generated content (e.g. social media, blog comments, etc.) what are some things you can do to help ensure accessibility of that content?

Answer 15

• Automate accessibility fixes: Create sophisticated algorithms to intelligently fix inaccessible content, without burdening the people who add the content. As exciting as this option sounds, the end result will always be of a lower quality than human-mediated accessibility features.
• Limit the type of content users can post: If you constrain the options to only pre-designed accessible templates, the number of accessibility errors will be lower, but the platform itself will be less powerful to users.
• Prompt and guide users to create accessible content during the authoring process: Make accessibility features and instructions prominent, and show errors when accessibility features are missing, prior to publishing the content.
• Provide utilities to check and fix existing content for accessibility errors: For content that has already been posted, provide ways to audit and repair accessibility errors.
• Make the authoring tool itself accessible: Make sure that people with disabilities can use your authoring platform.