This article emphasizes the importance of centering people with disabilities in the design process, advocating for participatory design where their experiences and needs guide the development. It critiques a compliance-first mindset prevalent among designers, highlighting that true accessibility exceeds mere adherence to standards like WCAG. Instead, the goal should be to create intuitive and functional experiences that genuinely serve users' needs. The author also encourages designers to challenge their preconceived notions and to recognize their role as facilitators in the design process for better outcomes for all users.
Designing for compliance means you're aiming to meet a standard or law. Designing for a good experience means you're aiming to create something that helps people get a job done and gets out of the way.
Asking these questions and integrating power structures can center them in a 'with' rather than a 'for' fashion. It means you design for a better experience, rather than compliance alone.
Collection
[
|
...
]