Disability, General accessibility
Accessibility is (thankfully) receiving a fair amount of attention in web development circles these days. As designers and developers we should all be seeking to create experiences that are as inclusive as possible. With that in mind I’d like to talk about designing for motor impairments, an aspect of accessibility that I think is often overlooked.
The National Center for Health Statistics reported in 2015 that 32% of Americans aged 18 and over have some type of motor impairment. That number may seem quite large, but it covers a wide range of disabilities and limitations. Often when we discuss motor function related disabilities we limit the discussion to those with severe impairments such as paralysis or cerebral palsy. The reality is that almost any decreased motor function control can negatively impact someone’s ability to browse the web or use your application. In fact, the likelihood that you will face some type of motor impairment in your lifetime is quite high. Whether it’s temporary like a broken wrist, or a permanent loss due to things like illness or the natural process of aging it’s an issue that almost everyone will have to deal with at some point. So naturally it makes sense to [...]