Designing for Accessibility

Active learning helps students grasp accessibility concepts because they experience barriers firsthand rather than just hearing about them. By manipulating physical prototypes or role-playing user needs, students connect design choices to real human impact, making abstract principles tangible and memorable.

• Year 6
• Technologies
• 4 activities
• 25 min–50 min

Learning Objectives

1. Explain how specific design features, such as adjustable font sizes or voice commands, support users with diverse physical abilities.
2. Compare the accessibility features of two common digital applications or devices, identifying strengths and weaknesses for different user groups.
3. Design a user interface for a simple application that incorporates at least three distinct accessibility features to accommodate varied user needs.
4. Evaluate the effectiveness of a proposed accessible design solution against a specific user challenge.

Stations Rotation

⏱ 45 min·Small Groups

Stations Rotation: Feature Exploration

Set up stations for screen readers, voice commands, magnification tools, and colour contrast adjusters on tablets or computers. Students test each feature on sample apps, note pros and cons, and discuss usability. Rotate groups every 10 minutes and share findings.

Prepare & details

Explain how technology can be designed to support people with different physical abilities.

Facilitation Tip: During Station Rotation: Feature Exploration, circulate with a timer to ensure students rotate at 8-minute intervals, preventing groups from lingering too long on one station.

Setup: Tables/desks arranged in 4-6 distinct stations around room

Materials: Station instruction cards, Different materials per station, Rotation timer

• Remember
• Understand
• Apply
• Analyze
• Self-Management
• Relationship Skills

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 30 min·Pairs

Pairs: App Comparison

Provide pairs with two similar apps, one accessible and one not. They list accessibility features, test with simulated impairments like blurred screens, and score each app. Pairs present comparisons to the class.

Prepare & details

Compare different accessibility features in common software or devices.

Facilitation Tip: When students work in Pairs: App Comparison, provide a shared document template to structure their analysis of at least five features per app.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

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

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 50 min·Small Groups

Small Groups: Interface Prototyping

Groups design an accessible menu for a school app, considering needs like large touch targets and audio cues. Sketch on paper, test with peers using props for disabilities, and refine based on feedback.

Prepare & details

Design an accessible interface for a simple application, considering diverse user needs.

Facilitation Tip: For Small Groups: Interface Prototyping, remind students to sketch wireframes first before building, keeping their focus on accessibility over aesthetics.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

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

Project-Based Learning

⏱ 25 min·Whole Class

Whole Class: Empathy Walkthrough

Project a simple interface; class calls out barriers as the teacher navigates with simulated impairments. Brainstorm improvements collectively, then vote on top designs to implement digitally.

Prepare & details

Explain how technology can be designed to support people with different physical abilities.

Facilitation Tip: During Whole Class: Empathy Walkthrough, assign roles clearly so all students participate equally, such as a user with low vision or limited mobility.

Setup: Flexible workspace with access to materials and technology

Materials: Project brief with driving question, Planning template and timeline, Rubric with milestones, Presentation materials

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

Teaching This Topic

Teachers should model empathy by sharing personal stories or videos of users with diverse needs before activities begin. Avoid over-correcting during prototyping; instead, ask guiding questions like, 'How would someone with color blindness see this?' Research shows that hands-on trials reduce resistance to inclusive design, so prioritize experience over theory.

What to Expect

Successful learning looks like students confidently identifying barriers, proposing practical solutions, and justifying their design choices with empathy. They should articulate how universal design benefits all users, not just those with disabilities.

Watch Out for These Misconceptions

Common Misconception

During Station Rotation: Feature Exploration, watch for students assuming accessibility features are only for people with disabilities.

What to Teach Instead

After students test screen readers or voice controls, ask them to record one way these features benefit all users, such as using voice commands while cooking, then discuss as a class.

Common Misconception

During Pairs: App Comparison, watch for students believing modern apps are fully accessible.

What to Teach Instead

During their comparison, have pairs identify one feature they believe is missing or poorly implemented, then justify their choice with examples from both apps.

Common Misconception

During Small Groups: Interface Prototyping, watch for students overcomplicating designs to 'look impressive' rather than focusing on accessibility.

What to Teach Instead

Provide a checklist of three simple but critical features (e.g., high-contrast buttons, clear labels) and require groups to mark off each one before finalizing their prototype.

Assessment Ideas

Quick Check

After Station Rotation: Feature Exploration, display images of four interface elements with barriers. Students write one sentence explaining the barrier and one modification to fix it.

Discussion Prompt

During Whole Class: Empathy Walkthrough, facilitate a debrief where students share how simulating a disability changed their perspective on one design element.

Peer Assessment

After Small Groups: Interface Prototyping, have students swap prototypes and use a checklist to evaluate each other’s designs for accessibility, then provide one specific suggestion for improvement.

Extensions & Scaffolding

• Challenge: Ask students to research an assistive technology tool not covered in class and present how it solves a specific barrier.
• Scaffolding: Provide a word bank of accessibility terms (e.g., contrast, alt text, caption) for students to reference during prototyping.
• Deeper exploration: Invite a guest speaker with a disability to discuss how technology supports their daily tasks, followed by a reflection activity.

Key Vocabulary

Accessibility	The design of products, devices, services, or environments for people with disabilities. It ensures that people with disabilities can use them independently and with dignity.
Inclusive Design	A design philosophy that aims to create products and services usable by as many people as possible, regardless of their age, ability, or situation, without the need for adaptation or specialized design.
Assistive Technology	Any item, piece of equipment, software program, or product that is used to increase, maintain, or improve the functional capabilities of individuals with disabilities.
User Interface (UI)	The point of human-computer interaction and communication. It includes visual elements like buttons, icons, and text, as well as interactive features.