Universal design is simply known as the design of something that makes it accessible to all people, regardless of age, talent, disability, etc. The idea of universal design hasn’t always been around. It wasn’t until The Civil Rights Movement of the 1960s encouraged the subsequent Disability Rights Movement that then influenced the legislation of the 1970s, 1980s, 1990s. The laws that it produced withheld discrimination against anyone with disabilities and helped get them the education, accomodations, telecommunications, and transportation they need (The Center for Universal Design, n.d.). The Civil Rights Movement is just one of the major factors that contributed to the development of universal design. The following also were milestones in it’s progress. These occurred from 1960-1990: The Architectural Barriers Act of 1968 helped remove the biggest obstacle for people with disabilities to be employed. The design of buildings and facilities had to be built to be accessible to all people and employees. The Americans with Disabilities Act of 1990 raised awareness of the rights of people living with disability. This includes discrimination in employment, public accommodations, transportation, and telecommunications. Anything that restricted this was prohibited. The Telecommunications Act of 1996 says that telecommunications services, equipment, and customer help equipment be “designed, developed, and fabricated to be accessible to and usable by individuals with disabilities, if readily achievable.” This ranges from telephones, television programs, and computers (The Center for Universal Design, n.d.). Universal Design Principles The Center for Universal Designs' article, “The Principles of Universal Design” provides readers with a list of 7 main principles when it comes to universal design. These include all of the following:
The 2 that resonate most with me and my life would have to be Simple and Intuitive Use and Perceptible Information. So what exactly are they? Simple and Intuitive Use: This is exactly what it says, simple. It’s important in universal design to create a design and to use words that meet all knowledge levels and language skills. This reminds me of a set of instructions. Many instruction packets include images and simple steps with just a few action words describing what to do. Normally by flipping the page we can find the same instructions in a different language. Perceptible Information: This principle focuses more on the sensory skills of a user. This can be hearing, touching, or seeing. In my daily life I see this with braille that’s inscribed on many signs I pass. Also, my Macbook is equipped with a screen reader. This is a machine that reads through what’s on the page for users with low vision, processing issues, and those who are blind. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- After knowing a little about the history and principles of Universal Design and all that goes into it, it's easier to decide what exactly to test for in a usability test. We know the different types of possible users, along with how to accommodate them, so now it's just putting it to the test. It’s important to know how to test these things in order to make your service available to the most people possible and leave them with a positive experience. This will be important in a potential career path for you or for something of your own that you want to check. As a profession, Universal User Experience (UX) is becoming more and more in demand. As technology continues to advance and grow new inventions and software need to be designed to be used by all people. This is where people with this type of technological experience are needed. When it comes to the testing itself, Steve Krug’s, Don’t make Me Think, hits on some major tips for running your own tests! I recently ran a set of tests for a local attractions website. Among his tips I found the most interesting to be: (Keep in mind, these are focused on a website test) You don’t need to find all of the problems
Choosing participants
Roles of the test
Out of all of the tips the hardest for me to understand was that not all problems necessarily need fixed. It's always been my first instinct to fix everything as soon as possible to make it perfect, and while you should want your design to be perfect, it's almost impossible. Narrowing it down to the largest pieces that need fixed is difficult. However, it's far more beneficial in the long run than pulling out small bits and pieces that only some users notice. Visual of Usability: This image emphasizes the idea that usability means available to everyone. In this image the design is used on many screens. All in all, usability has proved to be more evident in my life than I originally thought. I see it in things such as braille on the bathrooms, ramps at stadiums, even in my own classroom as I have to type out assignments because my professor can't read handwritten work well. It's amazing too that universal design is only going to continue to grow. It’s important as a developing community that we work to provide accessibility to everyone! References Krug, Steve. (2014). Don't Make Me Think. New Riders. Smith, A. (2017, December 3). Usability First [Usability]. Retrieved March 1, 2019, from https://uxplanet.org/usability-first-why-usability-design-matters-to-ui-ux-designers-9dfb5580116a The Center for Universal Design. (n.d.). A Brief History of Universal Design. Retrieved from https://projects.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/pubs_p/docs/udffile/chap_1.pdf The Center for Universal Design. (n.d.). The Principles of Universal Design. Retrieved from https://projects.ncsu.edu/ncsu/design/cud/pubs_p/docs/udffile/chap_1.pdf
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AuthorEnglish & Writing Major |