Having a team with diverse backgrounds, including individuals with disabilities, is a significant advantage when it comes to designing and testing accessible services.

Their firsthand experiences and perspectives can provide invaluable insights into potential barriers and challenges that might not be apparent to others.

Our team of wheelchair users for example can provide invaluable insights into accessibility testing from a lived experience perspective. Their firsthand experiences with physical environments, technology, and services can help identify potential barriers and challenges that might not be apparent to others.

This is how they can help:

  • Testing physical environments - Wheelchair users can test the navigability of spaces, including ramps, doorways, and restrooms. They can also assess the availability and usability of accessible features like elevators and automatic doors.
  • Providing feedback on services - Wheelchair users can provide feedback on the accessibility of services such as transportation, healthcare, and education. They can identify barriers to participation and suggest improvements.

Several members of the team are blind or visually impaired.

Blind individuals can provide valuable insights into the accessibility of buildings, helping to identify barriers and ensure that spaces are inclusive for everyone.

Here are some ways in which a blind person can help test building accessibility:

  • Navigating the building - A blind person can test the ease of navigation within the building, including hallways, stairways, and elevators. They can identify potential obstacles or confusing layouts.
  • Assessing signage - A blind person can evaluate the effectiveness of visual and tactile signage, including braille and embossed labels. They can assess the clarity and placement of signage, as well as the availability of alternative formats like audio announcements.
  • Testing doors and entrances - A blind person can test the ease of locating and opening doors, as well as the presence of door closers or automatic doors. They can also test door markers and the availability of tactile push buttons.
  • Evaluating restrooms and other facilities - A blind person can assess the accessibility of restrooms, including the availability of grab bars, accessible stalls, and signage. They can also evaluate the accessibility of other facilities,such as elevators, drinking fountains, and vending machines.

Equally individuals with hearing impairments can provide unique lived experience insights into the accessibility of buildings.

Here are some ways in which a person with a hearing impairment can contribute to building accessibility testing:

  • Evaluating visual and tactile cues - A person with a hearing impairment can assess the effectiveness of visual and tactile cues, such as signage, door markers, and elevators. They can evaluate the clarity and placement of these cues, as well as the availability of alternative formats like audio announcements.
  • Testing alarm systems - A person with a hearing impairment can test the effectiveness of fire alarms, smoke detectors, and other emergency alert systems. They can assess the visibility and audibility of these systems, as well as the availability of visual alarms or vibrating alerts.
  • Evaluating communication systems - A person with a hearing impairment can test the accessibility of communication systems within the building, such as intercoms, public address systems, and information desks.They can assess the clarity and audibility of these systems, as well as the availability of visual aids or captioning.
  • Assessing social spaces - A person with a hearing impairment can assess the accessibility of social spaces within the building, such as meeting rooms, cafeterias, and common areas. They can identify potential barriers to communication and social interaction, such as noise levels or lack of captioning.

Lived experiences are the best way to get accurate opinions, that experience by a real person with accessibility chlallenges - this is what we do.