The big idea: Inclusive design means designing so a product works for as many people as possible, regardless of age or ability, without a separate special version.
It covers physical, sensory and cognitive differences — and the useful question is never "is this inclusive?" but "who does this exclude, and what would let them in?"
The three kinds of difference on one product, each with the barrier, the design answer, and who else the answer helps.
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| Covers | Barrier on a ticket machine | The design answer | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Physical | Strength, grip, reach, dexterity, balance, mobility aids | The coin slot needs a pinch grip and sits at standing height | A card reader at seated height, usable with a closed fist |
| Sensory | Sight, hearing, touch — including glare and colour vision | Confirmation is a quiet beep and a pale tick on a white screen | High contrast, plus a distinct sound AND a visible change |
| Cognitive | Memory, attention, literacy, numeracy, processing speed | Six options on the first screen, a timeout, jargon errors | One instruction per screen, no timeout, plain words, an undo |
Never one channel alone: A beep alone excludes a deaf user and everybody in a noisy station. A colour change alone excludes a colour-blind user and everybody in direct sunlight.
Use two channels for anything important — sound and sight, or sight and touch. It is the cheapest inclusive design decision there is.
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Inclusive design is not a minority interest, and the reason is that impairment comes in three forms — only one of which appears in a disability statistic.
Three users who need the same thing
Permanent — one arm
Appears in a disability statistic, and is the case people think of when the word inclusive is used.
Temporary — a broken wrist
Six weeks, and appears in no statistic at all. Almost everybody has such a period at some point.
Situational — holding a toddler
Happens to a very large number of people every day, and nobody would describe themselves as impaired.
All three need one-handed use
Design for the permanent case and all three are covered — which is why inclusive design improves the product for everybody.
Inclusive design
- One product that works for as many as possible
- The adaptation is invisible — it is just the product
- No stigma, no separate queue, no special version
- Usually improves the experience for everybody
A special version
- A separate product for a defined group
- Costs more, sells less, and is often worse
- Marks the user out as different
- Sometimes necessary — but it is the fallback, not the aim
How this is tested — designing universally accessible products for users with physical, sensory and cognitive impairments. It comes up two ways:
Paper 1 — multiple choice
- Match a barrier to the kind of difference it affects.
- Identify the design change that removes a stated barrier.
Paper 2 — analysing a product
- Evaluate how inclusive a named product is for the three kinds of difference.
- Explain how one change helps several user groups at once.
The trap: Writing that a product "considers everyone". Name the barrier, name the change, and name who else the change helps — that third part is the argument that persuades a client.
Evaluate the inclusivity of a hospital car-park ticket machine for users with physical, sensory and cognitive differences, and give one change for each.
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