Dale Cruse, CPACC

This is an article I wrote 13 years ago, and it still holds true today. It was in response to someone criticizing American Airlines and redesigning the airline ticket, which alone is a challenging experience. There are all kinds of reasons why the experience isn't what we want it to be, many of them very legitimate reasons. We have to practice empathy and compassion because we aren't in their shoes. Scott Berkun and Bryan Zug's book "Why Design Is Hard" also covers those business reasons. Read on... https://lnkd.in/gCzncE5u

14

1 Comment

Bad news first: WCAG compliance does not mean actual accessibility. Huge bummer innit! [WCAG is the acronym for Web Accessibility Compliance Guidelines] Here's a few reasons why: – WCAG do not consider *all* accessibility issues. – WCAG do not consider all best practices.  – WCAG do not consider overall inclusion. – WCAG do not consider usability. And here are a few examples of bad practices that cause accessibility issues and that are ignored by the WCAG: – Use of low-contrast typefaces – Use of complicated layouts – Use of unfamiliar patterns – Use of more than one H1 – Use of too many emojis – Use of autoplay video* *(no, it’s not enough to provide a stop button, or to make it stop after 5 seconds as the WCAG recommend. I only need 2-3 seconds to get sick. Please no autoplay – and no GIFs in emails, I can't stop them and won't be able to read your missive) My point being: there is a big difference between providing a technically and legally compliant service, and providing a service that is truly accessible and inclusive. Stop asking the question “does it comply with WCAG?”  Start asking the question “can everybody use this?” OK, that was the bad news. And here's the brilliant news! Adopting inclusion will expand your business (and, why not, your karma too). And not by a little: by a hell of a lot. Don't believe me? I've got proof! I've compiled a doc with recent research and data making the business case for accessibility, and demonstrating how accessibility is an unbelievably sound, long-term business strategy and growth driver – in bags of money as well as good karma. Go get your copy here: https://lnkd.in/dn52bzht It may well be what you need to finally persuade your marketing department, or that of your clients, that they should embrace accessibility for better reasons than fear of legal trouble. Image description: a concrete step with a round, blue sticker in the middle saying “Good Karma”. Adapted from a photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash. #a11y #DontBeADick #GoodKarma #Accessibility

3

3 Comments

Here is a brief note and guidance on creating an accessibility audit report template for your next project. https://lnkd.in/gsBMsrhP #Accessibility #Report #Project #Testing

10

1 Comment

UX is slow. I've heard this at some point at every place I've worked. Usually when UX is stretched too thin. In times of mass layoffs and leaner teams being asked to do more with less, how do you adapt? I'm working on some thoughts around adjusting the UX process to accommodate different production levels – from scrappy to robust. I'd love to hear more about how other UXers have adjusted their own processes to be more agile.

31

5 Comments

Wow, it is nice to see some of the impact the course I authored with Designlab is having on teams both big and small. Emilyann Gachko thank you for sharing this case study and how it was received by the team at The Home Depot :) If you are interested in increasing your design skills through #usability and #accessibility check out the course. #ux #design #hcd https://lnkd.in/gEdC3NBV

11

Uncomfortable truth: WCAG compliance does not mean actual accessibility. [WCAG is the acronym for Web Accessibility Compliance Guidelines] – WCAG do not consider *all* accessibility issues. – WCAG do not consider all best practices.  – WCAG do not consider overall inclusion. – WCAG do not consider usability. Examples of bad practices that cause accessibility issues and that are ignored by the WCAG: – Use of non-descriptive link text – Use of low-contrast typefaces – Use of complicated layouts – Use of unfamiliar patterns – Use of more than one H1 – Use of too many emojis – Use of autoplay video* *(no, it’s not enough to provide a stop button, or to make it stop after 5 seconds. I only need 2-3 seconds to get sick) There is a big difference between providing a technically and legally compliant service, and providing a service that is truly accessible and inclusive. STOP asking the question “does it comply with WCAG?”  START asking the question “can everybody use this?” Adopting inclusion will expand your business (and, why not, your karma too). In a nutshell: Be compliant and legal. Of course. But also: don’t be a dick. Want to get a basic intro on how to not be a dick, and expand your karma instead? Sign up to my free Accessibility Primer. https://lnkd.in/dJmjqM3P Image description: a concrete step with a round, blue sticker in the middle saying “Good Karma”. Adapted from a photo by Claudio Schwarz on Unsplash. #a11y #DontBeADick #GoodKarma #Accessibility #WCAGCompliance #HatchConference

14

4 Comments

Designers, do you annotate your wireframes for accessibility? If not, you should. Check out Stéphanie's guide to learn her method for documenting her work. And if you don't yet follow her, you should -- she shares lots of great design resources. #a11y #accessibility #UX #UXDesign #UserExperience #InteractionDesign #VisualDesign #ProductDesign #UserResearch #DesignResearch #FrontEndDev

40

1 Comment

Excellent article by Vitaly Friedman

1

I'll expect more from you if you tell me you want to make something accessible and §508 conformant. The 508 digital accessibility standards are mirroring WCAG 2.0 AA. That version of WCAG came out in December 2008. In other words, that standard is 16 years old... So I'm going to push for you to, at a minimum, adhere to the latest version of WCAG. That is, WCAG 2.2. By doing that, you'll still conform to §508, but you'll also make things more accessible for your end users. Also, remember, accessibility standards are the starting line, not the target.

23

4 Comments

To all my UX Friends in the Richmond, VA area! The 2024 UX Census (RVA) Survey opens next Monday, September 16th! Get ready to participate in the annual survey that helps bring more transparency to the UX Careers in #RVA with questions on key skills, industries, job titles, salaries, etc. The more people who participate... the better the insights are. 💡 #uxcareers #richmondva #ux #design #productdesign #content

9

4 Comments

Design Systems folks — when was the last time you shipped something that really felt impactful? Design Systems is in a quandary right now: somehow both a necessary part of building UI, and recognized as "not delivering value." DS teams were heavily impacted by layoffs, and as Noelle Lansford said in her great article recently (link in thread): > The teams I spoke with emphasized that there was a significant deficit between what the design system team advertised and what was delivered. However, perhaps the more concerning point they made was: Even if all of the success criteria was met, when it came to downsizing, the design system appeared redundant at best. Yikes. How can we know design systems are a powerful tool for delivering consistency, velocity, and efficiency, and also know that we’re not delivering on that promise? And forget "impact as business value" for a second — doesn’t it just feel good when someone uses your work and turns to you and says, wow, that made my work so much easier, thank you. The reality for a lot of DS practitioners is more like grinding for weeks on a component that maybe one team half-heartedly used – incorrectly? Or writing thousands of words of documentation that nobody looks at. I don't think we're "not shipping impactful work" because we're collectively bad at our jobs, or because design systems don't actually help teams move faster. I think we're focused on the wrong things.

75

42 Comments

I have a question out to my network of #accessibility experts on this but thought I will tap into the collective intelligence of the LinkedIn community. Disclaimer: I am not an accessibility services provider, audit vendor, or testing services provider. I am interested in this information for learning purposes. Background: I learned about #WebAccessibility by piecing together information from courses, websites, blogs and articles written by experts. From there, I learned testing skills with hands on learning, making mistakes, listening, learning, observing others and coming up with a framework that worked for me. The result is a framework I put together for web accessibility testing for a person like me who does not have a ton of testing experience. I believe that everyone touching a product - product leaders, designers, developers, testers, marketers should all learn the basics of Web Accessibility testing, go beyond the academics and learn some practical skills. This framework has worked well for me but it has been a few years since I used it to do live tests. I want to ask you to a few questions - - Do you believe this is a good framework to build off of? - What is missing? What would you add to it? I appreciate your help! Image description - An infographic titled - A Framework for Web Accessibility Testing. Step 1 Keyboard Testing: Keyboard testing ensures Tab access, Tab order, Visual Focus, functional Drop-downs, linked Images, Skip links, and no Empty Tabs. Step 2 5 Easy Checks: The five easy checks are Page Title, Alternative Text, Headings, Color Contrast, and Resize & Reflow. Step 3 Browser Plugins: Key accessibility tools include Lighthouse, Web Developer Tool, WAVE, aXe and Accessibility Insights for Web. Step 4 Screenreader Testing: Screen reader testing ensures logical reading order, accurate element labeling, and seamless navigation for users relying on screen readers.

3

1 Comment

If you are curious about #WebAccessibility and looking for a newsletter to keep you up to date - you might want to consider checking out A11yWeekly 🤓 It's packed with articles about accessibility, curated by David A. Kennedy covers everything from TalkBack testing to inclusive design, industry updates and community stories. 10/10 recommend ⭐️ What's your favorite (accessibility) newsletter?

11

2 Comments

I get asked pretty often what resources are out there that help people break into the UX field. Ryan's great and could offer some really good well informed insights. if you're curious about some interview prep, give this a look

19

3 Comments

Learn more about WCAG—especially if you are involved with a web development or software development company, an agency, or work for a multinational corporation. Understanding WCAG is essential for your operations. (Web Content Accessibility Guidelines -WCAG) https://lnkd.in/gTRXhbun #wcag, #GuidelinesForWebsite, #GuidelinesForSoftware

1

Students, junior professional and folks transitioning to UX, this session with Jared Spool on acing your interview is for you.

7

1 Comment

The user experience (UX) industry is undergoing turbulent times. Many professionals, especially UX designers, are struggling to secure jobs — a challenge exacerbated by oversaturation and broader economic issues. Yet, the difficulties UX professionals face run deeper than market conditions. The title “UX designer” is a significant part of this problem because the phrase “designer,” with its superficial presuppositions, only scratches the surface of what UX professionals actually do. read more... https://lnkd.in/eb_NdMFs

45

1 Comment

Stumbled upon this article and it really got me thinking about the role design plays in shaping user experiences. As a designer, I’m always looking for new insights on how we can create more intuitive, user-first interfaces. This article shares some thought-provoking ideas on design innovation and its impact on business. It’s a great read for anyone in the design or tech space. Highly recommend checking it out! https://lnkd.in/e9fcqAYt

6