Summary
Online shopping was first premiered in the 1980s, as a way for people who couldn’t shop in-person to easily make purchases. But how far we’ve come! In this talk, Fable’s Accessibility Evangelist Sam Proulx will walk you through some of the key factors to create an online shopping experience that is accessible to everyone. From his perspective as a full time screen reader user, and drawing on Fable’s thousands of hours working with people with disabilities, Sam will highlight how consistency, convenience, confidence, and customizability enable a smooth experience for all users, disabled or not. Let’s bring online shopping back to its accessibility roots!
Key Insights
-
•
Consistency in online shopping sites aids muscle memory, making shopping easier for screen reader users even when accessibility is imperfect.
-
•
Offering multiple payment methods such as PayPal and Apple Pay greatly increases convenience and accessibility for users with vision or physical impairments.
-
•
Autofill functionality not only benefits most users but is critical for assistive technology users who rely on properly labeled form fields.
-
•
Avoiding strictly timed interactions reduces stress and checkout abandonment, especially for users with cognitive disabilities or slower assistive technology navigation.
-
•
Confidence in online transactions is crucial; unclear or unlabeled controls cause users with disabilities to abandon purchases and switch to competitors.
-
•
People with disabilities often prefer to pay a premium at accessible stores for the assurance and ease of use they offer.
-
•
Customizability, including support for various devices, input methods, and communication channels, improves accessibility and overall user experience.
-
•
Automated accessibility testing tools cannot measure user experience or impact; engaging people with disabilities in research is necessary.
-
•
Two-factor authentication can be made much more accessible by providing multiple verification methods and longer code timeouts.
-
•
Accessibility efforts align with business goals by driving customer loyalty, reducing abandonment, and leveraging spending power of people with disabilities.
Notable Quotes
"The four Cs—consistency, convenience, confidence, and customizability—are not just good for accessibility, they make a great experience for everyone."
"Sometimes accessibility isn’t perfect, but consistency lets me shop on Amazon in my sleep because of muscle memory."
"Multiple payment providers aren’t just a feature; they’re an accessibility lifeline for people who can’t read or reach their credit card easily."
"Avoid strictly timed interactions because they stress everyone, especially people using screen readers or with cognitive disabilities."
"Confidence is critical in online shopping because nobody wants to spend money they’re unsure about losing due to unclear controls."
"People with disabilities often pay more to buy from stores they trust are accessible and where they feel confident."
"Involving people with disabilities from the start reveals impact and usability issues that automated testing simply cannot catch."
"A good two-factor system offers multiple methods, like authenticator apps, calls, and texts, with generous timeouts."
"If you build accessible shopping with these four keys, compliance with legal standards like WCAG will naturally fall into place."
"Accessibility is a journey and a conversation—thanks for starting yours by being here today."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Diversity is beyond just the right thing to do. Our teams must reflect the world we’re designing for."
Doug PowellClosing Keynote: Design at Scale
November 8, 2018
"If a group session with middle schoolers goes off the rails, one-on-one sessions can save the research."
Mila Kuznetsova Lucy DentonHow Lessons Learned from Our Youngest Users Can Help Us Evolve our Practices
March 9, 2022
"If we’re really centering it on people and experiences, consider life before place, and place before technology."
Sarah GallimoreInspire Progress with Artifacts from the Future
November 18, 2022
"We can’t complain about not having a seat at the table if we don’t offer one of our own."
Lada Gorlenko Sharbani Dhar Sébastien Malo Rob Mitzel Ivana Ng Michal Anne RogondinoTheme 1: Discussion
January 8, 2024
"Nobody can predict where we’re going, but we can choose to shape the future."
Alnie FigueroaThe Future of Design Operations: Transforming Our Craft
September 10, 2025
"Research is not as easy as putting on a shoe and just doing it; it requires careful consideration and alignment with imperatives."
Landon BarnesAre My Research Findings Actually Meaningful?
March 10, 2022
"Every workaround is a mini story of somebody overcoming an obstacle."
Emily EagleCan't Rewind: Radio and Retail
June 3, 2019
"Managing resistance is mental; customers might resist because they've learned workarounds with legacy systems."
Malini RaoLessons Learned from a 4-year Product Re-platforming Journey
June 9, 2021
"Designers are often seen as bottlenecks because our work is harder to estimate and track than engineering’s."
Asia HoePartnering with Product: A Journey from Junior to Senior Design
November 29, 2023
