Lack of Vision for Accessible Design

NY Post photo of $41 million dollar library that is not accessible to all

Whether you are a parent with stroller, a person using a wheelchair, traveling on a loud plane or have your arms full of shopping bags, everyone has a time in life where they need some assistance. It may not be today or tomorrow, but at some time, everyone benefits from accessibility measures like closed captioning (on a loud plane) or curb cuts (for that heavy rolling suitcase). That accessibility is afforded by the researchers and designers around them.

This past week, I heard 2 fascinating instances of lack of consideration of temporary and permanent disability.

Case 1 – The news highlighted a brand new, $41 million dollar New York public library that somehow, over the course of 10 years of design, managed to ignore the fact that it might be difficult for a parent with a stroller or a person on crutches or in a wheelchair to access books in this new highly designed environment.

Case 2 – The new Amazon Basics microwave. At a conference this week, a speaker highlighted this microwave in a talk about the future of AI. Yes, it is unnerving to think of Amazon not only knowing when I bought popcorn and potentially when I made it, but a talking microwave? That is a tremendous asset for people with a disability.

Take a look at your microwave. Do you see the flat panel or the dial with no clicks? Close your eyes and try to use it. Not so easy. People with vision loss have to add their own bump dots to make these microwaves usable. So, what may be seen as a play for more data, actually ends up benefitting a portion of the population.

Both of these situations continue to highlight how much we, as a society, are still sorely lacking the attention in our designs to people who are differently-abled,

Next time you are doing design or research, make sure you ask yourself and your team, “Can I use this with limited vision?” “Can a person carrying a baby or heavy groceries use this?” “If I was in a wheelchair, using a rolling suitcase or pushing a baby in a stroller, could I access this space?” These questions, and more, can create a more inclusive world overall as well as reduce, lawsuits, public outcries and calls to customer service.