the inclusiveness of interfaces that is needed
Today, we're talking about inclusion. Let's look at what it is, how research can help improve inclusion, and what benefits it has. We'll also talk about accessibility standards. This is the first of several articles on the topic of inclusion.
Inclusion is not just about accessibility
It is about attention and the fact that no group of people, no matter how small, should go unnoticed. Of course, first and foremost we are talking about those who have one or another disability (I tried for a long time to find the wording, but decided that this would be the most correct – disability; not “disabled”, because such people should not feel limited in terms of their user experience, and not “people in need of special treatment”, because the attitude towards them should be the same as towards everyone else – humane; we, as people involved in the creation of interfaces, should strive to make it understandable and convenient for all people without exception, make it a habit). Inclusive design can take into account age and gender, economic status and education, geography, language and race. In the book “Text Must Go Here,” which I recently read, there is a story about a UX writer who was tasked with writing an error message for users who were over 100 years old. For a grandmother who wanted to enter her age, say, 101, the product was unavailable. The owner of this product said that not many people would use their software, supposedly there are almost no centenarians in this world, so it’s not a big loss. In fact, in 2010, there were almost 54,000 people over 100 in the United States. According to the UN In 2019, there were 533,000 people over 100 years old living on Earth. In general, a lot more than anyone thought, right? And it's not about financial loss (although it is also about that), but about basic consideration of other people's needs.
But when you think about it, inclusivity helps us all – our limitations are situational, and yet we need software that is not only accessible to us, but also leaves a positive impression on us. Yes, we are talking about mothers whose hands are full with a child, and about a young man who broke his arm riding a bike.
I won’t say much about the nature of the restrictions, I’ll just say that there are:
Permanent – a person has a disability, for example, blindness;
Temporary – a person has a broken arm;
Situational – a person is riding in a minibus, completely filled with people, hence the terrible audibility; a person is driving a car and cannot afford to look at his phone.
Thus, there are two important principles of inclusiveness – empathy And user orientation. Designers (I am talking about them, but I emphasize that they are not the only ones responsible for inclusivity) need to understand the needs, problems and preferences of the user. Empathy allows designers to put themselves in the users’ shoes and then make informed decisions. As for the process of designing inclusive interfaces and user orientation: it would be very useful to conduct research. It is worth starting with the data you already have (one option is to connect with support and find out what gaps there are – the frequency of mentions will reveal them), then move on to interviewing individual groups, to testing in focus groups. I will consider the research process within the topic a little later, but for now I will stop at the fact that talking to the user is one of the best ways to learn about his needs. Focusing on the user implies that you are aware of his needs, therefore, you make those changes that close this need.
Versatility and accessibility
Two concepts related to inclusive design that are often confused with it are availability And universal designAll three concepts aim to minimize the number of barriers between people and technology and ensure inclusivity.
Universal design – design that can be accessed and used by all people to the greatest extent possible. Unlike inclusive design, universal design imposes a single design solution without the need to adapt to the needs of any group. In fact, most software we encounter on a daily basis is universal.
Availability – a quality that characterizes an interface that takes into account the needs of people with disabilities. Accessibility is an integral feature of both inclusive and universal design, because any content on a website or in an application must be understandable.
About accessibility standards. And about Russian ones too
Compliance with accessibility standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), is a best practice in UX. Following the recommendations, as emphasized in the introduction to WCAG, “…will make web content accessible to a wider range of users with disabilities, such as visual impairments (blind and visually impaired), hearing impairments (deaf and hard of hearing), musculoskeletal impairments, speech impairments, mental disabilities, and various combinations of multiple and combined disabilities. In addition, following these recommendations will make a site's web content more accessible to users, regardless of the presence or absence of any disabilities.”
Maintaining these minimum standards is one of the key tasks of designers, UX writers, etc. The guide describes the four principles of accessibility – perceivable, manageable, understandable and reliable, and also tells how to test the interface for accessibility for people with disabilities.
Translation into Russian here. The WCAG 3.0 working draft, which will not be ready until 2025, here. I believe that it is useful for literally everyone who designs interfaces to read the recommendations. And I also recommend reading the useful article “What is WCAG”. Here is what the author of the article writes regarding the relationship between WCAG and legislation (or rather, legislation and WCAG):
WCAG is a set of guidelines for accessible digital products. No one is forcing you to follow them. However, things change when different accessibility laws come into play.
In many countries, accessibility laws for websites and other digital products are based on the WCAG guidelines. — usually WCAG 2.0 or 2.1. In this case, if your company is covered by the law, simple recommendations become requirements.
Okay, what about in the Russian Federation?
Article 14 of Federal Law No. 181-FZ states: “The state guarantees the disabled person the right to receive the necessary information.” Already good. There is also national standard of the Russian Federation “Accessibility requirements for visually impaired people”. Note – by sightThere are also Order Ministry of Communications of the Russian Federation No. 483 “On the establishment of the Procedure for ensuring conditions of accessibility for visually impaired persons of official websites of federal government bodies, government bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation and local government bodies on the Internet.” Again, regarding vision and, of course, exclusively about official websites of federal government bodies. Order The Ministry of Communications of the Russian Federation dated March 11, 2016 No. 97 (as amended on March 18, 2021) “On approval of recommendations for improving the efficiency of ensuring accessibility conditions for visually impaired persons of official websites of federal government bodies, government bodies of constituent entities of the Russian Federation and local government bodies on the Internet” provides recommendations (and even points out that WCAG 2.0 can be relied upon).
Draw your own conclusions. I will only say that having sifted through a considerable amount of information, I came to the conclusion: the understanding that disabled people, like all other citizens, have the right to receive information exists in the Russian Federation, but there are no federal regulations as such on how this information should look. There is a GOST, as I already said, which speaks about the requirements for visually impaired people. But as if that is not enough.
The Importance of Research to Promote Inclusion
Let's get back to research. Through research, we gain valuable insights into the diverse needs of users, their preferences. Research helps designers and others involved in interface design to better understand their audience and ensures that certain design decisions are actually necessary – this is what the interview results told us, for example. By conducting research aimed at increasing inclusivity, interfaces are created that meet the needs of a wide range of users.
Understanding user needs
Here's a little bit of a refresher. By interacting directly with users, we can gain insight into their goals, motivations, pain points, and problems. This interaction, and the resulting understanding, allows us to develop solutions that can claim to be effective.
Identifying barriers
Research helps identify barriers and problems that users face. It helps identify what I call gaps. Gogol had Plyushkin, and we have those interface elements that, when interacting with them, can cause disappointment or irritation for the user. By identifying these gapsinformed design decisions are made: barriers are overcome, gaps are eliminated, and the user experience with the software becomes inclusive. And enjoyable, of course.
Testing hypotheses
User research helps validate assumptions and hypotheses about design. By testing and collecting user feedback, designers can evaluate the effectiveness and usability of their designs. This validation ensures that design decisions are based on real user insights, not assumptions or personal biases.
You may notice that the three points seem to complement each other. And all because the most important thing, of course, is to understand your users, their needs and desires. That's where it all comes from.
Advantages, benefits and other perks of inclusivity
I'm probably being sentimental, but for me the biggest benefit of an inclusive interface is the improved user experience. I like the idea that everyone will have the same positive experience using a piece of software. The rest is more than prosaic. Let's take it one step at a time.
Positive brand perception
Inclusive design ensures that all users can navigate and interact with the interface easily, leading to increased engagement. And besides, the user certainly feels convinced that someone has thought about him. About him! Let's remember a situation from childhood – mom didn't add onions to the cutlets because she knows you don't like them. She took care of you. The example is very primitive, but it seems illustrative. From the curious – just recently I noticed the “Add to order” button in Yandex Lavka, which appeared immediately after payment. I dare say that at that moment I felt that my prayers were heard. I'm just forgetful, but what about mothers, whose thoughts are occupied with a lot of information? I think they are also happy with the opportunity to add this or that product to the order.
Increasing the number of users and entering new market segments
Positive brand perception, of course, leads to increased brand awareness, which directly impacts business. Given the diverse needs of users, inclusive user interface design allows companies to reach a wide range of people. UN reportsthat as of December 2023, more than 1 billion people, equivalent to 15 percent of the world's population, have some form of disability. And, again, I'm citing numbers that relate to disabilities because it's impossible to count the number of people with situational and temporary limitations. You know what I'm getting at. By removing barriers and making interfaces more inclusive, Companies can enter new market segments and increase their customer base.
Compliance with accessibility standards
By adhering to the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), companies ensure that their digital products are accessible to users with disabilities while avoiding legal and reputational risks.
Competitive advantage
By prioritizing inclusivity and providing a great user experience, a company demonstrates its commitment to fairness and social responsibility. This can attract loyal customers and improve brand perception, as I said above. This not only leads to user trust (and where there is trust, there is quality research, including, leading to increased efficiency), but also to profits.
Conclusion
The more effort we put into creating inclusive interfaces, the more accessible they become. The experience is better because it feels like a shared understanding. And, in fact, it has a big impact on people. After all, isn’t that what matters most?
This article is just text and, in a sense, a base. In the following ones, we will look at real examples of what interfaces that are not distinguished by inclusiveness are, and also talk about the basic principles of inclusive design. Oh, and we will touch on the topic of inclusiveness of UX texts.
