Short answer
Proactively research and involve disabled users throughout the design process to identify and eliminate potential disabling barriers in digital products and services.
- Field
- User-Centred Design
- Source
- Disability & Society (2021)
- Method
- Qualitative research combining empirical observation, photography, and interviews.
- Evidence
- Strong effect
Designing digital technologies without considering the diverse needs and experiences of disabled individuals can inadvertently create significant social exclusion and new forms of disabling barriers. This user-centred design research insight is drawn from a 2021 study published in Disability & Society. Using Qualitative research combining empirical observation, photography, and interviews., researchers explored how this design variable affects real-world outcomes. The key design takeaway: Proactively research and involve disabled users throughout the design process to identify and eliminate potential disabling barriers in digital products and services.
Digital Exclusion: Understanding and Mitigating Disabling Barriers in Technology Design
Designing digital technologies without considering the diverse needs and experiences of disabled individuals can inadvertently create significant social exclusion and new forms of disabling barriers.
Disability & Society · 2021
Key Findings
- 01Digital technologies, even those with back-end digital components like the Internet of Things, can construct disabling barriers in mundane contexts.
- 02The rapid growth of digital technologies can exacerbate the digital divide for disabled people, leading to increased social exclusion.
- 03A deeper understanding of disabling barriers in a digital society is critical for improving participation.
Application
Design takeaway
Proactively research and involve disabled users throughout the design process to identify and eliminate potential disabling barriers in digital products and services.
How to apply
Before launching a new digital product or service, conduct user research specifically with individuals with various disabilities to identify and rectify any exclusionary design elements.
Project actions
- 01When researching user needs, actively seek out and include participants with disabilities.
- 02Consider how your design might create barriers for users with different abilities, even if it's not immediately obvious.
Method & Evidence
Variables
Strengths & Limitations
Strengths
- +Integrates insights from multiple disciplines (digital technology and disability studies).
- +Focuses on the everyday, lived experiences of disabled individuals.
Limitations
It can be challenging to recruit a representative sample of users with diverse disabilities for testing. Generalizing findings from a specific geographical location might also be a limitation.
Reliability & validity
The qualitative nature of the study, relying on interviews and observations, provides rich insights but may have limitations in generalizability. Triangulation of data (observations, photos, interviews) enhances validity.
Think critically
How can designers proactively anticipate and address 'disabling barriers' in digital technologies, especially those that are not immediately apparent or are part of complex systems like the Internet of Things?
Design Principles
"Design for inclusion by understanding and addressing the diverse needs and potential barriers faced by all user groups."
As digital technologies become increasingly integrated into daily life, it is crucial for designers and engineers to proactively identify and address potential exclusionary aspects. Failing to do so risks marginalizing a significant portion of the population and perpetuating societal inequalities.
What This Means for Your Design
When you design digital things like apps or websites, you need to think about people with disabilities. If you don't, you might accidentally make it hard for them to use, which can make them feel left out.
How to use in your project
- 1.Use this research to justify the importance of user research with diverse groups in your project's methodology section.
- 2.Cite this study when discussing the potential for technology to create exclusion and the need for inclusive design.
Add to My Project
Quick Cite
Paragraph starter
This research underscores the critical need for user-centred design practices that actively address potential disabling barriers. As Egard and Hansson (2021) highlight, the rapid integration of digital technologies can inadvertently create social exclusion for disabled individuals. Therefore, a comprehensive design process must include thorough user research with diverse populations to identify and mitigate these barriers, ensuring that technological advancements promote inclusion rather than exclusion.
Source
Disability & Society
The digital society comes sneaking in. An emerging field and its disabling barriers
journal · 2021
View sourceQuestions About This Research
- What does the research say about digital exclusion: understanding and mitigating disabling barriers in technology design?
- Proactively research and involve disabled users throughout the design process to identify and eliminate potential disabling barriers in digital products and services. Evidence: Disability & Society (2021).
- Why does "Digital Exclusion: Understanding and Mitigating Disabling Barriers in Technology Design" matter for design?
- As digital technologies become increasingly integrated into daily life, it is crucial for designers and engineers to proactively identify and address potential exclusionary aspects. Failing to do so risks marginalizing a significant portion of the population and perpetuating societal inequalities.
- How can designers apply this research?
- Proactively research and involve disabled users throughout the design process to identify and eliminate potential disabling barriers in digital products and services.
- What were the main findings?
- Digital technologies, even those with back-end digital components like the Internet of Things, can construct disabling barriers in mundane contexts.. The rapid growth of digital technologies can exacerbate the digital divide for disabled people, leading to increased social exclusion.. A deeper understanding of disabling barriers in a digital society is critical for improving participation.
- What research method was used?
- Qualitative research combining empirical observation, photography, and interviews..
- How strong is the evidence?
- Evidence strength is rated Strong effect, based on a 2021 journal from Disability & Society.
- What should I do differently in my next project?
- Before launching a new digital product or service, conduct user research specifically with individuals with various disabilities to identify and rectify any exclusionary design elements.
- What are the limitations?
- The study was conducted in Sweden, and findings may not be universally generalizable without further research in different cultural and technological contexts. The specific types of disabilities and digital technologies examined may also limit the scope of the findings.