Last week I joined a webinar: “Why We Need More Accessibility Designers“. The presenter is Anna Cook, an accessibility designer. I’ve long had an interest in accessibility and its impacts on technology. Technology can be a powerful solution for accessibility issues, and, of course, can create a whole set of new ones. I appreciated the discussion on the gaps that exist when it comes to addressing accessibility during design education (for my studies at Edmonds College, we have hit on the subject several times. Not with huge depth, but definitely greater than zero). 67% of accessibility issues originate in the design phase, and, of course, correcting issues during design is monumentally less expensive. We also touched on some specific elements, such as color.
Fortunately, this was recorded so you can watch it at your leisure.
https://youtu.be/dQVrfS74xyM
As is the case with these sorts of events, there were many things referenced during the discussion. I think most of them were added to the notes section of the YouTube video. I’ll drop my key links below, though.
- First, and as far as I’m concerned, the most critical: the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview. This is the documentation for the industry accessbility standards for web design.
- And here is the link to the WCAG’s Quick Reference guide.
- The team at the A11y Project have created an accessibility checklist.
- This link is to the Microsoft Inclusive Design page. A great resource to learn about Microsoft’s inclusive design principles.
- Speaking of Microsoft, here’s a review of the Xbox Adaptive Controller by the Dan and Brad at All Access Life.
- Here’s where you can buy your own Xbox Adaptive Controller.
- And here’s an article in Wired Magazine about another initiative regarding accessibility by Microsoft: “These Microsoft stickers make computers easier to use for people with disabilities“
- Here is the link to Adobe’s site for Inclusive Design.
- This link is to GSMA’s Inclusive Language Guide.
- Here is another, related, talk about the Fatal Flow of Overlays.
- And here’s a book to continue your learnings on accesibility: Design for Cognitive Bias
