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Bill Schiffmiller

Accessibility is key to today’s user experience (UX)

Bill Schiffmiller · June 22, 2020 ·

Accessibility and user experience are almost inseparable in 2020. And, with the “digital transformation” of our world speeding up, user experience (UX) is taking a front ambien online row seat.

Accessibility and User Experience (UX) in 2020

Most of us were already conducting some of our personal and professional lives online. We think nothing of hopping on an app to order take-out, shop for groceries, plan a vacation, check our bank accounts, surf social media, or watch what’s trending on Netflix. A recent statistic shows that 13 million people in antabuse Latin America made their first-ever online purchase in 2020. Meanwhile, the pandemic has more of us routinely participate in virtual meetings and engage in online conversations. Article after article shows that 2020 is speeding up our digital evolution. As one writer puts it, “five-year” technology plans seem to be happening in just “10 weeks.”

“Usability” — making sure the user experience (or “UX”) is easy, intuitive, and helpful — has become a top priority. And that’s good news, because we know that greater usability means greater accessibility.

Accessibility is at the forefront of user experience

Our newest technologies offer accessibility features that improve communication for everyone. For example, we can engage the microphone to send a text instead of slowly typing out the message. Today, many of us ask Google Assistant, Amazon Alexa, or Apple Siri to instantly act on our voice commands. How about “smart” word processing software that suggests how we finish our sentences? (And, is that a good or bad thing for our cognitive function?)

Each of these technologies make our digital lives easier by making features more “usable” and more accessible. One of our most popular posts discussed “accessibility” as a natural extension of “usability.” It turns out, many developers and designers feel the same way.

We can do better than just ‘usability’

In his article, “We Can Do Better Than Usability,” customer experience strategist Arp Dragfyy highlights the “Evolution of UX Experience.” Design focus has moved from physiological needs (1990s) to safety and security (2000s), and again from social needs (2010s) to self-actualization (2020s).

Timeline displaying design changes by decade. 1990: Physiological Needs; 2000: Safety and Security; 2010: Social Needs; 2020: Self-Actualization.

Dragffy says, “UX has the potential to be much more than simply usable; it should also be compassionate and impactful.” We couldn’t agree more. And that’s why we made accessibility (and usability) a focus of our website design.

Leading the way with UserWay

At Akoio, we want to make sure you can navigate our site and access everything easily. So, we recently launched the accessibility widget developed by UserWay.

The UserWay usability icon at the right of the Akoio.com website

When viewing our site, you’ll notice the accessibility icon at the right of the screen. Clicking this icon opens the UserWay menu:

  • sKeyboard Navigation
  • Read Page
  • Contrast
  • Highlight Links
  • Bigger Text
  • Text Spacing
  • Pause Animations
  • Legible Fonts
  • Cursor
  • Tooltips

Each menu option changes the appearance or adds functionality to the page. Thus, the tool makes it easier to see, read, and navigate the site. The “Keyboard Navigation” option allows you to browse the site using your keyboard’s tab and arrow keys. Click the “Read Page” option to turn on the screen reader. (You can even adjust the reader’s speed).

The UserWay accessibility menu

Other menu buttons change the visual appearance, from bigger font size to deeper contrast and more. Although using the tool takes just seconds, we want your next visit to be even simpler. So, the widget remembers your user preferences for next time.

Examples of contrast using the accessibility widget

The UserWay screen reader is “fluent” in 30 different languages. So, you can use your browser to translate the page, and the UserWay reader will adopt the new language. UserWay combines all of these tools into a single plugin. And it works on almost any website. Thus, the widget brings to life Dragfyy’s ideas about usability and compassion. And, it is ADA, CVAA, Section 508, and EN 301 549 compliant.

Bonus: If you like its functionality, you can add UserWay to your own site for free.

The Law of Accessibility

Laws have been established to protect those with unique abilities, and businesses are paying attention. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) prohibits discrimination based on disability. And Courts are finding that Title III of the ADA includes website accessibility. Another important piece of legislation, Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act, requires government agencies to make websites accessible to those with disabilities. You can read more from the Federal Register.

But there are even more important reasons to make our websites, our businesses, and our communities more accessible. According to The World Bank, 15% of the world’s population experiences some form of a disability. That’s about 1 in 7 people. We want and need these voices, talents, and experience. As we’ve seen time and time again, being more inclusive leads to better living for everyone. So, we encourage everyone hosting a website, creating an app, or launching new software, to be mindful and proactive about user experience, about usability, and about accessibility.

What’s next?

We see progress each and every day with UX and accessibility. If you had a magic wand, what would be your next wish granted for those experiencing hearing loss and seeking a more accessible world? Please let us know what you think about the functionality of our website, including our UserWay widget. Do you use a different accessibility tool?

Our goal at Akoio is to bring those passionate about hearing wellness together. So, please like and share our Facebook page and share content that may help others. We look forward to the future as we learn together to conquer life.

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Better Hearing and Speech Month Focuses on the Effects of COVID-19

Bill Schiffmiller · June 4, 2020 ·

May usually brings a fun and familiar routine that might include Mother’s Day, graduations, Memorial Day gatherings. (I always smile when I think of Star Wars fans on May the Fourth.) For advocates like me, who are passionate about hearing health and improving communication, May brings a special opportunity as “Better Hearing and Speech” month.

But this May, nothing seems familiar. I still find myself reaching for a handshake, momentarily forgetting to keep my distance. Or, in trying to understand someone better by lip-reading, I look up … only to see a face covering. I think I’ll walk around the corner for a bagel, and then I remember the shop reduced its hours and isn’t open now. With so many changes to our day-to-day, our focus and priorities are constantly shifting. So, I’m glad that “Better Hearing and Speech” month reminds us to keep healthy hearing and communication high on our list — even in unusual circumstances.

“Better Hearing and Speech” month: a little history

The American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) established “Better Hearing and Speech” month in May of 1927. And, while our regular routines may have been disrupted, ASHA is honoring this important tradition. Every May, ASHA tries “to raise awareness about communication disorders and the role of ASHA members in providing life-altering treatment.” Indeed! Dedicated audiologists and caring speech therapists provided the tools and support I needed to communicate effectively. I am grateful for the talented professionals I have worked with through the years. (May the force be with them!)

2020 Better Hearing and Speech Banner
2020 Better Hearing and Speech Month Banner

How COVID-19 has impacted the hearing and speech community

The ASHA theme for May 2020 is “Communication at Work.” ASHA focused its outreach on the challenges posed by COVID-19. Specific to hearing health, they published three helpful articles we think are worth sharing.

A young girl with a hearing aid looks upward off camera.

Caring for Your Child’s Hearing Health at Home: Guidance for Maintaining Hearing Devices, provides a helpful link to NCHAM’s website (National Center for Hearing Assessment and Management). NCHAM includes a section for COVID-19 resources. Two links give step-by-step instructions for a daily listening check to monitor hearing aid function. Here’s a link to the video and the pdf instructions.

A woman with a hearing aid works at her laptop computer.

Next, Hearing Loss and Remote Work: Advice for Effective Communication During Virtual Meetings. This article addresses virtual meetings and how to make them more effective for those with and without hearing loss. The most important takeaways for me were the importance of introductions (hearing and visual checks) and making sure to record the meeting.

A young couple, including a man with a hearing aid, using their mobile devices.

COVID-19 and Hearing Loss in Adults: Strategies at Home offers a helpful pdf reviewing daily care and troubleshooting tips for those using hearing aids. It details listening and battery checks, cleaning and storage, and how to self-diagnose to fix troublesome feedback.

Communication complications and strategies while at work

For Better Hearing and Speech Month 2020, NIDCD (National Institute of Deafness and Other Communication Disorders) teamed up with ASHA. Both advocate for the challenges people face at work, especially during COVID-19. With a large majority of the workforce using technology and communicating six feet apart while wearing masks, overcoming communication challenges is more important than ever.

Young volunteers in clear-windowed face masks

Our blog from earlier this month, Communicating Face to Face Mask, discussed how masks have impacted the lives of those who rely on lip reading. Not hearing well can have real implications at work. After all, following a supervisor’s instructions is key to employer satisfaction and getting the job done right the first time.

A young father attends an online meeting using headphones while entertaining two children.

Last month, we discussed noisy work environments. For some of us, that might even include our home offices. But work-related noise is a critical issue for road crews, roofing contractors and construction workers who haven’t stopped working during the pandemic. Noise-induced hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing or buzzing in the ears) disproportionately affect these workforce communities. Whether we work at home or on the road (literally!), healthy hearing must remain a top priority.

May the force be with you — and your hearing

As we wrap up May, I’ll leave you with the words of famed author Paulo Coelho, “Nothing in the world happens by chance.” Like good communication, safe hearing at work and at home is a matter of intention. The “force” we need is our own willingness to act. Our “chance” for success is greatly improved when we act with purpose.

So, take charge. Make changes to your work routines that will keep your ears safe. Help your children monitor and appropriately adjust their headphone volumes. And, if you’re experiencing any hearing loss, please find a good hearing health professional who can help. (We even have a guide for that.) And, do it sooner than later.

At Akoio, we take action to change the conversation from merely reacting to “hearing loss” to proactively addressing “hearing wellness.” We invite you to join us in the journey. Please like and share our Facebook page and share content that may help others. And we look forward to the future as we learn together to conquer life.

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Communicating Face to Face Mask

Bill Schiffmiller · May 20, 2020 ·

Photo courtesy of HSDC.org

Who was that face-masked man?

Making eye contact and reading lips is essential to human communication — especially for those who have hearing loss. But what happens when you can’t read lips clearly? Most of us have enjoyed a laugh or two when it comes to bad lip reading. Just yesterday, I was shopping for food at my local grocery store. I collected a few items and had just placed them into the shopping cart when a nice masked man approached me trying to tell me something. I just couldn’t understand him, until he politely repeated himself to clearly tell me that I had mistakenly taken his shopping cart! I profusely apologized to him as we chuckled about it. (Interestingly, our food items were similar!)

Lip reading and facial expressions are so important to personal connection and comprehension. Now that the world is walking around with half their face hidden behind a mask, we are missing out on so much. Of course, for people with hearing loss, mistaken meanings can have serious consequences. As much as we would like to return to life before COVID-19, where face coverings were relatively rare, that is not our current reality. Federally, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommend wearing face coverings in public settings where social distancing measures are difficult to maintain. On a state level, several governors have mandated face masks in public places like barbershops, salons, gyms, retail stores, and public transportation.

Face masks limit communication for hose with hearing loss

With more physical space between the speaker and me, it’s more difficult to make out lip movements. The sound dissipates by the time it reaches my ears. Face coverings muffle volume, hamper clarity, and challenge comprehension. Visual inputs such as reading lips and facial expressions, are virtually eliminated. Additionally, securing a mask intended to fit around the ears presents complications for those with hearing aids (my hearing aids fall to the sides like rabbit ears) or cochlear implants.

Fortunately, masks with clear windows are becoming more popular. A high schooler in St. Louis began 3D printing clear face coverings for his father’s medical practice. He was able to make enough to send to other cities as well. Great solutions are now available for purchase on Amazon and Etsy, too. For the DIY (Do It Yourself) community, video tutorials are available online for transparent face shields and clear windowed masks.

According to the Hearing Loss Association of America (HLAA), there are 48 million Americans with some degree of hearing loss. That’s 48 million people for whom face to face communication depends on actually seeing another person’s face and lips. Despite the magnitude of this number, our public spaces are filled with covered faces, in masks without clear windows. This means that those who experience difficulties hearing need to take steps to advocate for themselves.

Hearing and communicating better with masks

First, communicate that you have difficulty hearing and ask the person to speak a little more loudly and clearly — with more enunciation. If you don’t have a face shield or window mask available, suggest the person step back to the acceptable distance of six feet and remove their mask so you can read their lips and pick up on their visual cues. (Ah, they will likely enjoy the fresh air!) If this isn’t an option, consider going old school with pen and paper. Or, ask them to text you. Handing over your smartphone so that they can type in your “notes” app is an option, but it might not be worth sanitizing your phone in addition to your hands.

Masking and social distancing are our new normal for the time being. Safety is a top priority, but so is participating fully in our relationships, workplaces and community. Let’s set the trend for what’s new and next: clear face coverings and masks with windows. Seeing facial expressions helps us all — hearing loss or not — to read emotion and give an appropriate response. (It may even reduce head nodding as a signal that we’re listening!)

How we handle face masks is a genuine concern for the hearing loss community.

If you have additional suggestions, have a face mask pattern or tutorial you would like to share, or simply want to post your favorite bad lip reading video, we’d love to hear from you. Don’t forget to join our community (it’s free) and follow our blog for the latest in hearing.

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Old Habits Die Hard: How to Talk About Hearing Loss

Bill Schiffmiller · May 7, 2020 ·

New Guides from Akoio Help You Talk About Hearing Loss

Learning how to talk about hearing loss isn’t easy, but our new guides can help. Akoio members can access them now as part of a free Membership.

Hearing Habits at Home

What happens when you bring adult siblings back home to care for mom and dad during a pandemic quarantine? Three weeks of sleeping in my childhood bedroom across the hall from my sister brought back a lot of great memories. We had some great laughs together. Our stories brought more than a few smiles and chuckles to our parents as well. Reflecting on my early years reminded me of who I am and who I’ve become, particularly my journey with hearing loss. The togetherness at home also reminded me just how difficult it can be for families and loved ones to talk to each other about hearing loss—or to talk to a family member with hearing loss.

On more than one occasion, when I asked someone to repeat something they had said, other family members jumped in to do the same. They probably thought they were helping, but the overlapping conversations became a confusing cacophony of sound. My inner teenager recoiled. Family members speaking loudly at me (and not really to me) suddenly and unexpectedly opened a scar, prompting a momentary feeling of ineptitude and insecurity. Thankfully, my older and wiser self took charge with confidence. I quieted everyone down and said, “You must let me ask and hear directly from the person who was speaking. Everyone talking loudly at once doesn’t help—it just makes me feel awkward and incompetent. Please let me manage my listening and just rephrase what I may have missed, using a normal tone of voice—one at a time.”

I’m Not Alone (and Neither Are You)

I know I’m not alone in this experience. Johns Hopkins researchers estimate that about 1 in 6 Americans (15%) have some hearing loss. The NIH says about 30 million Americans could hear better with a hearing aid, but the WHO says more than 80% of us won’t use one. Why? Mostly because we’re afraid of looking old or like we’re not fully competent. We can be a bit like my teenage self: feeling insecure and unsure how to talk about our hearing loss—or maybe even too scared to address it.

The “How to Talk About Hearing Loss” Series

But hearing well is important for our mental and physical health, and it directly affects our relationships. So, we cannot be afraid to talk about it. That’s why I’m so pleased to announce the release of our new “How to Talk About Hearing Loss” series. Whether you’re looking for ways to talk to others about your own hearing loss, or needing the right words to talk to someone close to you about their hearing loss, our guides can help:

  • A good read for everyone:
    How to Talk to Someone with Hearing Loss
  • If you have hearing loss:
    How to Talk to Your Family About Your Hearing Loss
  • For those helping aging parents:
    How to Talk to Your Parent About Their Hearing Loss
  • If your teen or pre-teen has hearing loss:
    How to Talk to Your Teen About Their Hearing Loss

And, for those ready to accept professional coaching, purchase a hearing aid or consider the variety of assistive devices now available, working with an audiologist may be the best next step. Our Questions to ask your Audiologist Guide can help you identify a hearing health professional that fits your needs.

Community Matters

I hope these guides help you in talking about hearing loss. More importantly, I hope they encourage and inspire you to take positive action about your hearing health. To access them, you’ll need to become a member of Akoio.com. Membership is free, and you’ll get immediate access to the entire series. We need to change the conversation around hearing loss—and we need to support each other as we do.

In the coming months, you’ll see more (free) helpful content and a growing community of members sharing their stories. In that spirit, please leave a comment, send a message, or connect with us on Facebook. We want to hear from you, and we want to help.

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COVID-19 is affecting our hearing

Bill Schiffmiller · May 1, 2020 ·

COVID-19, coronavirus, and hearing

How is COVID-19 (coronavirus) affecting our hearing? In the pandemic, many of us are learning how to study, work, live, and relax in the same space—often at the same time. We’re dealing with a host of new challenges. We have altered routines and workflows that now include frequent videoconferencing (and an increased risk of Zoom-bombing).

In our “new normal,” most of us are now keenly aware of how disruptive noise is in our “office space”. (To be fair, our old office space was noisy too, but we had gotten used to its particular rhythm and cadence. So, we stopped noticing it over time.) To compensate, we’re turning to headphones and earbuds. We’re asking our kids (or our roommates) to please wait just 30 more minutes before making that snack in the kitchen. And, every day, we face the temptation to turn up the volume to drown out the background noise. We know this isn’t good for our ears, but … “desperate times.”

Dealing with our less-than-ideal sound environment could be just another pandemic pain point. But I see a silver-lining opportunity to address our hearing wellness. It’s our chance to become more conscious of the noise level around us. We can be more attuned to how it affects our mood and stress level. We can be more educated about technology that helps us address it. And we can be more willing to take action to safeguard our hearing and our overall health and wellness.

Working from home during COVID-19: how noisy is it?

These days, you can quickly assess the noise level in any environment using your smartphone. With the CDC, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) provides a free Sound Level Meter App for iPhones. (Sound Meter & Noise Detector is a good alternative for Android users.) You can get professional-grade results by attaching an external microphone, but using your phone’s built-in microphone produces a reliable measure.

The CDC recommends noise levels of 70 dBA or less as safe. As the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA) puts it, “You can listen to sounds at 70 dBA or lower for as long as you want.” But prolonged exposure to noisier environments causes eventual hearing damage and hearing loss. That’s why the CDC and OSHA set “noise dose” limits on work environments with 85 dBA or above.

A chart showing the decibel scale relative to common sounds and noises.
Source: Decibel Scale (dB) OSHA.gov

Coronavirus background noise: what can I do about it?

Optimizing the sound environment for our “home office” comes down to three key ingredients: headphones, microphones, and soundproofing. If that list sounds like we’re getting ready to produce the next hit song, it’s because the technology once reserved for professional sound engineers has made its way to our everyday lives. Ready or not, we all work and live in spaces that sometimes need to function like a sound booth or a video production studio. Fortunately, setting up our rooms for good sound is not as complicated as it used to be.

Hearing better with headphones

Most laptops come with a built-in microphone that adequately captures speaking sound without picking up too much background noise. So, it’s best to use headphones or earbuds to listen and your laptop’s mic to capture sound. However, some plug-in (“wired”) headphones come with a built-in microphone that can be troublesome. When you’re not speaking, the mic can misinterpret background noise as a soft voice and actually increases volume to compensate. That means your listeners hear the amplified sound of your refrigerator hum, your air conditioner, or kids playing in the next room. That’s why most online conferencing “rules” include muting your microphone when you’re not speaking. If you do a lot of online conferencing, you could investigate dedicated microphones that are better at identifying background noise. You might also consider a “gaming headset,” specifically built to reduce background noise and make ongoing conversation easier.

Soundproofing for healthy hearing at home (or office)

Technology will help improve the sound quality of our online conferencing, but the room itself can be optimized for sound. Consider a rug to cover hardwood floors. Sound baffling panels can be artfully arranged along hard-surface walls. It also might be time to invest in ultra-quiet appliances, especially space heaters or fans that can be the major culprits behind disruptive background noise.

Take it forward

Reducing noise levels is a practical concern amid COVID-19 work-from-home conditions. But these same best practices will work at the office, too. In fact, it’s likely that we’ll see an increased use of online conferencing as we cautiously return to office buildings and continue to limit our travel. Investments in good technology, and even a little sound baffling for the office walls, can pay long-term dividends. Busy offices might even take a cue from innovative classrooms that use fun sound monitors to help raise awareness (and decrease levels) of shared-space noise.

We’re learning many lessons from our pandemic experience. I hope that our awareness of noise environments and solutions for hearing better and hearing safely will stay with us well into the future. Not only will we have better sound quality and communication in our online conferencing, we’ll also better protect our hearing health for years to come.

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