Designing for Everyone

Active learning helps Year 3 students grasp accessibility by making abstract concepts concrete through hands-on experiences. Simulating challenges and redesigning interfaces let students personally encounter barriers, which builds empathy and deepens understanding more effectively than abstract discussion alone.

• Year 3
• Technologies
• 4 activities
• 25 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Analyze how specific physical or sensory abilities impact interaction with digital interfaces.
2. Justify the necessity of diverse user perspectives in the design of technological products.
3. Design and construct a modification to an existing digital interface to improve its accessibility for a specific user group.
4. Compare the usability of an original interface with a modified accessible version.

Collaborative Problem-Solving

⏱ 25 min·Pairs

Empathy Pairs: Simulated Use

Pairs select a simple tech toy or app screenshot. One student simulates a disability, like low vision with blurred glasses or one hand tied, and tries to use it while the partner times and notes barriers. Switch roles, then brainstorm one quick fix together.

Prepare & details

Analyze how different abilities might influence technology use.

Facilitation Tip: During Empathy Pairs, provide students with blindfolds and noise-canceling headphones to simulate visual and auditory challenges, but ensure safety and comfort.

Setup: Groups at tables with problem materials

Materials: Problem packet, Role cards (facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, reporter), Problem-solving protocol sheet, Solution evaluation rubric

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Collaborative Problem-Solving

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Redesign Stations: Interface Mods

Set up stations with everyday items like remote controls or button boards. Small groups modify one item per station for a specific ability, such as adding tactile markers or larger grips. Rotate stations, test each other's changes, and vote on best ideas.

Prepare & details

Justify the inclusion of diverse perspectives in product design.

Facilitation Tip: At Redesign Stations, circulate with a checklist of accessibility features to prompt students to consider alternatives like larger buttons or voice commands.

Setup: Groups at tables with problem materials

Materials: Problem packet, Role cards (facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, reporter), Problem-solving protocol sheet, Solution evaluation rubric

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Collaborative Problem-Solving

⏱ 30 min·Whole Class

Whole Class Critique: App Analysis

Project images of child-friendly apps. As a class, discuss what works and what does not for different users. Vote on priority changes, then pairs sketch one improved screen before sharing.

Prepare & details

Construct modifications to an existing interface to enhance accessibility.

Facilitation Tip: For Whole Class Critique, display student redesigns side-by-side with original interfaces to highlight improvements and foster discussion.

Setup: Groups at tables with problem materials

Materials: Problem packet, Role cards (facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, reporter), Problem-solving protocol sheet, Solution evaluation rubric

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Collaborative Problem-Solving

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Prototype Challenge: Inclusive Game

In small groups, design and build a simple game controller from recyclables that works for varied abilities. Test prototypes across the class and refine based on feedback.

Prepare & details

Analyze how different abilities might influence technology use.

Facilitation Tip: In Prototype Challenge, provide craft materials like large buttons or textured paper so students can physically create inclusive game controls.

Setup: Groups at tables with problem materials

Materials: Problem packet, Role cards (facilitator, recorder, timekeeper, reporter), Problem-solving protocol sheet, Solution evaluation rubric

• Apply
• Analyze
• Evaluate
• Create
• Relationship Skills
• Decision-Making
• Self-Management

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should model empathy by participating in simulations themselves, as this builds credibility with students. Avoid assuming students will intuitively understand barriers; instead, guide them through guided reflection after each activity. Research suggests that short, focused empathy exercises work better than prolonged simulations, which can overwhelm or distract from the learning goal.

What to Expect

Successful learning shows when students can explain why certain design choices exclude users and how small modifications can include more people. They should justify their redesigns with clear reasoning and use empathy to guide their design decisions.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Empathy Pairs, students may think accessibility features are only needed for people with disabilities.

What to Teach Instead

During Empathy Pairs, set up stations where students experience tasks with simulated barriers (e.g., blurred vision, limited hand movement) and then discuss how these barriers also affect everyone in different situations, like reading a phone in bright sunlight or using a device with gloves.

Common Misconception

During Redesign Stations, students may believe making tech accessible reduces fun or makes it boring.

What to Teach Instead

During Redesign Stations, provide examples of inclusive designs that enhance creativity, such as a drawing app with voice-to-text or customizable brush sizes, to show students how accessibility can add new possibilities.

Common Misconception

During Whole Class Critique, students may assume designers automatically consider everyone without input.

What to Teach Instead

During Whole Class Critique, display a simple interface and ask students to identify who might be left out, then discuss how diverse input could improve the design, emphasizing that even small changes make a big difference.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Empathy Pairs, present students with images of common digital interfaces and ask them to identify one potential barrier for a user with a specific disability and explain why it's a barrier.

Discussion Prompt

During Redesign Stations, ask students to share their modified interfaces with peers and justify their design choices, focusing on how their changes address different users' needs.

Exit Ticket

After Whole Class Critique, give students a simple digital task, such as changing the font size on a simulated webpage, and ask them to write down one way they could make this task easier for someone who has trouble using a mouse or reading small text.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to research and present an accessibility feature used in a real-world app or game, explaining how it benefits users.
• Scaffolding: Provide sentence starters like, 'This button is too small for someone with...' to support students in identifying barriers.
• Deeper: Invite a guest speaker, such as someone with lived experience of a disability, to discuss how technology design impacts their daily life.

Key Vocabulary

Accessibility	The design of products, devices, and environments so they can be used by people with disabilities. It means ensuring everyone can access and use technology.
User Interface (UI)	The part of a computer system or application that a user interacts with, including screens, buttons, and menus. It's how people control and use technology.
Inclusive Design	Designing products and services to be usable by as many people as possible, regardless of age, ability, or situation. It considers a wide range of human diversity.
Assistive Technology	Tools and devices that help people with disabilities perform tasks they might otherwise find difficult or impossible. Examples include screen readers or adaptive keyboards.