Standard usability on an app or website simply doesn't cut it for everyone. If your site is mostly visited by a specific audience, it's really important to map out their pain points and shape your approach around them. We're happy to share our take, plus a handful of tips, on designing and building websites and apps for people with disabilities.
All sorts of physical or mental disabilities can make a website trickier to use. That might be a physical impairment, but mental or emotional ones play a part too. Visitors with autism, a language delay or motor impairments experience a website in a completely different way. We totally get that you want to support your audience every way you can, and we'd love to help you do it.
Blind, low-vision and visually sensitive users
An app or website is a visual medium at heart, which makes it a huge hurdle for people with a visual impairment.
What can we do?
By using code the right way, you can swap visual elements for equivalent text. For low-vision users, colour contrast, resizable text and clear interaction patterns make a world of difference.
What can you do?
Try to keep your text clearly written and, above all, not too long-winded. Keeping things concise takes a load off the user.
A website for people with a language impairment
For web users with a language delay or dyslexia, it pays to lean on non-textual elements as much as possible, like images, audio and video.
What can we do?
Lay the page out logically and make it as visual as possible by putting elements in a sensible order. Support users with guidance and alternatives, like search suggestions in the search bar.
What can you do?
Steer clear of long, busy-looking text by phrasing the important bits as briefly and clearly as you can. Skip the difficult words and figures of speech, and add captions wherever it makes sense.
Physical or motor impairment
Web users with a physical impairment, say reduced motor skills like shaky hands, often have no trouble with the content itself, only with actually operating the website.
What can we do?
Shifting control from the mouse to the keyboard alone makes things a whole lot easier. Make click targets as large as possible with wide buttons and input fields.
What can you do?
Automate data entry wherever you can by remembering the user's information, so they have to do as little as humanly possible.
Cognitive or intellectual
People with a cognitive or intellectual disability can struggle with things like memory, holding their attention and connecting the dots.
What can we do?
Everything on the site should revolve around logical actions, and those actions should be combined as much as possible to cut down on steps. Break text into bite-sized chunks and put actions in a clear order.
What can you do?
Offer a personal way to get in touch, and turn written information into visuals or flowcharts wherever you can.
Hearing
Deaf or hard-of-hearing users should be able to get exactly the same information as everyone else.
What can we do?
Add captions and subtitles to audio and video, so all the information still comes across with the sound off.
What can you do?
Keep your language as simple and concrete as possible and avoid slang. On top of that, offer plenty of written ways to reach you, like email or chat.
To wrap up
The most important thing is having a clear picture of where a user might get stuck, and how you're going to respond to it. Good design and usability don't have to get in each other's way. In fact, they make each other stronger.
Want a website or app that truly works for everyone? Totally understandable. KNALGEEL is happy to help you figure it out. Over a good cup of coffee, we'll map out your audience's pain points together.
Written by
Katja Poltavets