Accessibility Design is a developing case throughout the world (some countries even have legal requirements), and it is critical that we begin paying attention and incorporate this thinking into how we create.
Accessibility is establishing a strong presence in the design field, particularly UX Design. While its significance is beginning to gain attention, developing a business case for Accessibility Design is clearly where we need to start.
Gaining internal traction necessitates meeting three critical criteria:
1) How do we explain the commercial advantages?
2) How to demonstrate the benefit through examples, and
3) Having a strategy, and a roadmap with milestones to help us as we begin on this accessibility design adventure.
Also read: Why are inclusive designs so important for great user experience?
Communicate business advantages
Prioritizing and increasing accessibility may exceed the expense and liability of doing nothing. It’s all about the bottom line here. Designing for accessibility is beneficial to businesses since it can:
- Increase audience reach
- Keep the audience interested for longer (lessen drop-off)
- Enhance a good and memorable experience (for everyone)
- Build brand equity (with a great experience, some customers will even consider how accessibility has been provided for when making brand selections and purchasing decisions, and a company’s principles surrounding inclusion affect brand reputation.)
- Determine a competitive edge by leading the way (still wide open locally)
- Reduced operational expenses (resolve user needs via interface reducing walk-in, call-in, and mail-in operational costs)
- Encourage Innovation (accessibility features in products and services can solve unanticipated problems and contribute to developing better products overall, uncovering previously unthought-of innovations.)
Display the value
Accessibility has achieved significant momentum in established areas, providing us with several examples of how to incorporate this design approach into the heart of the business.
“Now we’re in this very intriguing spot where the Googles, the Apples, and the Microsofts are fighting on accessibility,” said Google’s Patnoe. “Having a good tale is a business advantage.” “It has a halo effect on your brand,” explains Christopher Patnoe of Google.
Take advantage of the effect of Covid-19, which emphasized the need for easily accessible digital platforms. It also revealed accessibility concerns that we were previously unaware of, and these may be directly tied to the existing company and its ecosystem to demonstrate the necessity for accessible design NOW.
Collect your own proof by executing your own fast wins and sharing your results.
Ignite word-of-mouth around these tiny victories because small victories quickly become large victories as we convert followers along the road.
Also read: Analyzing user-centered design vs design thinking
Make a strategy
- Quick wins: begin by partnering with individuals within and outside of your domain to join the accessibility effort. swift victories
- Advocates for accessibility: Continue to discover, recognize, and promote accessible champions as they emerge, and begin to establish a community and a voice to drive the accessibility project.
- Display your accessibility work: Create venues and outlets for disseminating accessibility work so that success stories may encourage others to be a part of something meaningful and effective.
- Maturity evaluation: Through maturity evaluations, you may continuously review progress and realign.
- Create formal structures: As momentum and maturity rise, strategic frameworks such as CoEs and methods of working may be created to help us integrate design for accessibility across the firm.
Learn more: How to empathize with your audience through your designs?
Consider the possibilities! Don’t give up.
We must actively consider how to make accessibility a reality. It all begins with you. One minor consideration at a time throughout our design efforts will result in a massive crater in the cosmos!