Inclusive Design for Accessibility

Through insights from twelve industry voices, learn how to create truly accessible and inclusive digital experiences that work for everyone, regardless of ability and background

Free with your book: DRM-free PDF version + access to Packt's next-gen Reader*

Key Features

• Understand inclusive design principles that will help you achieve universal usability
• Gain insights into AI and emerging technologies shaping the future of accessibility
• Drive organizational change with practical strategies to build an inclusive design culture
• Purchase of the print or Kindle book includes a free PDF eBook

Book Description

Despite our growing reliance on digital technology, millions of users are still excluded from fully engaging with websites, apps, and digital services because nobody thought to design for them. Inclusive Design for Accessibility challenges you to rethink how you build digital experiences, offering the tools and guidance needed to move beyond compliance and create experiences that work for everyone.

With contributions from twelve accessibility leaders—Dale Cruse, Denis Boudreau, Dr. Angela Young, Maya Sellon, Julianna Rowsell, Nandita Gupta, Jennifer Chadwick, Crystal Scott, Chris McMeeking, Dr. Keith Newton, Charlie Triplett, and Kai Wong—this book lays out the fundamentals of inclusive design and its application in advanced and emerging technologies. You'll discover practical strategies and real-world examples that show you how to embed accessibility into projects, from user research and testing to creating accessible websites and mobile apps. You’ll also focus on how AI can enhance accessibility and learn to tackle the challenges posed by VR and AR.

For designers, developers, product managers, and business leaders, this book will reshape how you approach inclusive design, helping you move beyond ticking boxes toward building digital products that don't leave anyone behind.

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What you will learn

• Master the core principles of inclusive design to create products that serve all
• Conduct diverse user research to gain insights into accessible experiences
• Implement accessibility best practices in your web and mobile deployments
• Create fully accessible content in text, audio, and video formats
• Explore the accessibility challenges and opportunities with AI, VR, and AR
• Navigate the legal and ethical implications of accessibility to protect users and your brand
• Establish accessibility-focused workflows and practices in your teams

Who this book is for

This book is for digital designers, developers, UX professionals, product managers, and business leaders committed to inclusive design. It offers practical skills for creating accessible digital products, while covering legal and ethical considerations, user research, and strategies for building an accessibility-focused culture within teams.

You don’t need to be an expert in UX design, web development, or accessibility to get value from this book. Each chapter delivers actionable insights that stand on their own, be it UX design, product management, development, or accessibility leadership.

Table of Contents

1. Defining Inclusive Design in the Digital Age
2. Understanding Diverse User Needs: Types of Disabilities and Assistive Technologies
3. Legal and Ethical Considerations in Accessible Design
4. User Research and Testing for Inclusive Products
5. Designing Accessible User Interfaces: Visual and Interaction Design
6. Creating Accessible Content: Writing, Images, and Multimedia

(N.B. Please use the Read Sample option to see further chapters)

Dale Cruse is a highly sensitive empath driven by a lifelong commitment to equal opportunity, inspired by his parents with disabilities. He created accessibility programs at Twitch and McGraw-Hill Education and led inclusive design initiatives at Microsoft and Deque, where he also helped launch the industry-standard axe DevTools accessibility testing plugin. Dale shared his expertise in the book Accessibility for Everyone, and The Web Ahead podcast, and is the author of HTML5 Multimedia Development Cookbook for Packt Publishing.

Denis Boudreau is an international expert in digital accessibility and inclusive leadership with 25 years of experience in the field, working with leaders and executives who are no longer willing to overlook disability inclusion and want to transform their leadership approach from "inclusive-ish" to truly inclusive. He specializes in supporting organizations wishing to adopt more inclusive leadership and communication practices, particularly for their workforce and clients who live with disabilities, are aging, or are marginalized by technology. Offering thought leaders and communicators the means to extend the reach of their message to a much broader audience, he is also the author of the Amazon bestseller The Inclusive Speaker, published in 2023.