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UX and A11Y:
How a wake-up call “Flipped It”
     Driving UX with Accessibility

       UPA 2012, Las Vegas, NV
Me, in a nut shell
• UX Consulting and design
• Web Accessibility Advocacy and Consulting
• UX Architect
• C.U.A. and M.F.A.
• Focus Areas: Inclusive Design, Accessibility,
  Systems Approaches, UX Infrastructure
• Instituted a Web Accessibility Program at a
  Fortune 100 Health Insurance Company
The UX Honeycomb
  Usability and
  accessibility are both                    useful


  components of the             usable                desirable

  User Experience                          valuable

  Honeycomb*                    findable              accessible


                                           credible

  But accessibility is
  often a “nice to have.”

*attributed to Peter Morville
Inclusive Design Approach
Lots of carrots!




                            Photo: www.wikipedia.org
Then came a wake up call


“We need to confirm
your site meets our
federal accessibility
requirements.”
I’d been handed a stick


                  Accessibility is now
                  a legal requirement.
The honeycomb had shifted

If you can’t access it,              accessible



You can’t use it.

                                        useful


                          usable                  desirable


                                       valuable


                          findable                credible
I realized it could flip it
• UX now part of A11y
• A11y was a driver
• User-centered
  standards
• Testable as
  requirements
Mapping UX to A11Y
 Inclusive Design Principles:   WCAG 2.0 Guidelines:

 – Equitable use                – Perceivable
 – Flexible in use              – Operable
 – Simple and intuitive         – Understandable
 – Perceivable info             – Robust
 – Tolerance for error
 – Low physical effort
 – Size and space for
   approach and use
Keeping the focus on users
• Technical compliance is not enough
• Must test on real users with disabilities, using
  assistive technologies
• Invite developers to watch disabled users
  testing the pages
• Take stewardship of accessibility to avoid
  code-centered accessibility
Collaborating and partnering
Potential advocates:
• IT
• Sales & Marketing
• Legal & Compliance
• Purchasing
How big is the problem?
Now fix it!
•Pressure helped me
•Resources were made available
•I had authority I’d never had before!
•IT was teaching me how to write standards so
 that they could interpret them
•Partnerships paid off
Cross-referrals

                  While we’re
                   under the
                   hood . . .




                     Photo: www.captmondo.com
Now, how to build these pages?
•Steep learning curve
•All team members required training, especially
 developers
•UX collaborated closely with IT
•Accessible code libraries and code standards
 were created
•Each consecutive site would be easier and
 faster to create, and require less testing
Did we do it right?
No wake-up call at your company?
 • Even if you’re not in a high-stakes game
   with the government, this approach can
   still be relevant
 • There’s a big wave coming that can help
   you make your case
Getting Started
        • Socialize “Silver Tsunami” concept
          – 72 Million Boomers are at or near
            retirement age
          – They have a lot of buying power
          – Very comfortable online
          – Don‘t think of themselves as disabled
          – Opportunity to lay a foundation to
            support these users
Getting Started
•   Assess and scope
•   Get professional help
•   Talk to people who have done this before
•   Get involved in the a11y community:
    – Twitter: #a11y
    – Web Axe blog & podcasts: webaxe.blogspot.com
    – Annual CSUN Conference: www.csun.edu/cod
    – AccessU: www.environmentsforhumans.com
Thank you!

        Lisa Barnett
Lisa.barnett@cummins.com

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UX & A11Y: How a Wake-up Call "Flipped it"

  • 1. UX and A11Y: How a wake-up call “Flipped It” Driving UX with Accessibility UPA 2012, Las Vegas, NV
  • 2. Me, in a nut shell • UX Consulting and design • Web Accessibility Advocacy and Consulting • UX Architect • C.U.A. and M.F.A. • Focus Areas: Inclusive Design, Accessibility, Systems Approaches, UX Infrastructure • Instituted a Web Accessibility Program at a Fortune 100 Health Insurance Company
  • 3. The UX Honeycomb Usability and accessibility are both useful components of the usable desirable User Experience valuable Honeycomb* findable accessible credible But accessibility is often a “nice to have.” *attributed to Peter Morville
  • 4. Inclusive Design Approach Lots of carrots! Photo: www.wikipedia.org
  • 5. Then came a wake up call “We need to confirm your site meets our federal accessibility requirements.”
  • 6. I’d been handed a stick Accessibility is now a legal requirement.
  • 7. The honeycomb had shifted If you can’t access it, accessible You can’t use it. useful usable desirable valuable findable credible
  • 8. I realized it could flip it • UX now part of A11y • A11y was a driver • User-centered standards • Testable as requirements
  • 9. Mapping UX to A11Y Inclusive Design Principles: WCAG 2.0 Guidelines: – Equitable use – Perceivable – Flexible in use – Operable – Simple and intuitive – Understandable – Perceivable info – Robust – Tolerance for error – Low physical effort – Size and space for approach and use
  • 10. Keeping the focus on users • Technical compliance is not enough • Must test on real users with disabilities, using assistive technologies • Invite developers to watch disabled users testing the pages • Take stewardship of accessibility to avoid code-centered accessibility
  • 11. Collaborating and partnering Potential advocates: • IT • Sales & Marketing • Legal & Compliance • Purchasing
  • 12. How big is the problem?
  • 13. Now fix it! •Pressure helped me •Resources were made available •I had authority I’d never had before! •IT was teaching me how to write standards so that they could interpret them •Partnerships paid off
  • 14. Cross-referrals While we’re under the hood . . . Photo: www.captmondo.com
  • 15. Now, how to build these pages? •Steep learning curve •All team members required training, especially developers •UX collaborated closely with IT •Accessible code libraries and code standards were created •Each consecutive site would be easier and faster to create, and require less testing
  • 16. Did we do it right?
  • 17. No wake-up call at your company? • Even if you’re not in a high-stakes game with the government, this approach can still be relevant • There’s a big wave coming that can help you make your case
  • 18. Getting Started • Socialize “Silver Tsunami” concept – 72 Million Boomers are at or near retirement age – They have a lot of buying power – Very comfortable online – Don‘t think of themselves as disabled – Opportunity to lay a foundation to support these users
  • 19. Getting Started • Assess and scope • Get professional help • Talk to people who have done this before • Get involved in the a11y community: – Twitter: #a11y – Web Axe blog & podcasts: webaxe.blogspot.com – Annual CSUN Conference: www.csun.edu/cod – AccessU: www.environmentsforhumans.com
  • 20. Thank you! Lisa Barnett Lisa.barnett@cummins.com