This International Day of People with Disability (IDPWD), we’re amplifying the perspectives of people with disability. Our theme this year is ‘Amplifying the perspectives of people with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future’. This reminds us that co-designing with people with disabilities is key to building a more inclusive world.

At Intopia, we’re honoured to collaborate with individuals with disabilities through our Intopia Connect panel. Their personal insights help us uncover real-world challenges. Then, we can design practical solutions to improve accessibility.

The Intopia Connect panel is at the heart of our user research. Panel members share their personal experiences to help organisations understand and improve accessibility. For this year’s IDPWD, we’re highlighting three panelists’ stories and insights.

Katy’s story

Katy is a legally blind archer with a passion for both accessibility and academics. They also have invisible disabilities including Ehler’s-Danlos and Complex Regional Pain Syndrome. Katy recently complete PhD in Doctor Who and is now turning their thesis into a book. When not at the dog park or archery range, Katy is advocating for inclusivity in digital spaces.

For Katy, the biggest digital barriers are poor contrast, cluttered designs, and unreadable text. “Images and videos aren’t always clear, and descriptive text is hit and miss”, they explain. Overly busy websites or too many animations can cause cognitive and visual overload. It makes it hard for Katy to navigate online spaces.

To overcome these challenges, Katy uses built-in assistive technology like Firefox’s zoom feature. This magnifies up to 500% and allows them to adjust both text and image size. Katy prefers their Android phone for its customisable accessibility features. They also use bone-conduction headphones to stay connected while aware of their surroundings.

Katy loves being part of the Intopia Connect panel. “It’s immensely rewarding being able to share my lived experience to help designers and developers make their product accessible”, they shared. Katy values the chance to share their lived experience to improve accessibility. They also enjoy connecting with other participants and having fun working with the Intopia team.

A testing session gave Katy an unexpected insight. It was about the importance of heading levels. Another participant was frustrated with the document’s heading layout. “I realised I had been making the same mistake in what I was writing. I didn’t have enough vision to realise there are different heading levels. But at the same time, I have too much vision to use a screen reader, so I never found out that way either”, Katy shared.

Katy’s advice to designers and developers is simple but powerful:

“The one thing I would tell anyone about digital accessibility is that if you think you’ve got it perfect, you haven’t. The WCAG guidelines are a great start. But people are too complex for a one size fits all approach to accessibility. If you’re reading this, then you’re in the right place. I thank you for your continued efforts towards digital inclusivity.”

Dan’s story

Dan became a quadriplegic after a spinal cord injury in 2020. But he hasn’t let that stop him from pursuing his passions. Dan has found joy in creative outlets like oil painting, which he started during rehabilitation. Painting has become a rewarding way to express himself and focus on something meaningful.

Accessing digital technology presents specific challenges for Dan. As he has extremely limited hand function, interacting physically with devices can be difficult. This means he needs assistance from support workers to set up his laptop, adjust the screen, and position the desk to meet his needs. He also needs a quiet environment for Siri to accurately process his voice commands.

Websites that don’t work with his clicking functions are challenging. This is especially true for sites that rely on scrolling or need lots of data input. “I prefer websites that include visible scroll bars , allow for simple click-and-tap navigation, and use pre-populated information to make interactions easier for me”, he shares.

Dan uses a variety of assistive technology  to navigate the digital world. His MacBook Pro and iPhone are essential daily tools. He uses a head pointer and facial gestures for computer control. Voice commands like Siri and Voice Control help him communicate. A Kindle on his wheelchair lets him enjoy reading.

Being part of the Connect panel allows Dan to share his experiences and contribute to meaningful change. Dan shares, “I believe that my lived experiences can help others. It’s meaningful to be able to influence accessibility improvements”.

One of the most interesting aspects of user testing for Dan is seeing how people with different needs use the same technology. “It’s always eye-opening to observe the unique methods others use, especially when they face different challenges or have different needs from mine”, he explains.

Dan’s advice to organisations is clear:

“Accessibility isn’t just about helping people with disabilities. It’s about creating a more inclusive experience for everyone. When technology is accessible, it benefits a much broader audience. It makes things easier for people of all abilities to use and enjoy”.

Venessa ’s story

Venessa is a full-time artist and passionate advocate for accessibility. Living with Cerebral Palsy, she uses a wheelchair. She has over 20 years of experience serving on various boards. Venessa enjoys swimming, staying active, and trying new things. She balances this with her work as a researcher for Cerebral Palsy Alliance and accessibility advisor.

For Venessa, digital barriers are about time and precision. “It can take me 10 times longer to do something because of my involuntary movements”, she explains. Tasks like selecting text, clicking tiny buttons, or dealing with timed-out features are particularly difficult. “It’s frustrating when people are not aware of the amount of patience, the level of concentration, and time it takes me to get things done or typed”, she adds.

To navigate these challenges, Venessa uses a roller trackball mouse, predictive text, and a large iPad with a touch-sensitive keyboard for graphics. She avoids voice assistants like Siri as they struggle with her speech. Her setup lets her work efficiently.

Venessa is grateful for the chance to test with the Connect panel. “It’s valuable for businesses to see my struggles in real-time. It’s great they’re interested in seeing my disability and how they might be able to improve their services”, she says. She also values the flexibility of the work, which fits well with her needs.

A key insight from Venessa’s user testing was the potential of mobile banking apps.

Her advice to designers and developers is practical:

“The more accessible websites and services are, the more opportunity there is for us to be more independent and empowered. This brings freedom. There is too much clutter (information) jammed into web pages. This can be confusing and threatens my confidence to be able to work it out. I am tempted to give up and not use the service”.

Wrapping up

As we celebrate International Day of People with Disability 2024, we’re reminded of the power of lived experience in shaping a more inclusive digital world. Katy, Dan, and Venessa’s experiences show the power of lived expertise in uncovering insightful, equitable solutions.

At Intopia, we’re proud to work alongside individuals and organisations committed to making digital spaces more equitable. This year’s theme is a call to action: to amplify leadership. We must listen, learn, and work toward a future where all can participate.

Let’s not limit these conversations to one day. Amplifying these voices is something we can all champion every day.

If you’d like to chat about equitable design or digital accessibility, get in touch.