Ep39. Building neuroinclusive digital experiences

Summary Dr. Tanvir Bush joins the Web Usability Podcast to explore what genuine inclusion looks like beyond compliance and checkbox exercises. Drawing on her experience as a writer, disabled activist, and researcher, Tanvir shares why inclusion starts with understanding what makes people feel safe, welcome, and able to belong. The conversation covers meaningful co-creation, access intimacy, Crip Time, creative approaches to participation, and the importance of involving disabled people from the very beginning. Tanvir and host Lucy Collins also reflect on how rushing research and design especially in the age of AI can leave out the human insight needed to make better products and services. Takeaways Inclusion is a continuing practice, not a course or checklist to complete. Start with self-reflection: consider where you feel safe and welcomed, and what creates that feeling. Move from “What can we do for you?” to “What can we do for each other?” Genuine co-creation means involving people early, giving them influence, allowing enough time, and paying them for their contributions. Creative methods can help people share experiences when conventional interviews or surveys are not a good fit. Making time for human participation can strengthen research and design; speed alone is not a substitute for understanding people.

Summary Lucy Collins and Ken Groom explore what allyship means in digital accessibility, especially for people without lived experience of disability. She explains why she feels cautious about using the label “ally” and why it matters to make space for disabled voices. The episode focuses on amplifying lived experience rather than speaking over the people directly affected. Lucy argues that accessibility advocacy should be a shared responsibility. She describes how inclusive user testing can help teams understand barriers through real experiences. She encourages allies to speak up when products, suppliers, or decisions are inaccessible. Takeaways Make room for disabled people to share their own experience's Use your platform to amplify those voices, not replace them. Treat accessibility as a shared responsibility. Include people with a range of access needs in user testing. Help decision-makers understand barriers through direct user experiences. Challenge inaccessible tools and processes when you encounter them. Sound bites “Good allyship means lifting up disabled voices rather than taking space from them” “Allyship is not passive support, but active advocacy” “Disability inclusion becomes a shared responsibility” “Inclusive user testing lets people experience accessibility barriers directly” “Allyship means both amplifying others and challenging exclusion” “Speak up when products or services leave people out”

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.”

Summary Lucy Collins speaks with Hannah Knowles about using a weekly research sprint to turn complex product challenges into focused, actionable insights. Hannah explains how her research sprint approach is inspired by design sprints, but adapted specifically for research questions. By breaking large, vague problems into smaller questions, teams can reach useful conclusions in five days without undermining the robustness of the research. The conversation covers the importance of setting clear assumptions, working closely with product teams and clients, and using a Lean UX Canvas to create a strong foundation for the research process. Takeaways A weekly research sprint can help teams generate useful insights in just five days. Large research problems are easier to manage when they are divided into smaller, focused questions. Shorter research cycles help teams maintain momentum and avoid losing interest. Research findings can become less valuable when projects take so long that the product or problem changes. The Monday setup session creates alignment between the researcher, product team, or client. A Lean UX Canvas can help define the research goal, user problem, and key assumptions in around 60 to 90 minutes.

Summary In this episode, Lucy Collins interviews Ed Whicher about the impact of AI on web design, SEO, and user experience. They explore how AI agents work, their current capabilities, and practical steps for website owners to prepare for an AI-driven future. Takeaways AI bots now make up more than half of web traffic AI agents can perform structured, repetitive tasks efficiently Trust and context are critical when deploying AI agents Websites need to focus on accessibility and SEO for AI compatibility Rushing AI integration can lead to costly mistakes