The Importance of Technology Adapted to People
Posted: Thu Jan 23, 2025 7:09 am
Making technology a bridge, not a barrier: ensuring that every user can access and use digital tools effectively and equitably
Thomas Bernaus
Thomas Bernaus
April 26, 2024 — 3 minutes reading time
The Importance of Technology Adapted to People
Photo by @Gstudioimagen1 on Freepik
In today’s vast digital world, technology plays a fundamental role in people’s lives. From communication to work, entertainment and time management, digital apps and platforms provide us with countless benefits and conveniences. However, for these tools to be truly inclusive and accessible to all , it is essential that they are tailored to the needs and capabilities of each individual.
Accessibility and usability: beyond technology
Accessibility and usability are two fundamental investor leads concepts in the design of human-friendly technology. Accessibility refers to the ability of an application or platform to be used by people with different abilities and disabilities, while usability refers to the ease with which a person can interact with the technology to achieve their goals.
In the digital context, accessibility refers to an application's ability to be used by people with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive disabilities. This may include the ability to adjust text size, activate screen readers, use voice commands, or navigate via keyboard instead of mouse. Usability, on the other hand, refers to the clarity and simplicity of the user interface, as well as the efficiency with which common tasks can be performed.
The importance of these aspects goes beyond the technological realm, as they directly impact people’s daily lives. For example, an accessible transportation app can enable a disabled person to move around independently, while a user-friendly banking app can make managing finances easier for people with cognitive disabilities. Ultimately, accessibility and usability are issues of equity and social justice , ensuring that all people, regardless of their abilities, can fully participate in the digital society.
The Impact of Small Design Changes
Even small changes to the design of a website or app can have a significant impact on accessibility and usability for some people. For example, changing the size of text on a login page can make it difficult to quickly identify the function of each field. This change can be especially problematic for people with visual or cognitive disabilities, who may have difficulty reading small text or understanding dense information.
Additionally, the layout and design of elements on a login page may have changed, which can affect navigation and understanding for some people . For example, if input fields are closer together or spaced differently, this can cause confusion for people with motor or visual impairments.
For example, in the following image we can see how the Google login has changed to have a slightly different format, in which it is more difficult to read the requested field, in this case, the Email or the phone number.
Thomas Bernaus
Thomas Bernaus
April 26, 2024 — 3 minutes reading time
The Importance of Technology Adapted to People
Photo by @Gstudioimagen1 on Freepik
In today’s vast digital world, technology plays a fundamental role in people’s lives. From communication to work, entertainment and time management, digital apps and platforms provide us with countless benefits and conveniences. However, for these tools to be truly inclusive and accessible to all , it is essential that they are tailored to the needs and capabilities of each individual.
Accessibility and usability: beyond technology
Accessibility and usability are two fundamental investor leads concepts in the design of human-friendly technology. Accessibility refers to the ability of an application or platform to be used by people with different abilities and disabilities, while usability refers to the ease with which a person can interact with the technology to achieve their goals.
In the digital context, accessibility refers to an application's ability to be used by people with visual, hearing, motor, or cognitive disabilities. This may include the ability to adjust text size, activate screen readers, use voice commands, or navigate via keyboard instead of mouse. Usability, on the other hand, refers to the clarity and simplicity of the user interface, as well as the efficiency with which common tasks can be performed.
The importance of these aspects goes beyond the technological realm, as they directly impact people’s daily lives. For example, an accessible transportation app can enable a disabled person to move around independently, while a user-friendly banking app can make managing finances easier for people with cognitive disabilities. Ultimately, accessibility and usability are issues of equity and social justice , ensuring that all people, regardless of their abilities, can fully participate in the digital society.
The Impact of Small Design Changes
Even small changes to the design of a website or app can have a significant impact on accessibility and usability for some people. For example, changing the size of text on a login page can make it difficult to quickly identify the function of each field. This change can be especially problematic for people with visual or cognitive disabilities, who may have difficulty reading small text or understanding dense information.
Additionally, the layout and design of elements on a login page may have changed, which can affect navigation and understanding for some people . For example, if input fields are closer together or spaced differently, this can cause confusion for people with motor or visual impairments.
For example, in the following image we can see how the Google login has changed to have a slightly different format, in which it is more difficult to read the requested field, in this case, the Email or the phone number.