UXPA 2014 LondonAcquired Disabilities24th July 2014

Caleb Tang UX and Accessibility ConsultantUXPA UK | Treasurer

Accessibility?Disability?

Reality

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1 billion and morepeople currently living with disability

2011 WHO World report on disability

USA

17%

UK

18%

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The 1 in 5 you mention did not seem to reflect people around me

Many people with disability do not consider themselves disabled

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Many people with disability do not consider themselves disabled

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Disability can be hidden

Many people with disability do not consider themselves disabled

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Disability can be hidden

Many uncomfortable to admit

Many people with disability do not consider themselves disabled

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Disability can be hidden

Many uncomfortable to admit

Many unaware about their condition

We all know

Disability is categorised by vision, hearing, motor, cognitive, speech etc

Blind people use screen readers, Deaf people understand sign language etc

We have tools, guidelines, policies and some design

patterns

We are doing great job… and should continue to challenge

ourselves

Accessibility?Disability?

Reality

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I wasn’t aware of this (accessibility) feature

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It’s good that they have these features, but it is still hard to use…

Only 17% of disabled people are born with their disability

Born vs. Acquired disability

Born• Comfortable with their

access methods (formal training)

• Expert and confident

Acquired• Experience loss of abilities

(stages of grief)• Have to learn alternative

access methods• May not able to learn or

use access methods up their potential

• May experience multiple challenges as a result of the loss

Acquired: Gradual vs. Sudden

Gradual• Unaware of the gradual

development of disability• Start preparing and

learning new ways to live• Trying to do as much as

possible while they can• Swing between “abled”

and “disabled” 

Sudden• Takes longer to learn• Comparing to the mental

model during the abled days

• Frustrated, angry, lack of patience, feeling hopeless etc

Gradual: Aware vs. Unaware

Aware• May take action and

accept needs for their condition

• May prepare for their future (learn new skills)

Unaware• Would not associate

themselves with accessibility features

• May experience sudden loss when they aware

Denial

Anger

Bargain

Depress

Accept

Model of grief - Elisabeth Kübler-Ross

Denial

Anger

Bargain

Depress

Accept

I don’t believe this

Denial

Bargain

Depress

Accept

Why me? Not fair!! Anger

Denial

Depress

Accept

There may be way to turn this around

Anger

Bargain

Denial

Accept

I’m just a useless creature

Anger

Bargain

Depress

DenialI’m not disabled, I’m just doing things differently

Anger

Bargain

Depress

Accept

Where we place them

What we call them

How we present them

We should stop labelling accessibility.

Think Preference.

Accessibility is good design.Think accessible by default.

Think design to avoid barriers.

People acquire disabilities.And it is journey full of

challenges.Think design to impact.

Thank you.

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