Episode #53
Ep45. Accessibility is more than disability: designing for outcome not diagnosis
Summary Lucy Collins speaks with inclusive design advocate Matt Roberts about the relationship between accessibility, disability, and inclusive design. Matt shares how arthritis, colourblindness, and hearing loss have shaped his personal and professional perspective. The conversation explores why access needs can be permanent, temporary, situational, or invisible. Lucy and Matt discuss moving beyond diagnosis labels and designing around real human circumstances and outcomes. Takeaways Ask what someone is trying to do and what is stopping them, rather than focusing only on diagnosis. Design for shared states such as fatigue, low energy, limited attention, or reduced dexterity. Consider a range of inputs and outputs, including keyboard, touch, voice, screen readers, captions, and adjustable text. Treat accessibility as a continuous learning process, not a one-time checklist. Observe how people interact with the world and use those observations to create more inclusive experiences. Sound bites “Accessibility is about designing so that more people in more circumstances can achieve what they came to do.” “I can’t switch on and off being colourblind. I can’t switch off having good and bad arthritis days. It’s just who I am.” “It’s everybody. It’s everybody in some sort of way and it will impact you differently at different times.” “Accessibility is good for all, but accessibility is essential for people with disabilities.” “Don’t think that you’re done. Don’t think you’ve completed it.” Find out more about Matt here... mattroberts.me / Linkedin
