Accessibile FTW

Accessibility is a powerful tool that empowers people

I believe good design should look great, function well, and be user-friendly for everyone. Join me on my journey to learn about accessibility and inclusivity.

My Journey Began

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My Journey Began 〰️

My journey began while studying abroad…

and the challenges of English communication continued into my professional career.

I collaborated with diverse colleagues, learning from their feedback on design projects. However, sometimes their technical jargon made my work feel difficult to understand.

A Lifeline of Connection

Through this journey I realised that accessibility isn't just a buzzword; it's a lifeline that connects diverse minds, preventing exclusion.

Working on projects like Beyond Blue and My CP Guide at TwoBulls showed me the impact of inclusive design, fostering connections and helping those in need.

Despite my international background, I faced language and cultural barriers in group conversations with native speakers, which deepened my empathy for users facing similar challenges.

Changing Perspectives on Disabilities

During the learning process, our strategy designer, expressed the following:

"When we ignore the needs of individuals with disabilities in our designs, we create social barriers. Disabilities do not lie within the person themselves; they represent situations where they cannot participate equally in society due to the barriers and constraints we create."

Hearing this from the strategy designer made me realise that creating designs that are difficult to use contributes to the creation of disabilities.

We created a dedicated channel in our Slack workspace to raise awareness of disabilities among all employees. She also introduced talks by speakers with various disabilities to enhance our knowledge about disabilities.

I consider myself very fortunate to have learned about accessibility and inclusivity through my involvement with "My CP Guide." This feeling stems from my personal experiences. Living abroad can make you feel excluded.

Accessibility is a human right and a fundamental value, so it is crucial to include everyone. By including individuals with disabilities, we greatly increase opportunities for social interaction and active participation in community activities, ultimately contributing to the happiness of many people.

A Collaborative Approach

I’ve learnt that a collaborative approach, such as co-design, is important for various reasons, and it becomes especially critical when considering accessibility.

Here are some key reasons why a collaborative approach is essential, particularly when designing products, services, or environments with accessibility in mind.

  1. Collaboration brings together people with diverse backgrounds, experiences, and perspectives. When designing for accessibility, involving individuals with disabilities, as well as experts in accessibility, ensures that the final product or solution is inclusive and meets the needs of a wide range of users.

  2. Collaborative design fosters empathy and a deeper understanding of the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities. By working closely with people who have different abilities, we can gain insights that help them create more accessible and user-friendly solutions.

  3. Designing without input from people with disabilities can lead to assumptions about their needs and preferences. Collaboration helps in avoiding these assumptions and ensures that design choices are based on real-world experiences and user feedback.

  4. Collaborative design aligns with the principles of user-centered design. It places the needs and preferences of users, including those with disabilities, at the forefront of the design process, resulting in more user-friendly and inclusive solutions.

people carrying a massive pencil

Accessibility Accomplishments

Accessibility Report.

Collaborated with DEPT designer on an accessibility report.

pencil and shapes

Enhanced Skills.

Enhanced skills through completion of the W3C accessibility course.

images of different shapes

Presentation.

Showcased Case Studies to Emphasise Accessibility, Presented to my organisation.

Challenges Overcame

Resource constraints:

I started, continue to advocate for phased approaches to secure budget and time for accessibility improvements. Incorporated idea of Shift Left Approach. Starting projects with accessibility in mind to save time and cost, aligning accessibility with planning and design phases.

Competing priorities:

I stared helping conducted quick accessibility audits and incorporated improvements into development sprints to balance immediate needs.

Lack of awareness:

It became clear to me that once you grasp the principles of accessibility, you can't ignore the crucial role it plays in building a more inclusive and equitable digital world. So, how can I make people aware of accessibility?

I pondered the most accessible way to empower team members to identify and address accessibility issues. Instead of sharing articles, information, or videos, which most people would appreciate but often don't have enough time to engage with and might just respond with a couple of nice emojis, I decided to facilitate a daily quiz in the disability awareness channel.

The Path Ahead

My challenges

Motivated by my colleagues' inspiration, I'm dedicated to developing an "Accessibility Workshop" aimed at seamlessly integrating accessibility best practices into our projects. While we possess a wealth of accessibility knowledge, our challenge lies in translating it into creative and visually appealing solutions.

Inspirations

I always try seeking wisdom from organizations like Freerange Future known for their creative and accessible products.

Freerange Future:
Freerange Future is an Australian digital agency that wholeheartedly creates design and marketing to enable positive change.

My Ongoing Journey

Continuing the Journey Towards Inclusivity and Accessibility.

I'll keep learning as I work to make every project more inclusive and accessible, helping to create a better digital world for all.