Summary
Many organizations struggle with justifying and prioritizing accessibility. One of the primary reasons is because they’re thinking about accessibility all wrong. Instead of a checklist, a list of legal requirements, or a set of shackles holding designers and developers back, it’s time to start thinking of accessibility as what it is: an opportunity to innovate! In this presentation, Fable will draw from our expertise helping organizations like yours start the accessibility journey, to change the way you think about disability, assistive technology, and accessibility. We will demonstrate that accessible products are more flexible, customizable, and useful for all users. We’ll also show you how accessibility is directly tied to the creation of many of the most exciting and innovative technologies of the last 50 years, and how it’s changed the entire world for everyone. This presentation will inspire you with the information and ideas you need to accelerate your accessibility journey.
Key Insights
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Accessibility features improve user experience for everyone, not just people with disabilities.
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Diverse teams create better products by considering a wider range of needs.
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Common tools like dark mode and voice assistants were developed for accessibility purposes but benefit all users.
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Temporary and situational disabilities affect everyone at some point, emphasizing the need for adaptable designs.
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Rethinking accessibility can lead to innovative design solutions that enhance usability across the board.
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Accessibility requires flexible, not limited, design to create inclusive experiences.
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Not all companies integrate accessibility effectively; collecting user feedback is crucial for improvement.
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Accessibility must be seen as an ongoing journey, not a final destination.
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Designing for edge cases leads to better experiences for the majority of users.
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Simple checklists can hinder the creation of truly inclusive designs.
Notable Quotes
"One in five people do right now based on the number of attendance in this call, I am not the only person with a disability who is here today."
"When you design for the edges, you get the middle for free."
"Accessibility requires flexible designs, not limited designs."
"If you are not designing and creating accessible products and experiences, you are creating designs that won't work for your future selves."
"Accessibility changes remove barriers and make new experiences possible."
"The electric toothbrush was originally invented for people with disabilities and now it’s a common tool everyone uses."
"Hand-free phone modes were innovated for those who couldn’t use a touchscreen and now benefit all of us."
"Complex designs can be made accessible; it’s about customization, not simplification."
"You have existing customers with disabilities who want to tell you how you could be better, so make it easy for them to give feedback."
"When we think about accessibility, we need to move beyond thinking about this tiny percentage of the population."
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