Jonathan Hassell's presentation for City University's HCID Open Day 2015

1. Photo by jjuochka - flickr
Web accessibility
myths for the
mobile generation
Prof Jonathan Hassell (@jonhassell)
Accessibility Director, Open Inclusion
HCID Open Day 2015
30th April 2015

2. I’ll challenge the orthodox views…

3. © hassellinclusion
My views come from years of user-research, analysis
and real-world product management

4. 1It doesn’t matter
if your mobile site or app
isn’t accessible,
as long as your desktop site is

5. • disabled people like simple, uncluttered user experiences,
focused around core user goals
What user experience do disabled people want?
“it’s just too
overwhelming
for me”

6. cf.
It could that be your mobile version
is the stripped-down version disabled people want

7. So they may want this experience on desktop…

8. And they are definitely using mobile devices

9. Maybe even more than the mainstream…
Sources: Experience and expectations of disabled people (ODI 2008), TGI,
Disabled for Life (DWP 2002), BBC Talking Disability Phase 3 research, DWP research
• disabled people are like everyone else
– they are moving towards mobile/tablet as default
• disabled people are more likely to access the web
via mobile as they are less likely to be working
– 43% of disabled people of working age are in work,
compared to 74% of general population
– pay-as-you-go Android is the cheapest way onto the web
• for some disabled people, mobile may be
the only way they can access the web
– broadband is not an option for those without
permanent accommodation

10. So, if there’s one platform they want most,
it’s mobile not web

11. © hassellinclusion
2Mobile accessibility
is just
for disabled people

12. Permanent impairment: design for disabled people
20%
of the
population

13. Future impairment: design for your future self
“Every month in the
USA, a quarter of a
million people
turn 65.
Half of people over
65 have some form
of disability.”
— Source: Axel Leblois,
President & Executive Director G3ict

14. When we’re stressed,
in a rush, or even drunk…
When we can’t hear
the sound…
In bright sunlight… When we shouldn’t watch a screen…
Present impairment:
‘temporarily situationally impaired’ when mobile

15. © hassellinclusion
So, if you’ve been putting accessibility off, the time is now!

16. 3All you need is
WCAG 2.0

17. How WCAG helps with mobile accessibility…

18. Some over-arching sanity arrives…

19. Some well-researched usability support arrives…

20. Can I do it with my capabilities?
One finger form of gestures…
Can I work out how to do it?
Visible cues for swipe…
These guide on how to ensure mobile interaction
techniques are accessible (e.g. gestures)

21. They make sure progress in responsive design
doesn’t remove valuable interaction techniques

22. Even with these, the guidelines are playing catch-up
with what’s actually happening…

23. So, the way ahead is to be user-led…

24. 4Text
is more accessible
than images

25. Let’s look at the statistics…
Motor Dysfunction, 1,562,000, 9%
Dyslexia, 1,900,000, 11%
Mild Learning Disability, 1,750,000, 10%
Severe Learning Disability, 350,000, 2%
Severely or Profoundly Deaf, 688,000, 4%
Hearing Impaired (disruptive to lifestyle), 7,569,000, 42%
Registered Blind or Partially Sighted, 434,000, 2%
Visually Impaired (disruptive to lifestyle), 2,720,000, 15%
Adult with Reading Age of under 5, 1,100,000, 6%
People in the UK affected by some form of Disability

26. Who prefers words…?
Motor Dysfunction, 1,562,000, 9%
Dyslexia, 1,900,000, 11%
Mild Learning Disability, 1,750,000, 10%
Severe Learning Disability, 350,000, 2%
Severely or Profoundly Deaf, 688,000, 4%
Hearing Impaired (disruptive to lifestyle), 7,569,000, 42%
Registered Blind or Partially Sighted, 434,000, 2%
Visually Impaired (disruptive to lifestyle), 2,720,000, 15%
Adult with Reading Age of under 5, 1,100,000, 6%
People in the UK affected by some form of Disability

27. Who prefers words…?
Motor Dysfunction, 1,562,000, 9%
Dyslexia, 1,900,000, 11%
Mild Learning Disability, 1,750,000, 10%
Severe Learning Disability, 350,000, 2%
Severely or Profoundly Deaf, 688,000, 4%
Hearing Impaired (disruptive to lifestyle), 7,569,000, 42%
Registered Blind or Partially Sighted, 434,000, 2%
Visually Impaired (disruptive to lifestyle), 2,720,000, 15%
Adult with Reading Age of under 5, 1,100,000, 6%
People in the UK affected by some form of Disability
and who prefers pictures…?

28. Read how to do it…
Watch the demo video
or
So, maybe all text should require an alt-video…
After all, which of these would you prefer?

29. 5It’s difficult
to include disabled people
in user testing

30. Read how to do it…
Watch the demo video

31. Read how to do it…
Watch the demo video
So, maybe you’re not really a usability expert if your
definition of users excludes people with access needs…

32. 6Accessibility is cheap…
no, it’s expensive…
no, it’s cheap...

33. Yes, thinking about it at the start does make it cheaper

34. Estimated unit cost
But cost estimation is still difficult
as different WCAG checkpoints have different costs…

35. Get some help from our WCAG costs/benefits checklist…

36. So, maybe the real question is… is it worth it?

37. 7We won’t get enough
Return on Investment

38. As all of this accessibility work costs…
you need to prove it’s worth continuing with

39. Risk mitigation value
- what regulatory penalties are you insured against…?
• USA:
– NFB vs. Target, 2006 – $6m
– NAD vs. Netflix, 2013 – $755k
– DOJ and NFB vs. H&R Block, 2014 – $145k
• Australia:
– Maguire vs. SOCOG, 2000 – $20,000

40. But not on how to do that…Risk mitigation value
- what reputational threats are you insured against…?

41. Impact on organization’s reputation
– PR value of awards and positive press coverage

42. Impact on organization’s reputation
– minimising customer complaints

43. Opportunity cost savings
– not having to provide alternatives

44. But, to fully prove ROI, we need to start counting,
like everybody else does…

45. Thankfully, solutions are on their way

46. And you get accessibility personalisation for free…

47. — Peter Drucker
“What gets measured,
gets managed.”

48. And you might just end up innovating the future…

49. There are many more accessibility myths in my book…
• what disabled people need is accessibility
• accessibility and inclusive design are anti-creative
• disabled people use assistive technologies
• the most important accessibility requirement
for images is alt-text
• the most important people in accessibility
are developers
• if you build it (to be accessible)
then they will come…
• information: openinclusion.com/book

50. for your questions
jonathan@openinclusion.com