You Say You’re My A11y, But Then UX Me
(You Say You're my Ally, But Then You Ex Me)
By Saša Stojić-Ito, LACCD
Facilitator
Outcomes
You Say You’re My A11y, But Then UX Me
A11y=Accessibility
Numeronym.
Number 11 stands for 11 letters between the letters A and Y.
UX=User Experience
Create products that are useful, easy to use, and provide a positive experience for the end user.
Have you ever created something
accessible but got
flooded with
confused questions?
Accessibility ≠ Usability
Technically Accessible… (1 of 3)
Alt Text Present
<alt =”image”>
<alt=” graphic1.jpg”
Technically Accessible… (2 of 3)
Color Use
Color is only indicator
Technically Accessible… (3 of 3)
Headings
Skipping Hierarchy
Meet WCAG
Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) is set of international standards for making content more accessible to people with a wide range of disabilities.
P for Perceivable
Information must be presented in ways users can access with their senses (see it, hear it, feel it).
O for Operable
Navigation and actions must be possible for everyone—whether using a mouse, keyboard, switch device, or voice commands.
U for Understandable
Content should be clear and predictable. Users shouldn’t need a decoder ring to figure out your course page.
R for Robust
Content should work with assistive technologies now and adapt to future tech.
POUR
P for Perceivable: Information must be presented in ways users can access with their senses (see it, hear it, feel it).
O for Operable: Navigation and actions must be possible for everyone—whether using a mouse, keyboard, switch device, or voice commands.
U for Understandable: Content should be clear and predictable. Users shouldn’t need a decoder ring to figure out your course page.
R for Robust: Content should work with assistive technologies now and adapt to future tech.
How do you practice POUR?
When UX Fails, A11y Falls With It
UX Crisis
Student Experience (1 of 2)
“I couldn’t figure out how to submit my assignment. I just gave up.”
“The instructions were long, dense, and buried in a wall of text.”
Student Experience (2 of 2)
“The contrast hurt my eyes, and I have no idea where to start.”
What is one frustrating moment you’ve had with A11y & UX?
A11y is Everyone's Job
What We Can Do
Faculty
Use heading styles, write clear instructions, label links
Admins
Fund captioning tools, training, education
DSPS
Provide Support, but not fix everything post-hoc
A11y Culture
From Checklist to Care
Usability is not a luxury add-on. It’s what turns access into actual learning.
Building Inclusively
Chunking
Clear Labels
Logical Reading Order
Descriptive Links
Heading Hierarchy
Accessible Names
White Spaces
No Color-Only
Keyboard Navigable
Plain Instructions
Design for All
A11y vs. A11y & UX
Small Habits, Big Shifts
Key Ideas
Progress Over Perfection
Scaffolding Learning
A11y Is Not A Feature
A11y & UX
When UX fails, accessibility suffers. And when we silo accessibility, everyone loses.
Let’s stop UX-ing our allies and start building content worth trusting.
Q&A
Thank you Everyone for the work that you do, for the questions you ask, for pointing out what work needs to be done, and for not stopping your advocacy…
Accessibility isn’t a feature, it is a foundation!
Contact Information