From Feedback to Functionality: Inclusively's Approach to Accessible Design

As part of Disability Pride Month, Inclusively proudly recognizes the 34th anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) on July 26th. This landmark legislation has been pivotal in propelling disability inclusion forward and a cornerstone of our work.

As a team, we’re always learning from our users and improving our product. We are excited to share our latest product features and how they align to our commitment to building an accessible tool and platform for all employees to access the accommodations, support and benefits they need. In this post, we'll explore Inclusively's approach to product design, featuring a Q&A with our product manager, Nataly Cardenas .?

Achievements Since Launch

This year marks a special milestone as we celebrate our fourth birthday. Our team has grown, our technology has evolved, and our impact has expanded with a diverse community of users and partners dedicated to supporting employees and providing access to tools they can use to succeed in the workplace.?

Our platform now proudly supports thousands of users and offers employee support and analytics through Retain. This universal approach to accommodations solution empowers employees to easily find and request workplace accommodations, known as Success Enablers. This empowers all employees, including those with disabilities, to succeed in their careers by providing personalized support.

Inside Inclusively’s Development Process

To provide deeper insights into our approach to accessible product development, we spoke with Nataly Cardenas, Inclusively's Product Manager. In this Q&A, Nataly shared how Inclusively places users and accessibility at the heart of our design process. From the initial concept to the final product, user feedback is crucial, highlighting the importance of collaboration between designers, developers, accessibility experts, and disabled users.

Why is collaboration between designers, developers, and accessibility experts essential in creating accessible UX design?

Collaboration between designers, developers, and accessibility experts is crucial for creating accessible UX design. It’s a continuous, collective effort that ensures inclusivity at every stage of development. Designers must consider everyone in their initial concepts, developers refine designs to address edge cases, and accessibility experts validate these efforts through user testing. Inclusive design is an ongoing journey of improvement, not a final destination.

What are some common barriers that can be identified through the use of assistive technologies in testing?

A few common barriers that can be easily identified during testing include navigation barriers, keyboard accessibility, Image descriptions & color contrasts. Users may struggle if there are no clear headings, or logical tab orders. Interactive elements such as tooltips or buttons should be accessible via keyboard to include engagement from users with motor disabilities. Effective color contrast & image descriptions ensures that all users, including those with visual impairments, can easily engage with the content.?

How does prioritizing accessibility in UX design benefit all users, not just those with disabilities?

Prioritizing accessibility in UX design ensures everyone can benefit. Our mission is to provide Success Enablers to all users, not just those with disabilities, and an accessible platform is key to that. By embracing universal design principles, we not only widen our audience but also enhance usability for all. This approach makes our platform intuitive, user-friendly, and impactful for everyone.

Can you explain the role of user testing in Inclusively’s product development process?

We work with an incredible User Experience Team which includes individuals with a wide range of disabilities, from neurological and physical to vision and hearing.. They thoroughly test new features in our staging environment, providing real feedback on how someone might navigate our site. This valuable feedback is then shared with our developers and designers, ensuring continuous improvement and a more inclusive and dignified user experience.

Can you share a specific example of how user testing led to a significant improvement in a product?

Before launching Retain 2.0, user testing highlighted key areas for improvement, such as onboarding navigation and text readability. We took this feedback to heart, refining our onboarding flow and updating our color palette for better accessibility. These improvements were going above and beyond what was caught in the accessibility tests earlier on. This invaluable feedback enabled us to support new users effectively from the start, making their experience smoother and more enjoyable for the important release.

What advice would you give to other organizations looking to improve accessibility in their UX design?

Accessible design should be an integral part of your team's processes from the start. Think of it like building a solid foundation for a house—when done right from the beginning, everything built on top is stronger and more reliable. Encourage your team to focus on accessibility early on; this proactive approach will save time and money in the long run. Accessible design is ideal for innovators and creatives, always seeking new ways to adapt, evolve, and improve. And always remember, there is no finish line, only continuous improvement!?

The Importance of User Testing

Thank you, Nataly, for providing such invaluable insights into the design and enhancement of our platform! As we mark our fourth anniversary alongside the ADA commemoration, our team remains driven in our mission to champion disability inclusion, foster more inclusive work environments, and promote employee wellbeing with a universal approach to accommodations.?

Watch our brief demo of our Retain platform with Nataly below, and click here to request a personalized demo with our team:?