100 points to know about...
Digital accessibility

Universal design is the process of creating products that are accessible to people with a wide range of abilities, disabilities, and other characteristics.

Universally designed products meet individual preferences and abilities; communicate necessary information effectively (regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities); and can be approached, reached, manipulated, and used regardless of the individual's body size, posture, or mobility.

Products are usually designed to work best for the average user. Universal design products, on the other hand, are available to most people and do not require adjustment.

Principles of universal design

There were established 7 principles of universal design that provide guidance in the design of environments, communications and products:

1. Equitable use

Meaning: “The design is useful and marketable to people with diverse abilities.”
Example: Strong colour contrast will not exclude users with colour blindness.

2. Flexibility in use

Meaning: “The design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities.”
Example: Adding captions to the video allows the user either listen or read.

3. Simple and intuitive use

Meaning: “Use of the design is easy to understand, regardless of the user's experience, knowledge, language skills, or current concentration level.”
Example: Make your web content as easy to digest as possible, e.g. by structuring and organizing infromation. Devide the long text into smaller chunks, use subheadings, provide progressive disclosure.

4. Perceptible infromation

Meaning: “The design communicates necessary information effectively to the user, regardless of ambient conditions or the user's sensory abilities.”
Example: Provide alternative text to the images, so that users relying on a screen reader understand the meaning of the picture.

5. Tolerance for error

Meaning: “The design minimizes risks and conflicts after accidental or unintended actions.”
Example: Provide a clear and helpful error message in the input form.

6. Low physical effort

Meaning: “The design can be used efficiently and comfortably without tiring the user.”
Example: Don´t make users to fill out lengthy forms and pass through multiple leveles in order to reach their goal, like creating an account or get a sample of a book etc.

7. Size and space for approach and use

Meaning: “Appropriate size and space is provided for approach, reach, manipulation, and use regardless of user's body size, posture, or mobility.”
Example: Consider the target area of your website when it is on mobile devices and make it large enough to click or tap easily.

The Principles of Universal Design can serve us an excellent guide through all the process of designing accessible websites. Therefore, it is better to incorporate them into our project from the very beginning."