One size doesn't fit all. Inaccessible design for persons with Multiple Sclerosis creates significant obstacles, including difficulty or inability to use specific devices and increased stress in work and home life.
We explore how optimized user experiences for people with MS benefit all designs.
Common barriers for people with MS
MS is a chronic disease that impacts the brain and spinal cord. This immune-system attacking illness can be unpredictable, as it affects every individual differently.
There are several common ways MS affects the body, and the most notable also contribute to how those with MS interact with particular designs. For example, those with MS may experience frequent imbalance issues, severe fatigue, navigational issues, numbness, and cognitive problems.
The erratic nature of MS makes it more difficult for those with the condition to know when specific designs may or may not work for them. Still, it should not be up to the consumer to conform to the shortcomings of any design. This is where accessible design for those with MS plays a role.
How MS affects user experiences
In a recent study from Utah State University (USU), researchers mapped out many barriers leading to restrained user experiences for people with MS. Since MS can affect multiple aspects of an individual’s health, the study breaks down how to address each possible area: accessibility, needs, efficiency, navigation, and psychological warfare.
Accessibility focuses on the mobility of a design. Many people with MS experience tremors and spasticity, or muscle stiffness. Others require either a cane or a wheelchair.
Needs refer to the ways designs can directly respond to bodily needs. For example, individuals with MS may have bouts of numbness, tingling, or bladder and bowel issues requiring immediate resolution.
Individuals with MS need extra focus on efficiency in designs. As muscle weakness and fatigue plague many with MS, it's essential that designs meet those particular needs when they arise. For example, is there a way certain products can be more lightweight or easier to hold if the user has difficulty?
Optimized navigation in designs directly helps people with MS. That’s because many with MS experience vertigo and vision problems that influence how they can interact with a design.
Finally, psychological warfare such as a higher likelihood to experience depression and cognitive problems heightens the need for easy-to-use designs.
While the USU study focuses mainly on improving interior design strategies, its research sets a strong foundation for designers in any field working to be more accessible.
MS-focused designs
Accessible design refers to buildings, products, and environments accessible to everyone, regardless of age or ability. Examples of designs that are very accessible for people with MS already exist and are often merely designs that consider accessibility from their inception.
For example, public buildings that go beyond ADA compliance to incorporate features like automated doors and electric handle controls can significantly benefit people with MS and those with other disabilities.
Housing that includes elements beyond those required by the ADA, like rounded counters, slip-resistant floors, and single-floor layouts, bring more ease of mobility for many with MS.
As for digital designs, simplified, easy-to-use interfaces seem helpful to individuals with MS and all users. For example, apps and mobile devices that label “invisible text” like icons with metadata or meaningful descriptions assist those with MS who might be dealing with vision impairments.
The key to inclusive design
Big companies worldwide are leading in a new way to think of accessible designs. For example, Microsoft recently announced its ‘inclusive design’ mission would focus on accessibility.
Inclusive design considers cultural, social, and other characteristics beyond what design often describes as a ‘typical’ user. With this approach to design, individuals with MS are more likely to be included in initial design conversations.
With Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) gaining traction globally and initiatives like Valuable 500 urging companies to include accessibility in future business ventures, there’s a higher likelihood now more than ever for better user experiences for persons with MS.
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