The Accessible Insights Consortium (AIC), a group of market research and user experience professionals working to make consumer research more accessible for the entire population, has announced a significant expansion of its “Insights for All!” Toolkit.
The Toolkit outlines best practices for the insights industry, supporting the group’s goal of providing information and resources for professionals interested in designing, implementing, and reporting research that is inclusive of people with disabilities.
The Toolkit provides tips for participant recruitment, information about assistive technologies, guidance on accommodations for interviews, and research design considerations for participants who are blind or have low vision; are deaf or hard of hearing; have speech and/or cognitive disabilities; or have motor and mobility disabilities.
Expansions in the updated Toolkit include additional guidance for designing both quantitative and qualitative research accessibly—including advanced analytics—as well as a detailed checklist for survey platform setup, tips for in-person and virtual presentations, and examples of using alternative text across multiple chart types. “We asked the industry what would actually help move accessibility forward, and that feedback shaped these updates,” says Steve Levine, co-lead of the Accessible Insights Consortium.
The Toolkit was developed through a collaborative effort of individuals and organizations across the industry and is publicly available on the Insights Association’s website. Resources related to accessibility are intentionally open-source so that all in the industry can benefit. “I’m thrilled that the Insights Association believes in making this toolkit widely available,” says Kari Bassett Levine, another co-lead for the Accessible Insights Consortium. “Being open-source fits our mission of insights for all.”
Leadership from the Accessible Insights Consortium will present the “Insights for All” toolkit during their quarterly virtual meeting on April 8. Those interested in attending may download the meeting to their calendar here.
The Accessible Insights Consortium is also working on a research initiative focused on best practices for asking about disability, with insights to be released at a later date.