Rosenverse
To Boldly Go: The New Frontiers of Accessibility

This video is only accessible to Gold members. Log in or register for a free Gold Trial Account to watch.

Log in Register

Most conference talks are accessible to Gold members, while community videos are generally available to all logged-in members.

To Boldly Go: The New Frontiers of Accessibility

Gold
Friday, November 18, 2022 • Civic Design 2022
Share the love for this talk
To Boldly Go: The New Frontiers of Accessibility
Speakers: Sam Proulx
Link:

Summary

The metaverse, virtual reality, Web 3.0, distributed infrastructure, the Internet of Things, wearable computing, and AI: all these things are going to change the face of accessibility over the next 10 years. In this talk, Samuel Proulx, Fable’s Accessibility Evangelist, will give you an overview of what the current landscape looks like at the frontier of accessibility and assistive technology. Where’s the research taking us? What might be coming down the pipe?

Key Insights

  • Early computing accessibility was easier because interfaces were text-based and users relied on command-line interactions.

  • Assistive technology started as expensive, third-party hardware or software separate from the main computing system.

  • Apple’s introduction of VoiceOver was a watershed moment, making touchscreen accessibility mainstream and built-in at the OS level.

  • Before integrated accessibility, screen readers required complex reverse engineering and custom drivers, especially in graphical environments.

  • The gaming industry is currently repeating historical cycles of accessibility neglect, relying on third-party hacks rather than built-in APIs.

  • Virtual and augmented reality platforms still lack native accessibility support and rely on inspiring hacks for any accessible experiences.

  • Artificial intelligence poses both opportunities and risks for accessibility, needing careful bias prevention and privacy protection.

  • Cloud-based apps raise new accessibility challenges due to forced update cycles and DRM limiting third-party accessibility enhancements.

  • Blockchain and crypto apps present unique accessibility hurdles because of decentralization, complex interfaces, and unclear jurisdictional governance.

  • Designing for people with disabilities leads to innovations that improve usability for everyone, providing large potential market advantages.

Notable Quotes

"Those of us who do not understand history are doomed to repeat it."

"Accessibility used to be considered an inspiring hack, something available only to the lucky few."

"Apple’s innovation with VoiceOver on iOS changed the world by making accessibility a built-in, first-party responsibility."

"It took competitors over seven years to catch up to where Apple is with voice dictation and accessibility."

"When we design for the edges, we get the middle for free."

"There are no screen readers built in for VR/AR yet; accessibility is still considered a hack in these spaces."

"How do we train AI models to prevent bias and preserve privacy, especially considering disability data is often seen as medical data?"

"With cloud apps, users don’t get to choose when to upgrade, which challenges maintaining accessibility continuity."

"Blockchain apps aren’t located in one country or jurisdiction, making legal enforcement of accessibility laws difficult."

"The first organization to solve accessibility for new modalities like AR/VR will gain a massive, lasting advantage."

Ask the Rosenbot
James Rampton
The Basics of Automotive UX & Why Phones Are a Part of That Future
2024 • Rosenfeld Community
Tricia Wang
From Users to Shapers of AI: The Future of Research
2024 • Advancing Research 2024
Gold
Nancy Douyon
We'll Figure That Out in the Next Launch: Enterprise Tech's Nobility Complex
2018 • Enterprise Experience 2018
Gold
Louis Rosenfeld
Welcome / Housekeeping
2023 • Enterprise UX 2023
Gold
Luke Roberts
Panel Discussion
2024 • Advancing Service Design 2024
Gold
Frances Yllana
The Big Question about Impact: A Panel Discussion
2024 • DesignOps Summit 2024
Gold
Mike Brzozowski
UX in everyday products: Empowering climate conscious choices
2024 • Climate UX Interest Group
Laine Riley Prokay
Carving a Path for Early Career DesignOps Practitioners
2022 • DesignOps Summit 2022
Gold
JJ Kercher
A Roadmap for Maturing Design in the Enterprise
2018 • Enterprise Experience 2018
Gold
Erin Weigel
Real-world lessons to improve your conversion rates
2024 • Rosenfeld Community
Amy Paris
Delivering Equity: Government Services for All Ages, Languages, Sexual Orientations, and Gender Identities
2021 • Civic Design 2021
Gold
Tricia Wang
SCALE: Discussion
2018 • Enterprise Experience 2018
Gold
Greg Baker
Exploring What Decades of Expertise Can Do Outside a Traditional Tech Role
2026 • Rosenfeld Community
Steve Portigal
The Future of Research: Bridging the Gaps
2021 • Advancing Research Community
Sean Fitzell
Craft of User Research: Building Out Jobs to be Done Maps
2021 • Advancing Research 2021
Gold
John Cutler
Prioritization for designers and product managers (1st of 3 seminars)
2024 • Rosenfeld Community

More Videos

Dantley Davis

"There were things I controlled and things I didn’t, and I needed to plan for both."

Dantley Davis

Leadership & Diversity—A Fireside Chat with Dantley Davis

September 17, 2020

Frances Yllana

"Leaders should look for ways to get firsthand experience with these tools, not just rely on media."

Frances Yllana Jorge Arango Maria Taylor Briana Thomas

The Big Question about Impact: A Panel Discussion

September 24, 2024

Jim Kalbach

"Forgiveness is not about forgetting or just getting over something, it’s about making a mission out of it."

Jim Kalbach

Peace is waged with sticky notes: Mapping Real-World Experiences

June 14, 2018

Sarah Kinkade

"Embedding designers gave them deep expertise but siloed goals prevented consistent cross-product experiences."

Sarah Kinkade Mariana Ortiz-Reyes

Design Management Models in the Face of Transformation

June 8, 2022

Reginé Gilbert

"Watch your language; terms like 'that's so lame' can be exclusionary or offensive."

Reginé Gilbert

Asking the Right Questions: Life, Hope and Moving Forward During the Pandemic

June 10, 2022

Robin Beers

"The only thing any of us can control is how quickly we learn and then act based on that learning."

Robin Beers

Navigating organizational systems: Rethinking researcher’s role in driving change

March 13, 2025

Paul Ford

"Engineers have never before been told they aren’t the most valuable people—this is new, so have empathy for them."

Paul Ford

New work, new words: A glossary for AI

June 9, 2026

Dan Donald

"It’s how you think about the relationships between people and these artifacts that makes a design system."

Dan Donald

Design Systems as a Vehicle for Systemic Change

June 1, 2023

George Abraham

"A mature design system needs both UI kits and matching developer component libraries; we provide both out of the box."

George Abraham Stefan Ivanov

Design Systems To-Go: Reimagining Developer Handoff, and Introducing App Builder (Part 2)

October 1, 2021