WEBVTT 00:00:18.985 --> 00:00:23.267 Tip #1: Integrate accessible design from the start 00:00:23.621 --> 00:00:29.211 The reason to integrate accessible design from the start, is not only because retrofitting will cost 00:00:29.211 --> 00:00:36.897 more. Retrofitting is for information and communication technology is similar constructing a house and 00:00:36.897 --> 00:00:42.469 not leaving room for the ramp. You're going to have to do a lot of tearing down and changing, and so that's 00:00:42.469 --> 00:00:47.694 costly. So if its done from the start it need not cost any more, in fact what it might do is save money. 00:00:47.694 --> 00:00:55.078 Because accessible design allows easier updating. It means more flexible adaptable design, so it means 00:00:55.078 --> 00:00:57.514 you can reach a larger customer base. 00:00:57.621 --> 00:01:01.481 Tip #2: Choose the right development tools 00:01:01.527 --> 00:01:06.664 Development and authoring tools are your friend. The wonderful thing about development and authoring 00:01:06.664 --> 00:01:13.282 tools is that they can prompt support, provide the necessary utilities such that you are guided and 00:01:13.282 --> 00:01:17.996 almost lead through the process of accessible design. So someone that isn't very knowledgeable 00:01:17.996 --> 00:01:24.149 about accessible design and may not be very motivated, by virtue of using the right development or authoring 00:01:24.149 --> 00:01:30.465 tools, where accessibility is built in, they will produce accessible designs. 00:01:30.465 --> 00:01:37.315 There are international guidelines on how to create authoring tools that will support the creation 00:01:37.315 --> 00:01:42.632 of accessible web content. These are called the Authoring Tool Accessibility Guidelines. 00:01:42.632 --> 00:01:50.155 So in finding a development tool kit or authoring tool, you can look for ATAG compliant, as they are 00:01:50.155 --> 00:01:56.516 called, authoring tools, and they will provide that support, that guidance and that prompting that helps 00:01:56.516 --> 00:01:59.554 you to create accessible web content. 00:01:59.600 --> 00:02:03.143 Tip #3 Focus the message and keep its presentation flexible 00:02:03.143 --> 00:02:11.471 Good communications means getting the message to your audience. The lesson that I think we need to learn, 00:02:11.471 --> 00:02:17.114 is that there is no typical audience. There is no typical or average end user. 00:02:17.114 --> 00:02:25.078 So good design mean flexible design. Most people when they create a communication message, or web content, 00:02:25.078 --> 00:02:29.188 or an application, the first thing they think about is presentation. 00:02:29.188 --> 00:02:33.809 But in fact what we should be thinking is what is the goal, what is the message that I want to communicate. 00:02:33.809 --> 00:02:39.985 And then enable flexible presentations. What that allows you to do is re-purpose that same product, that 00:02:39.985 --> 00:02:46.162 application, or that web content, for the various audiences. You're going to be much more successful if 00:02:46.162 --> 00:02:51.712 it's going to be much more usable, it's going to communicate the message much better, if you have that 00:02:51.731 --> 00:02:56.935 flexible presentation, that can shift according to who your audience member is. 00:02:56.935 --> 00:03:00.680 Tip #4: Increase your market: Look for "electronic curbcuts" 00:03:00.756 --> 00:03:07.501 Startups should be looking for electronic curbcuts and what we mean by electronic curbcuts is this phenomenon 00:03:07.501 --> 00:03:15.396 that whenever you design something for individuals with disabilities, who are, albeit at the margins 00:03:15.396 --> 00:03:20.017 of your custom base, it usually benefits everyone. 00:03:20.017 --> 00:03:29.235 One very very current and good example of this, is here in Toronto we had a legal challenge that required that the 00:03:29.235 --> 00:03:35.388 street car stop be called out automatically. And while that was intended for someone who is blind, 00:03:35.388 --> 00:03:43.422 who couldn't see what the streets were that were coming up, everyone benefits from that particular redesign. 00:03:43.422 --> 00:03:49.854 There is a wonderful site that collects all of these examples. It is the electronic curb cuts site. If you 00:03:49.854 --> 00:03:56.542 just google electronic curb cut you'll see a collection of all of the things that we now come to depend 00:03:56.542 --> 00:04:02.254 upon that were originally created for people with disabilities. and it includes things like voice recognition, 00:04:02.254 --> 00:04:08.875 text-to-speech, email, and things that you'll be very very surprised about. 00:04:08.936 --> 00:04:13.164 Tip #5: Use a diversity of perspectives and challenges 00:04:13.210 --> 00:04:19.715 If you want innovation and creativity in your designs, and you want your products or the things that you're 00:04:19.715 --> 00:04:26.913 designing, to have the greatest possible usability across the greatest number of consumers, then the 00:04:26.913 --> 00:04:33.508 best way to do that is to engage individuals with a diversity of perspectives who have experienced 00:04:33.508 --> 00:04:40.242 the greatest variety of challenges, directly in your design team from the start. 00:04:40.242 --> 00:04:46.790 There's research to show the more diverse a team is, the more likely they will make good predictions, 00:04:46.790 --> 00:04:52.823 they will plan better and they will come up with more innovative and useful ideas.