Rosenverse

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's text-based interfaces were naturally accessible through screen readers and Braille terminals.

  • Accessibility was initially seen as an inspiring hack available only to a fortunate few, not as a universal right.

  • The transition to graphical user interfaces complicated accessibility efforts, relying heavily on reverse engineering assistive technologies.

  • Apple's introduction of VoiceOver was groundbreaking, making touchscreen devices accessible and setting a new industry standard.

  • Built-in accessibility APIs encourage developers to create inclusive apps rather than relying on costly third-party solutions.

  • Gaming and emerging technologies like VR and AR currently lack first-party accessibility support, repeating historical cycles.

  • Artificial intelligence in assistive technology must balance innovation with accuracy and privacy concerns, especially for people with disabilities.

  • Cloud computing creates challenges for accessibility as users cannot opt to stay on older, accessible versions of apps.

  • Blockchain and peer-to-peer apps raise questions about enforcing accessibility standards across jurisdictions and ensuring ease of use.

  • Accessibility improvements designed for people with disabilities tend to improve usability for everyone, creating broader innovation.

Notable Quotes

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

"Accessibility was considered an inspiring hack, something extraordinary rather than a right."

"Apple’s VoiceOver made touchscreens accessible and changed the world of accessibility forever."

"Accessibility isn’t just a third-party add-on; it’s now a first-party responsibility for developers and designers alike."

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

"Virtual reality and augmented reality accessibility are still seen as hacks rather than built-in features."

"We need to be confident in AI-generated descriptions, because if they’re wrong, users with disabilities can’t double-check them."

"Cloud-based apps don’t let you stay on older, accessible versions, which creates challenges for users relying on accessibility."

"Blockchain apps raise unique accessibility challenges because they’re decentralized and subject to little regulation."

"The first organization to solve accessibility in new modes of technology will gain a lasting innovation advantage."

Ask the Rosenbot
Abby Covert
Panel: Collaboration Tools
2017 • DesignOps Summit 2017
Gold
Peter Boersma
How to Define and Maintain a DesignOps Roadmap
2023 • DesignOps Summit 2023
Gold
Dr. Jamika D. Burge
The Future of Research: Bridging the Gaps (Videoconference)
2021 • Advancing Research Community
Kit Unger
Theme 1 Intro
2022 • Design at Scale 2022
Gold
Jorge Arango
[Demo] How to re-categorize content at scale using LLMs
2024 • Designing with AI 2024
Gold
Operationalizing DesignOps
2018 • DesignOps Summit 2018
Gold
Sabrina Mach
How to Design Your Design Operating Model
2021 • DesignOps Summit 2021
Gold
Laura Klein
Unique challenges of innovation in enterprises (Videoconference)
2020 • Enterprise Community
Amy Jiménez Márquez
The Atypical UX Manager Path (Videoconference)
2020 • Enterprise Community
Bria Alexander
Day 2 Welcome
2024 • DesignOps 2024
Gold
Alana Washington
(Remote) Service Design: A Transformation Case Study
2022 • Design at Scale 2022
Gold
Erin Malone
Understanding the past to prepare for the future
2024 • Rosenfeld Community
Aaron Stienstra
Leveraging Civic Design to Advance Equity and Rebuild Trust in the US Federal Government
2021 • Civic Design 2021
Gold
Chris Hodowanec
Agile + User Experience: How to navigate the Agile landscape as an UX Practitioner
2022 • Civic Design 2022
Gold
Sam Proulx
Accessibility: An Opportunity to Innovate
2022 • DesignOps Summit 2022
Gold
Alicia Mooty
Design Staffing Models
2021 • DesignOps Summit 2021
Gold

More Videos

Alex Hurworth

"We are witnessing the most rapid loss of biodiversity in human history."

Alex Hurworth Bonnie John Fahd Arshad Antoine Marin

Designing a Contact Tracing App for Universal Access

October 23, 2020

Laine Riley Prokay

"We started to ask ourselves, does every new Design Ops practitioner need 10 years of experience like Lisa and I? What opportunities are we missing by not having more junior roles?"

Laine Riley Prokay Lisa Gordon

Carving a Path for Early Career DesignOps Practitioners

September 9, 2022

Eniola Oluwole

"We did a great cleanup of patterns from every decade and deleted anything off brand or untested."

Eniola Oluwole

Lessons From the DesignOps Journey of the World's Largest Travel Site

October 24, 2019

Nathan Shedroff

"Strategy should be continuous, circular, and evolve with every action the organization takes."

Nathan Shedroff

Double Your Mileage: Use Your Research Strategically

March 31, 2020

Sam Proulx

"Mobile live captions can caption any sounds around the user in real time, making it a powerful accessibility tool."

Sam Proulx

Mobile Accessibility: Why Moving Accessibility Beyond the Desktop is Critical in a Mobile-first World

November 17, 2022

Feleesha Sterling

"It’s important to socialize the research program internally so teams get excited and take initiative."

Feleesha Sterling

Building a Rapid Research Program (Videoconference)

May 18, 2023

Neil Barrie

"We are at an inflection point where what got us here won't get us to a thriving future."

Neil Barrie

Widening the Aperture: The Case for Taking a Broader Lens to the Dialogue between Products and Culture

March 25, 2024

John Devanney

"Leadership roles have to evolve depending on whether you’re building awareness, influence, capacity, or measuring impact."

John Devanney

The Design Management Office

November 6, 2017

Katy Mogal

"One analyst became our research associate by diving deep into the diary videos and organizing the data."

Katy Mogal

But Do Your Insights Scale?

March 12, 2021