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A web for all: A manifesto for critical disability studies in accessibility and user experience design

A web for all: A manifesto for critical disability studies in accessibility and user experience design
A web for all: A manifesto for critical disability studies in accessibility and user experience design
When we examine accessibility through the lens of user experience, we see that accessibility is:

A core value, not an item on a checklist.

A shared concern, not a delegated task.

A creative challenge, not a challenge to creativity.

An intrinsic quality, not a bolted-on fix.

About people, not technology.

This chapter examines accessibility through the lens of user experience, noting the liminal position that accessibility maintains within computer science, and the marginalised position of many computing sciences within critical disability studies. It argues that accessibility is a key to social inclusion; however, attention to accessibility in the digital realm is inadequate. A focus on accessibility for disabled people has a secondary benefit of anticipating and accommodating unexpected and diverse interaction scenarios involving a wider audience. Traditionally, disability and technology converge in two domains. First, the domain of assistive technology covers the use of technology to reduce or overcome the effect of a disability on the successful use of digital product. Second, the domain of inclusive design covers the tools and methods available to digital product teams to create products that can be used by people with disabilities, using the appropriate assistive technology if necessary.
Accessibility, user experience, Disability, critical disability studies, manifesto
130-141
Taylor & Francis
Lewthwaite, Sarah
0e26d7cf-8932-4d65-8fea-3dceacf0ea88
Sloan, David
89fc419b-5c27-4d25-84f9-5f1a37787922
Horton, Sarah
7416198b-55c9-4149-90fe-99b12084b398
Ellis, Katie
Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie
Kent, Mike
Robertson, Rachel
Lewthwaite, Sarah
0e26d7cf-8932-4d65-8fea-3dceacf0ea88
Sloan, David
89fc419b-5c27-4d25-84f9-5f1a37787922
Horton, Sarah
7416198b-55c9-4149-90fe-99b12084b398
Ellis, Katie
Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie
Kent, Mike
Robertson, Rachel

Lewthwaite, Sarah, Sloan, David and Horton, Sarah (2018) A web for all: A manifesto for critical disability studies in accessibility and user experience design. In, Ellis, Katie, Garland-Thomson, Rosemarie, Kent, Mike and Robertson, Rachel (eds.) Manifestos for the Future of Critical Disability Studies. Taylor & Francis, pp. 130-141. (doi:10.4324/9781351053341).

Record type: Book Section

Abstract

When we examine accessibility through the lens of user experience, we see that accessibility is:

A core value, not an item on a checklist.

A shared concern, not a delegated task.

A creative challenge, not a challenge to creativity.

An intrinsic quality, not a bolted-on fix.

About people, not technology.

This chapter examines accessibility through the lens of user experience, noting the liminal position that accessibility maintains within computer science, and the marginalised position of many computing sciences within critical disability studies. It argues that accessibility is a key to social inclusion; however, attention to accessibility in the digital realm is inadequate. A focus on accessibility for disabled people has a secondary benefit of anticipating and accommodating unexpected and diverse interaction scenarios involving a wider audience. Traditionally, disability and technology converge in two domains. First, the domain of assistive technology covers the use of technology to reduce or overcome the effect of a disability on the successful use of digital product. Second, the domain of inclusive design covers the tools and methods available to digital product teams to create products that can be used by people with disabilities, using the appropriate assistive technology if necessary.

Text
Lewthwaite-Sloan-Horton-Manifesto-Manuscript - Accepted Manuscript
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More information

Published date: 23 October 2018
Keywords: Accessibility, user experience, Disability, critical disability studies, manifesto

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 427268
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/427268
PURE UUID: 0fce6542-f914-47b6-a827-ebe2ded12480
ORCID for Sarah Lewthwaite: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0003-4480-3705

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 10 Jan 2019 17:30
Last modified: 06 Jun 2024 01:54

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Contributors

Author: David Sloan
Author: Sarah Horton
Editor: Katie Ellis
Editor: Rosemarie Garland-Thomson
Editor: Mike Kent
Editor: Rachel Robertson

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