We learned so much in this week’s episode of Awkward Silences. Samuel Proulx, Accessibility Evangelist at Fable, joined us to talk to us about accessibility and why it (really, really) matters.

He taught us about the assistive technologies that many people with disabilities use to navigate the digital world, why accessibility is more important now than ever, and how designing for accessibility makes everyone’s user experience better.

Highlights

• [2:09] What an Accessibility Evangelist does.
• [7:39] ​​How to start doing research with people with disabilities.
• [15:59] Start your accessibility journey by making sure accessibility feedback has somewhere to go. 
• [17:21] How to find users with disabilities without collecting HIPPA-protected information.
• [19:19] People who use assistive technology are a skilled pool of participants and should be compensated accordingly.
• [25:52] Why online research is often more accessible for people with disabilities.
• [34:56] A few things researchers can do to make participants with disabilities feel more comfortable during research.
• [44:11] Think of accessibility as a way to improve user experience, not as a checklist you have to comply with.