What is inclusive design?

Inclusive design is a human-centered design methodology that starts with recognising barriers and exclusion (Gilmore, 2021). It encourages us to flip our thinking when it comes to accessibility. Rather than focusing on the disability, we are encouraged to think of the relationship between an individual with a disability and the experience they are interacting with. We consider the barriers learners may face and how we might address these as we design online content.

Barriers faced by users can be:

• Permanent, for example:
  • vision impairment
  • hearing impairment
  • amputation
  • dyslexia
• Temporary, for example:
  • broken arm
  • laryngitis
• Situational, for example:
  • glare on screen
  • noise or distractions in an environment
  • reading a small screen in a moving vehicle
  • on the quiet carriage of a train
  • broken or forgotten headphones
  • multitasking and only have 1 free hand

Considering these situational barriers can help us empathise with users who have disabilities and highlights the positive impact inclusive design can have on all users. One of the key benefits of this methodology is that when we design for users experiencing significant barriers, we provide a better experience for everyone. For example, providing a text alternative, of a video for the benefit of a student who is hard of hearing may also aid students in accessing the video in a noisy or distracting environment.

What is the difference between inclusive design, accessibility and UDL?

Inclusive design, accessibility, and Universal Design for Learning (UDL) all aim to cater to the variability of learners. While there is significant overlap between them, some differences exist, particularly in the way that they achieve this outcome.

Accessible design

Accessibility focuses on granting all users, particularly those with disabilities, equal access to content. It is achieved by meeting a universally accepted set of standards, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines.

We have a moral and legal obligation to create accessible content. Fortunately, UDL and inclusive design, when implemented correctly, lead to inherently accessible content.

Universal Design for Learning (UDL)

Based on the architectural concept of Universal Design (UD), UDL is a set of principles that aim to equip educators to meet the diverse needs of learners (CAST, 2024). A universally designed learning experience is one which offers learners the flexibility to adjust how they interact with content to suit their individual needs.

One of the most significant challenges identified with the implementation of UDL is the perceived and actual workload involved for the educator. UDL, when implemented properly, poses significant benefits for students so for the educator who has capacity, it is an excellent approach.

The Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Tertiary Education program, developed by Disability Awareness, is available to UOW staff.

Inclusive design

Inclusive design encourages us to look beyond the disability or other barrier and consider the relationship between the user and the content they are interacting with. It aims to create an experience that is optimal for all users.

Why inclusive design?

As outlined above, accessibility, UDL and inclusive design have significant potential to benefit all students so familiarising yourself with all three is a worthwhile exercise.

Many learners have never been formally diagnosed, inclusive design works to support all learners regardless of diagnosis. It goes beyond compliance to cater for the full range of human diversity (Microsoft, 2018) and encourages a sense of belonging in all users (Holmes, 2018). It also addresses some of the fundamental principles of UDL by; taking into consideration how information is represented, encouraging the creation flexible experiences that allow users customise how they interact with content.

For this reason, the suite of resources available in the L&T Hub have been written in support of an inclusive design approach.

References