To Boldly Go: The New Frontiers of Accessibility
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."
Or choose a question:
More Videos
"The biggest problem was to solve the engagement problem first with the sponsor, then the team, then external stakeholders."
Carl TurnerYou Can Do This: Understand and Solve Organizational Problems to Jumpstart a Dead Project
March 28, 2023
"Most employees take at least 90 days to onboard and another 90 days to become productive — that’s half a year before you see impact."
Karen PascoeDeveloping Experience Teams and Talent in the Enterprise
June 8, 2016
"Sending small care packages to remote team members goes a long way in showing we care and building connection."
Jilanna WilsonDistributed Design Operations Management
October 23, 2019
"We have over 30 contracting teams spread across roughly 10 vendors all working on parts of the veteran experience landscape."
Shawna Hein Kevin HoffmanCreate a Cohesive Civic Design Practice Across Agency, Vendors, and Contracts
November 17, 2022
"Quick fixes rarely exist in these domains because beneath every problem are layers of complexity."
Barb SpantonDoing Work That Matters: A Look Beyond The Idealistic Notion of 'Doing Meaningful Work'
June 10, 2022
"We decided not to chase shiny objects because we wanted to stay true to our mission."
Briana ThomasThe Quiet Force: Uncovering Hidden Leadership in High-Impact Design Teams
September 24, 2024
"Coaches organize practices or drills to push players toward specific goals and improvement."
Gina MendoliaTherapists, Coaches, and Grandmas: Techniques for Service Design in Complex Systems
December 3, 2024
"UX researchers should learn Python or R and how to leverage AI APIs to process unstructured data."
Lija Hogan Milan Mijatovic Sam Proulx Louis RosenfeldThree Years Out: Perspectives on the Near-Term Future of User Research
March 15, 2024
"Design ops is always swinging wildly between priorities, making partners wonder why invest if you’re always going this way or that."
John Calhoun Rachel PosmanTwo Sides of the DesignOps Coin: Teams Ops and Product Ops
January 8, 2024
