Disabilities aren't always permanent

Inclusive design gives benefits to more people than you might first think.

The knock-on effect of designing with inclusiveness and accessibility is nearly everyone benefits. We often mistakenly assume the number of people who would benefit from improved inclusiveness and accessibility is small – those with permanent disabilities such as loss of limbs or visually impaired.

Microsoft state that exclusion can take place for many reasons. They categorise these exclusions into three groups: permanent, temporary and situational.

1. Permanent, is those who have a disability such as loss of limb, sight, hearing or speech.
2. Temporary, is when a person has short-term injury or context affects the way they interact for a short time. This includes wearing a cast or trying to browse in bright light where reflections can impact readability.
3. Situational, is when people move through different environments. For example in a large crowd people can’t hear well, in a car you’re visually impaired or if you’re a new parent many tasks need to be completed one-handed.

For example, for sight: Permanent: a user might be blind from birth Temporary: eye issues such as cataracts Situational: a distracted driver

By improving the experience for the first, you improve the experience for all users.

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