Devoxx Greece 2025 - Accessibility in the year 2025 by Lena Lekkou

Summary

In this insightful talk, Lena explores the importance of accessibility and inclusivity in digital products. She shares her experiences with clients who misunderstand the true purpose of accessibility, emphasizing that it benefits everyone, not just those with permanent disabilities. Lena highlights the upcoming EU accessibility regulations and debunks common myths, such as accessibility being costly or irrelevant. She stresses the need for inclusive design that accommodates people with diverse abilities, including temporary and situational disabilities. The core message is about designing for humanity, not just compliance, and ensuring equal access for all.

Takeaways

• 😀 Accessibility should be about more than just compliance; it's about creating truly usable products for all people, regardless of their abilities.
• 😀 Clients may sometimes view accessibility as a checkbox to tick rather than a meaningful, inclusive feature for all users.
• 😀 Accessibility is not only for people with permanent disabilities but also for those with temporary or situational disabilities, like broken limbs or headaches.
• 😀 The EU Accessibility Act will extend accessibility requirements to a wide range of digital products and services, not just websites, in the coming months.
• 😀 Common myths about accessibility include: it’s only for a small number of people, it’s expensive and time-consuming, and it’s the sole responsibility of developers.
• 😀 Accessibility should not make designs boring or ugly—it's about finding a balance between usability and aesthetic appeal.
• 😀 Accessibility is about inclusivity for as many people as possible, including those with visual, auditory, motor, cognitive, neurological, and other disabilities.
• 😀 Disabilities should not be viewed in isolation—people with disabilities may have multiple coexisting conditions that impact their experience with products and services.
• 😀 Temporary and situational disabilities (such as a loud environment for bartenders) should also be considered when designing for accessibility.
• 😀 Inclusivity should be a core principle of design and development, aiming for fairness, respect, and consideration of human rights and experiences in all stages of product creation.

Q & A

What is the main message the speaker is conveying about accessibility?

The speaker emphasizes that accessibility should not be an afterthought or just a compliance requirement. Instead, it should be integrated into the design and development process to ensure equal access for everyone, regardless of their abilities.

What are the two types of clients the speaker discusses in the beginning, and what do they represent?

The first client wants a website with accessibility features for people with disabilities, while the second client is focused on a more superficial accessibility icon on the website. These represent two contrasting attitudes: one that genuinely cares about accessibility and another that just wants to meet the legal or marketing requirement.

What is the EU Accessibility Act, and how does it relate to the speaker's message?

The EU Accessibility Act, which comes into effect in two months, aims to ensure equal access to digital products, services, and information for everyone, including people with disabilities. The speaker stresses that this act requires proactive attention from developers, designers, and businesses to meet these standards.

What are some myths about accessibility that the speaker mentions?

The speaker mentions several myths, including: accessibility is only for a small number of people, it only benefits those with permanent disabilities, it is expensive and time-consuming, it’s solely the responsibility of developers, and accessibility makes designs ugly or boring.

What is the speaker's view on 'brutalistic' design?

The speaker criticizes brutalistic design for being aesthetically unpleasing and not conducive to accessibility. She argues that while brutalism may be trendy, it can hinder accessibility and does not work well for most users, especially those with disabilities.

How does the speaker expand the definition of disability in the context of accessibility?

The speaker broadens the concept of disability to include not just permanent disabilities, but also temporary and situational disabilities. She highlights that disabilities can range from vision issues like color blindness to situational challenges such as a bartender experiencing hearing problems due to loud music.

Why does the speaker mention temporary and situational disabilities, and how does it impact design?

The speaker mentions these types of disabilities to emphasize that accessibility affects a larger group than just people with permanent disabilities. Situational disabilities can affect anyone at different times, such as when wearing glasses or experiencing temporary physical challenges, and should be considered when designing for inclusivity.

What does the speaker suggest about the role of designers and developers in ensuring accessibility?

The speaker suggests that designers and developers should not just focus on compliance but also strive to create human-centered, inclusive designs. She stresses the importance of engaging people with disabilities in the design and testing process to improve accessibility.

How does the concept of 'humanity-centered design' relate to the speaker's message?

The speaker mentions 'humanity-centered design' as a more inclusive approach to design that prioritizes human experiences and needs, rather than just focusing on technical or user-centered design. This approach aligns with her message of creating accessible and inclusive products for everyone.

What is the significance of the speaker's reference to Microsoft’s inclusive design framework?

The speaker highlights Microsoft’s inclusive design framework, which categorizes disabilities into permanent, temporary, and situational. This framework encourages a broader understanding of accessibility and how it applies to all users, helping designers think inclusively about all potential user needs.