Tag: accessibility

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Tips for More Inclusive Job Interviews

In 2020, our UX team worked with HR to come up with guidelines for more inclusive interviews. I’ve shared what we learned, along with a few additions since, in the uxEd Medium publication: Designing More Inclusive Job Interviews in Academia: 18 Practical Tips for Improvement.

Our library’s UX team in 2020

Here’s the tl;dr list:

  1. Make the invitation accessible
  2. Be thoughtful in your words
  3. Don’t ask candidates to pay
  4. Mention accommodations up front
  5. Learn how to address them
  6. Make it clear what to expect
  7. Don’t exhaust them
  8. Provide breathing room
  9. Ensure accessible spaces and travel options
  10. Focus on evaluating skills
  11. Be thoughtful in your questions
  12. Avoid large group interviews
  13. Help them prepare
  14. Introduce them to the space and people
  15. Make them comfortable
  16. Be helpful
  17. Be comfortable with pauses
  18. Make next steps clear

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Writing Accessible Web Content

I’ve written and taught on the topic of web content for a number of years. And this past year, I’ve been thinking a lot about how our content decisions impact the accessibility and inclusivity of our websites.

Last month, I presented the keynote at a Ferris State University’s symposium, Web Content for Everyone: Usability, Accessibility, and Content Creation. The audience included web developers, marketers, instructors, writers, and other staff from across campus.

The goal of this presentation was to cover the key principles to creating content that is useful, usable, and accessible to all. I discuss techniques including plain language, heading structure, content prioritization, meaningful links, alternative text, and more. My 5 tips for better, more inclusive web content are:

  1. Know your audience. Create content with your readers in mind.
  2. Keep it focused and simple. Reduce cognitive load with straightforward and succinct content.
  3. Focus on clarity. Strive for immediate comprehension.
  4. Organize and structure. Your content flow should be intentional, point-of-need, and easy to skim.
  5. Make it readable. Be intentional with font choice, white space, and formatting.

Big thanks to Ferris State for inviting me, and for recording and captioning the presentation!