Accessibility Map

Accessibility Research for Built Environments

A clear starting point for this project was first to understand better what accessibility meant in a built environment. To do this, I spent a day exploring a variety of sources—from books to blogs, to articles, to videos— that shared insight into life with a disability. You don't have to dig far before you find a wealth of information.

Some critical insights gained from this research are the following:

• There's so much more to accessibility than simply whether or not a building entrance has steps.
• Accessibility must be comprehensive to be most beneficial: a level entrance is only so good if the door is too heavy to open without assistance.
• Inaccessibility can cause mundane errands to be major ordeals for someone with a disability.
• The fear of unknown accessibility often deters individuals with disabilities from going to new places.

Problem Statement

People experiencing a disability—permanent, temporary, or situational—need better support to overcome barriers in their environment and confidently navigate their world without feeling excluded. Many spaces are not designed with people with disabilities in mind, leading to accessibility issues that require afterthought-accommodations and infrastructural add-ons.

When put in the context of students navigating a school campus, inaccessible spaces can lead to barriers to entry for those seeking higher education. This fact is further emphasized by the following statistics for the US population:

Establishing Accessibility Criteria

Before jumping into design, it was necessary first to define a list of criteria that could be used to evaluate each building. I needed to determine what information was most important for this map to capture to benefit the most significant number of people. Knowing what data the map would display, I could use this information to determine the visual layout of the design.

I used knowledge and examples from my earlier accessibility research to determine any easily identifiable criteria. Additionally, I conducted an empathy exercise where I first created a list of common university navigation patterns—such as walking through connected buildings, up and down building levels to get from one classroom the another. I then mentally moved through these patterns while focusing on a specific disability and commonly associated access needs to identify potential barriers individuals with this particular disability would encounter. Research and this exercise allowed me to generate an initial list of criteria for which I then sought validation from individuals with various disabilities through surveying.

Usability Testing and Accessibility Auditing

To validate the design, I first conducted a usability test with five users, testing their ability to navigate through the design, find specific pieces of information, and use the filtering options to change the view of information. Overall, users successfully and effectively used the design without significant errors/issues.

Next, I conducted an accessibility assessment to review the design's accessibility, such as word choice, color contrast, and visual sizing. I outlined accessibility elements that will come later in development, such as alt text, tab index, and semantic ordering. I will conduct more in-depth accessibility (as well as usability) testing once I complete product development.