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Unlock This CourseAccessibility in product development means creating products and services that can be used by as many people as possible, including those with disabilities or impairments. It's about making sure everyone can access, understand and use your products regardless of their abilities.
Key Definitions:
Making products accessible isn't just the right thing to do it's also good for business! Around 15% of the world's population lives with some form of disability. That's over 1 billion potential customers. Companies that ignore accessibility are missing out on a huge market.
In many countries, including the UK, there are laws that require businesses to make their products and services accessible. The Equality Act 2010 makes it illegal to discriminate against people with disabilities, including by failing to provide accessible products and services.
Accessibility directly connects to market segmentation, which is the process of dividing a market into distinct groups of consumers with different needs, characteristics, or behaviours. By considering accessibility, businesses can identify and target new market segments effectively.
People with disabilities form a significant demographic segment. This includes various types of disabilities: visual, hearing, motor, cognitive and more.
Different accessibility needs lead to different usage behaviours. For example, someone with a visual impairment might rely heavily on screen readers.
Values around inclusion and accessibility can form the basis for psychographic segmentation, targeting consumers who prioritise inclusive brands.
To create accessible products, designers and developers follow several key principles:
Information and user interface components must be presentable to users in ways they can perceive. This means providing text alternatives for non-text content, captions for videos and ensuring content can be presented in different ways.
User interface components and navigation must be operable. This means making all functionality available from a keyboard, giving users enough time to read and use content and not designing content in a way that could cause seizures.
Information and the operation of the user interface must be understandable. This means making text readable and predictable and helping users avoid and correct mistakes.
Content must be robust enough to be interpreted reliably by a wide variety of user agents, including assistive technologies. This means using standard HTML and ensuring compatibility with current and future tools.
Different people have different accessibility needs. Here are some of the main categories:
Includes blindness, low vision and colour blindness. These users might use screen readers, need high contrast, or require larger text.
Includes deafness and hard of hearing. These users might need captions for videos, visual alternatives for audio cues, or sign language options.
Includes difficulty using hands, slow responses, or limited fine motor control. These users might use keyboard shortcuts, voice commands, or specialised input devices.
Includes learning disabilities, distractibility and difficulty remembering. These users might need clear layouts, consistent navigation and simple language.
Includes difficulty producing speech. These users might need alternatives to voice-based interfaces or speech recognition systems.
Remember that accessibility isn't just for permanent disabilities. Someone with a broken arm, new glasses, or who is simply distracted can benefit from accessible design.
Once you understand the different accessibility needs, you can target these markets effectively:
Conduct research to understand the specific needs of people with different disabilities. Include people with disabilities in your user testing and feedback sessions.
Adapt your products or create new ones specifically designed to meet accessibility needs. This could mean adding features like screen reader compatibility or creating entirely new products.
Make sure your marketing and communication materials are accessible too. Use clear language, provide alt text for images and consider providing information in multiple formats.
Consider how people with different disabilities will access your products. This might mean making your website accessible, ensuring physical stores are accessible, or partnering with organisations that serve people with disabilities.
Microsoft identified a gap in the gaming market: many people with limited mobility couldn't use standard game controllers. They developed the Xbox Adaptive Controller, a device that can be customised with different inputs to meet individual needs.
The controller features large programmable buttons and connects to external switches, buttons, mounts and joysticks. This makes gaming more accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities.
The product was developed with input from organisations like The AbleGamers Charity, The Cerebral Palsy Foundation and Special Effect. It's a great example of how understanding accessibility needs can lead to innovative products that open up new market segments.
The controller was a commercial success and generated positive publicity for Microsoft, showing that accessibility can be good for business as well as society.
Creating accessible products offers several benefits for businesses:
Access to the significant market of people with disabilities and their friends and families.
Products designed with accessibility in mind often work better for everyone, not just people with disabilities.
Being known as an inclusive brand can improve your reputation and customer loyalty.
Despite the benefits, there are challenges to creating accessible products:
Developing accessible products can require additional resources, especially if accessibility is considered late in the development process.
Many designers and developers lack knowledge about accessibility. Training and education are essential.
OXO's Good Grips line of kitchen tools was inspired by the founder's wife, who had arthritis and struggled to use standard kitchen tools. The company developed tools with larger, softer handles that were easier to grip.
What started as a solution for people with arthritis turned out to be popular with everyone. The comfortable handles were appreciated by all users and the products became bestsellers.
This is a classic example of how designing for accessibility can lead to products that are better for everyone a concept known as the "curb-cut effect" (named after the ramps cut into pavements that were designed for wheelchair users but benefit many others, like parents with prams).
Accessibility in product development is not just about compliance with laws or doing the right thing (though those are important too). It's a strategic approach to market segmentation and targeting that can open up new opportunities for businesses.
By understanding the diverse needs of people with different abilities, businesses can develop products that serve wider markets, build stronger brands and ultimately create more successful products. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, accessibility can be a key differentiator that sets your products apart.