Diverse needs

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Young woman with cochlear implant studying at home.

Young woman with cochlear implant studying at home. Credit: Sladic

Every user has a unique set of needs. The way that they experience digital sites and systems is determined by their physical needs, their neurological needs, and so on. It is our job to cater to as many of these needs as possible.   

We can never predict all the needs of all our users, but we can spend time considering what they might be. 

Considerations could include:

A blind user may need to use screen reader software that reads the page aloud to them. They may also find that this experience is easier if content is written in short, concise sentences.

An autistic user may need simple page design, to reduce distractions. They may have also adjusted their settings so that images are not automatically downloaded and will therefore need alternative text for images.

A user who has a chronic pain condition may need to navigate the page using their keyboard. They may also need short, concise sentences so that they can read content as quickly as possible.

When you are testing for accessibility compliance, it is useful to remember just how diverse every user’s needs are.   

Users’ needs are not separate, either. There is a lot of overlap between accessibility measures. Short, concise sentences are necessary for a user with dyslexia, and they will also help a sleep-deprived new parent!  

In the table below we have matched certain measures with certain needs. But there is a lot of crossover, with various measures meeting lots of different needs. Have a look at the table, and think about the co-benefits of these accessibility measures and reflect on which groups of needs they could help.

    
Measures: Needs:
Keyboard navigable Chronic pain or fatigue
Meaningful link text Learning disabilities
Alternative text for images Screen reader users
Clear headings Autism
Sufficient colour contrast
 Colour vision deficiency
Usable at 200% zoom
 Partial vision

What are the ramifications of not testing?

Accessibility personas

Last modified: Thursday, 24 October 2024, 1:25 PM