Log in or create a free Rosenverse account to watch this video.
Log in Create free account100s of community videos are available to free members. Conference talks are generally available to Gold members.
Summary
In partnership with Fable, watch this panel discussion aimed at UX researchers on how to get started with accessibility research. Featuring industry experts from Discover, LEGO, and Ally Financial, this session demystifies what accessibility research entails, and demonstrates how inclusive design isn’t possible without the participation of people with disabilities. Together, we identify the common barriers, strategies for modifying research methodologies for accessibility, and ways to gain internal buy-in for accessibility research within your organization. Moderator: Elana Chapman Panelists: Divyen Sanganee, Li Wen Huang, Annabel Weiner
Key Insights
-
•
Accessibility research benefits from blending legal knowledge with technical skills like code assessment.
-
•
Starting accessibility research does not require experts; openness and collaboration are key.
-
•
Wizard of Oz testing with a human simulating a screen reader enables early accessibility feedback on prototypes.
-
•
Engaging community and employee resource groups provides authentic insights and support.
-
•
Focusing on assistive technologies used rather than medical diagnosis eases participant recruitment.
-
•
Building cross-functional accessibility communities helps sustain momentum and knowledge sharing.
-
•
Small early accessibility fixes save engineering time post-launch, improving ROI.
-
•
Temporary and situational disabilities expand the scope of who benefits from accessibility.
-
•
Showing examples of well-functioning assistive tech helps shift mindsets from pity to empowerment.
-
•
Understanding user needs to remove barriers is more effective than relying on empathy alone.
Notable Quotes
"People with disabilities are very appreciative and willing to help us learn because they understand we may not understand their challenges."
"Accessibility research is really just a part of usability research and doesn’t need to be treated very differently."
"Wizard of Oz testing involves having someone pretend to be the voice of a screen reader to get early feedback."
"Participants are really forgiving with Wizard of Oz method because they know you’re just trying to get feedback."
"The social model means we have the power to take away barriers; people with disabilities can be independent."
"If you’re not doing anything about accessibility, you’re discriminating against your future self."
"For every hour a UX designer invests in accessibility pre-launch, they save up to four hours in engineering post-launch."
"It’s less about the medical definition and more about the assistive technology someone uses."
"Don’t think about empathy so much as building an understanding for removing barriers."
"Small accessibility improvements often benefit everyone, not just people using assistive tech."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"Data shifts the conversation from I think to I know, but bad data can be dangerous without the right skepticism."
Steve Portigal Chris Chapo Kelly Goto Christian RohrerDiscussion
May 13, 2015
"The Guild is much more than a community; we are shifting incentives strategically to enable better product decisions."
Jess GrecoCreating a Basis for Change: Scaling Design Maturity
June 8, 2022
"We don’t celebrate failure; we celebrate the attempt and risk-taking."
Dan WardFailure Friday #1 with Dan Ward
February 7, 2025
"Nobody hated us; they just didn’t know us — the makers weren’t known within the agency."
Husani OakleyBias Towards Action: Building Teams that Build Work
June 14, 2018
"The best large language models we tested only achieved about 47% accuracy in categorizing Reddit posts."
Karen McGrane Jeff EatonAI for Information Architects: Are the robots coming for our jobs?
November 21, 2024
"Be a diplomat. Help people do their jobs better. Design operations can drive organizational change for the better."
Kristin SkinnerOpening Keynote: Org Design for Design Orgs
November 6, 2017
"If you don’t measure, it’s like a tree falling in the forest with no one around to hear it."
Alfred KahnA Seat at the Table: Making Your Team a Strategic Partner
November 29, 2023
"Start small and test the waters, then be decisive and lean into your hunches and decisions."
Liza Pemstein Jane DavisScaling Research Via an Ops First Model at Clever
March 27, 2023
"It was funny when someone said to me, you are the executive leader, you have to be executive leader ready."
Nalini P. KotamrajuTwo Jobs in One: Being a “Leader who is a Researcher” and a “Researcher who is a Leader"
March 10, 2021
Latest Books All books
Dig deeper with the Rosenbot
How can designers cultivate a collective, hopeful ideal for the future of design amidst technological hype?
Why is the current focus on AI tools a lost opportunity for richer user experiences?
What practical steps can service designers take to become comfortable with technical conversations about APIs?