The study makes clear that accessibility cannot be treated as an afterthought or patched onto an already finished product. True equity in digital health requires disabled people to be included in every stage of development, from early brainstorming to testing and evaluation. This shifts responsibility away from individuals struggling to adapt to inaccessible systems, and places it on developers and institutions to design inclusively from the start.

Equity Requires Participatory Design

One of the most powerful findings of the study was that the accessibility changes—such as clearer visuals, simplified navigation, and larger buttons—did not only help participants with fine-motor impairments. These improvements also made the app easier to use for non-disabled users, demonstrating the broader value of inclusive design. This principle, often called universal design, shows that when technology is built with marginalized users in mind, everyone benefits.

Arizona State University

The study underscored that participants contributed insights that developers would not have identified on their own. For example, feedback about button size and hand positioning reflected the lived experience of navigating technology with fine-motor impairments. By incorporating this input, the researchers were able to redesign the app in ways that meaningfully improved usability. Disabled people are not just test subjects but essential co-creators of knowledge and design.

Disabled Users are Experts 

Universal design is a framework for creating environments that are accessible and usable for everyone, regardless of their abilities. Professionals should strive to implement universal design principles in their workspaces and activities. Office space is often minimal, and there is not much professionals can do about it. If that is the case, acknowledge the limited space with your clients to show them you care. That will go a long way.

Universal Design

Zhou, L., Saptono, A., Setiawan, I. M. A., & Parmanto, B. (2020). Making Self-Management Mobile Health Apps Accessible to People With Disabilities: Qualitative Single-Subject Study. JMIR mHealth and uHealth, 8(1), e15060. https://doi.org/10.2196/15060

Making Self-Management Mobile Health Apps Accessible to People with Disabilities: A Qualitative Single-Subject Study Reference

Accessibility Enhances Usability for All

Abes, Abrams, and Floyd (the authors) note that while Universal Design is a way faculty can work against academic ableism and create more accessible classes that Universal Design still relies on often non-fluid definitions of disability and assumes that disabled students would have the same predictable needs throughout the course, this is how the authors differentiate between a class that utilizes universal design and a cripped class.

Universal Design vs. Cripped Classes

Shew underscores that making environments and technologies accessible for people at the “extremes” of ability often improves access for everyone — for instance, curb cuts aid wheelchair users but also help parents with strollers, travelers with luggage, and injured athletes.

Learn Before

Related

Learn After