Overview
The catchphrase “essential for some, useful for all” has become identical to the concept of accessibility. It depicts accessibility as essential for everyone regardless of their abilities; and as very useful for everyone in different situations. For example, Narrator, the Windows built-in screen reader reads out text and describes on-screen elements. Different people use it for different reasons:
- For blind users, it is a necessary assistance.
- For partially sighted users, it is an important tool.
- For people with reading problems, it is a helpful tool.
- For many other users, it is a convenient tool to read out web pages, documents (Word, PDF), and other files as well as help you learn about different interface components.
So, the Narrator is one tool that every person finds a reason to use regardless of their abilities. It is one of the Windows accessibility features designed for inclusive and accessible use.
To explore further “essential for some, useful for all,” I will use the ‘ambulant paradigm’ to illustrate the essence and usefulness of accessibility. Also, accessibility challenges in terms of different disabilities will be viewed from ability taxonomies. Accessibility challenges are construed as denoting ability taxonomies.
Ambulant Paradigm
The term ambulant was first used in 1619. Though, some claim that it was an early 19th-century term. Nevertheless, its origin was the Latin ‘ambulant’ meaning walking. In French, it is in the phrase ‘hôpital ambulant’ meaning mobile (horse-drawn) field hospital, literally ‘traveling hospital.’
Therefore, an ambulant paradigm is a typical example of being able to walk. Under this example, there is the effect of the curb cut and crutches models. Both ideals show people’s desire and will to move around, live independently, and achieve success in their chosen fields of life.
Curb Cut Model
Curb cut is a typical example of where one design experience has resulted in a universal experience for all. It has increased accessibility and improved the usage experience for everyone.
A curb cut is a ramp paradigm of a model product or service that is designed for some but benefits all. The curb cut was introduced to solve the need for wheelchair users to easily climb the ramp of sidewalks. The same curb cut is now commonly used by different users, such as a person pulling their suitcase, a mother pushing a pram, a delivery person pushing or pulling a cartload of goods, the elderly driving their scooters, young people on skateboards, and even bicycle riders on sidewalks.
Crutch Model
When a person has a broken leg, there are quite a few assistive tools and aids that can help them move around during recovery. For example,
- Crutch -This allows you to completely remove weight from the injured leg.
- Single-Point Cane – This provides extra support and helps relieve pain and discomfort.
- Quod Cane – This provides better stability than a single-point cane.
- Knee Walker or Knee Scooter – This provides a blend of flexibility like crutches and stability like a wheelchair.
- Zimmer Frame – helps people with mobility issues to maintain balance and confidently move around.
In like manner, supporting canes, frames, or sticks are used in various ways both in fashion, trekking, or climbing hills. Some of these walking sticks have adjustable height, some are foldable, and some have ergonomic handles. For example,
- Traditional Walking Stick – This is a straight stick with a handle, at times it is made of wood or aluminum.
- Hiking Stick – This is used mostly for trekking in the woods or hiking.
- Folding Walking Stick – This type of walking stick is collapsible for easy storage and portability.
Mainly crutches were primarily designed for people with broken legs, to help them maintain mobility, the same crutch pattern has been extended and adapted to include all who need support while walking, to help the elderly, and to provide stability and confidence to people with mobility challenges.
The same thing can be said about other tools and aids, such as eyeglasses worn by millions of people for vision and micro and megaphones used in various situations. The basic and common electronic paradigm used by everyone is the keyboard. These are all instances of assistive aids, tools, and technologies helping different people to achieve different goals.
Now, let’s consider the catchphrase ‘essential for some, useful for all’ from the perspective of the challenges this can pose to digital designers and developers.
Accessibility Challenges or Ability Taxonomies
Accessibility is not without some challenges for designers of different assistive tools, aids, and technologies. Hence, digital designers, user experience researchers, developers, project managers, and business analysts are challenged to provide products, and services that work for everyone.
Accessibility challenges acknowledge the existence of ability taxonomies. These challenges are signs that the various abilities are organized into groups (either by way of social identity or cultural affiliation) or as out-groups who are unconsciously excluded because of types of abilities. For example, does the ability of a neurotypical accommodate the ability of a neurodivergent?
The abilities of the neurodivergent disprove that there is only one way the human brain functions. Ability taxonomies pose greater challenges to digital designers because they are designing not for one ability but for multiple abilities. How can they create a digital design that is essential for some, and useful for all? For example, there are cases whereby a design that favors a screen reader user has not worked well for a user with voice recognition or magnification software.
Let’s examine some of these challenges or taxonomies and imagine the demanding tasks facing digital designers and developers.
Cognitive Impairments
Cognitive impairment refers to difficulties in performing one or more types of mental tasks than an average person.
These challenges can affect someone’s ability to carry out some of these cognitive functions:
- learn,
- think,
- pay attention,
- read,
- do math, and,
- visual comprehension.
A common example of cognitive impairment is:
Learning disabilities: This impacts how someone learns new things. Learning disabilities can manifest in a variety of ways and vary from person to person. Some of the challenges include:
- difficulty understanding complex details,
- difficulty learning new and certain skills, or
- difficulty taking care of oneself.
Therefore, some people may need more support than others. People with learning disabilities can work, be in relationships, attend classes, and achieve success in their fields of chosen profession.
Some people with cognitive impairments can see very well, however, they may have difficulty processing written text. They can process spoken language better.
How authors make their content difficult to access for people with cognitive impairments:
Layouts
- Vast and complex navigation mechanisms and page layouts
Reading
- Very narrow or broad line heights
- Too small or too big fonts
- Unreadable text styles
- Low contrast foreground and background color
- Unavailability of adaptive strategies (for example, inability to change text size)
Viewing
- Distracting clutter images causing aversion
- Blinking or flashing content
- Auto-play audio and video
Vocabulary
- Use of language that relies on bombast
- Use of abbreviations and acronyms
- Use of idioms and figurative expressions
Motor Impairments
Motor impairment is a condition that makes a person experience difficulties or limitations in the control and coordination of body movements.
Such impairment can affect the person’s larger muscle groups and movements, (gross motor skills) for example,
- jumping
- hopping
- standing on one foot.
It can also affect the person’s precise movements (fine motor skills), for example,
- writing
- drawing, or
- tying shoelaces.
The challenges faced by people with motor impairments differ from one person to another. Some of them include:
- Low pointing dexterity
- Inability to bypass blocks
- Difficulty with dragging movements
- Slow input and fatigue
Sensory Impairments
Sensory impairment is a condition when one or more of our special senses have either limited functionality or damaged. Two senses to be discussed here are:
- Sight
Vision impairment ranges from mild visual difficulties, low vision, and color blindness to complete blindness.
Some of the challenges faced by people with low vision, color blindness, or blindness include:
- Lack of flexibility of content
- Navigation barriers
- Obstructing magnification
- Red and green color combinations
- Unavailability of data in text
- Invisible content
B. Hearing
The inability to perceive sounds can range from mild hearing loss, or hard of hearing to total deafness.
Some of the challenges faced by people with hearing loss, hard of hearing, or deafness include:
- Audio content – lack of transcripts or captions
- Audible alerts – lack of visual alert alternative
- Lack of volume control
- Lack of provision of sign language
Neurodiversity
The concept of neurodiversity reveals the differences in brain function and behaviour in each of us. It advocates that these fascinating differences show a natural manifestation of the mosaic nature of humanity and should not be viewed as wrong or problematic.
This concept compartmentalizes people into two groups:
Neurotypical
This group consists of people who have standard or typical brain processing and behaviours. This group does not put effort into thinking about the functioning of their brains because it has the majority orientation. Most people in different societies have been guided in this direction and hence, accessibility is about orienting the neurotypical to appreciate the beauty of the diversity in the functioning of the human brain.
Neurodivergent
This group consists of individuals who are aware that their brain functions differently. They tend to do things differently from the majority orientation’s way of functioning. People identified as neurodivergent may have one or more of these conditions:
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) – is a condition that includes symptoms like restlessness, short attention span, acting without thinking, and constant fidgeting.
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) – is a developmental disability because of differences in the brain which can result in problems, such as social communication and interaction, and repetitive behaviours or interests.
- Dyspraxia – is a condition that affects movement and coordination. It does not affect the person’s intelligence.
- Dyslexia – is a learning difficulty that impacts the skills needed to read fluently and spell words accurately.
- Dysgraphia – is a condition and learning difference where an individual finds it difficult to write at their age level or translate thoughts into written words.
- Dyscalculia – is a specific and constant difficulty in understanding numbers.
- Schizophrenia – is a mental health condition where an individual hears voices, sees things that are not there, confused thinking, and unusual beliefs.
- Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) – is a mental health condition where an individual entertains recurring thoughts and repetitive behaviours beyond their control.
- Antisocial Personality Disorder – is a condition marked by impulsive, irresponsible, and often deceitful behaviour.
- Borderline Personality Disorder – is a condition that affects how an individual feels, thinks, and interacts with other people.
- Dissociative Disorder – is a condition where an individual may feel disconnected from themselves and others.
- Bipolar Disorder – is a mental health condition that causes episodes of high and low mood swings for several weeks.
- Intellectual Disability – describes limits to an individual’s ability to learn at an expected level and function daily.
- Mental Health Condition – is an umbrella name covering mental disorders, psychosocial disabilities, and other mental states that can lead to serious distress, impairment in functioning, or risk of self-harm.
Chronic health conditions
Chronic health conditions are health diseases that last over a long time and have long-term impacts for more than three months. They impact different areas of the body and may not fully be resolved with treatment.
Some of the chronic health conditions include:
- Arthritis – is the inflammation of the joints which can lead to stiffness, pain, and reduced mobility.
- Asthma – is a respiratory condition that can cause air inflammation and difficulty breathing.
- Diabetes – arises because of high blood sugar levels due to less insulin production or ineffective insulin usage.
- Chronic Pain – a constant pain that impacts an individual's daily life and may happen because of illness, injury, or an underlying medical condition.
An individual living with chronic health conditions needs continuous management because they affect the individual’s quality of life and contribute to disability and reduced physical or mental capacity.
These challenges have gradually been dealt with through different accessibility guidelines, standards, and regulations. No doubt, the task is for digital designers and developers to master these guidelines, standards, and regulations to harness the skills required to ensure that products or services are meaningfully essential for some and useful for all. Therefore, these challenges ought to be baked into every design process to maintain the ability taxonomies.
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