Practical Principles of Inclusive Research
Summary
Key Insights
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Inclusive research is about creating environments where everyone feels they belong, beyond just disability.
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About one billion people worldwide have permanent disabilities, a number increasing due to aging populations.
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Situational and temporary disabilities dramatically increase the number of people needing inclusive design.
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Closed captioning benefits not only people with hearing loss but also language learners, multitaskers, and those in noisy environments.
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Products like Guide Beauty’s adaptive makeup demonstrate how inclusive design can empower users with physical challenges.
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Adaptive clothing markets are rapidly growing, presenting significant business opportunities.
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Historical systemic inequities like redlining still impact financial service accessibility today and require inclusive approaches.
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Having diverse teams ensures better questioning and recognition of potential harms in product design.
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Companies often focus first on visual accessibility due to legal exposure but should expand to broader inclusive strategies.
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Tracking user demographics and evolving inclusive research practices over time are key strategies for progress.
Notable Quotes
"Inclusion is thinking about creating spaces for people that make them feel that they belong."
"We’re always designing for ourselves, even on days when we don’t have full physical capabilities."
"Inclusive research is not about edge cases, it’s about supporting people’s abilities in context."
"Closed captioning helps people who have hearing loss, are learning a new language, or just prefer reading while watching."
"Selma Blair partnered with Guide Beauty to design makeup easier to use for people with tremors."
"Adaptive clothing is nearly doubling as a market and opens new opportunities for retailers like Target."
"Financial services companies in the UK are working to make credit and loan approvals more equitable."
"Having a diverse team helps ensure you’re asking the right questions in research and design."
"Many companies start with vision accessibility because of legal risks, but accessibility should be broader."
"You have to sometimes extend research timelines and ask hard questions to understand diverse needs."
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