Published
19-6-2026
Type of Work
Article
Abstract
This reflective teaching practice explores the use of empathy-based learning activities to support UX Design students in developing a deeper understanding of accessibility and inclusive design.
While accessibility principles and standards were introduced within the curriculum, I observed that students often understood accessibility as a set of requirements rather than a human-centred design responsibility. Their design outcomes demonstrated strong visual creativity but sometimes overlooked important accessibility considerations such as colour contrast, content hierarchy, navigation clarity, and inclusive communication.
To address this gap, I designed two short experiential activities that encouraged students to experience accessibility barriers firsthand. The first activity used colour vision simulation to help students understand how reliance on colour alone can exclude users. The second activity challenged students to navigate digital experiences without visual cues, highlighting the importance of content structure, meaningful navigation, and accessible information architecture.
These activities aimed to shift accessibility from a compliance-based mindset toward a more empathetic and user-centred design practice. This reflection discusses the design of these learning experiences, observations from implementation, and key learnings about the role of empathy in teaching accessibility within creative technology education.
Citation
World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). (2023). Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.2. https://www.w3.org/TR/WCAG22/
CAST (2018). Universal Design for Learning Guidelines version 2.2. https://udlguidelines.cast.org
Novak, K. (2021). UDL Now! A Teacher’s Guide to Applying Universal Design for Learning in Today’s Classrooms. CAST Professional Publishing.
Rose, D. H., & Meyer, A. (2002). Teaching Every Student in the Digital Age: Universal Design for Learning. ASCD.
Dalton, E. M., & Proctor, C. P. (2007). Reading as thinking: Integrating strategy instruction in a universally designed digital learning environment. Harvard Graduate School of Education.
McMahon-Coleman, K., & Draisma, K. (2014). Teaching Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder in Higher Education. Routledge.
Sketchin. (2021, October 20). Designing for and with the Extremes - Moving forward - Medium. Medium; Moving forward. https://medium.com/sketchin/designing-for-and-with-the-extremes-b1083e229a22
Mellídez, B. G. (2020, May 20). Designing for the extremes - UX Collective. Medium; UX Collective. https://uxdesign.cc/designing-for-the-extremes-9b9d6e7350a3