Why inclusive design makes smarter technology for all

Inclusion is often discussed in terms of culture, hiring or representation.

These things matter deeply, but for a technology company, it is critical that inclusivity is also reflected in the products and services our customers use every day – in other words, smarter technology that’s truly for all.

Living our Smarter Technology for All vision has always depended on building a culture where people feel they belong.

In my view, inclusion is not a team that exists in one part of a business. It’s a cultural pillar that’s reflected in how we make decisions and serve our customers.

This effort to embed inclusion has led us to establish an Inclusive Product Design Office (IPDO), which integrates inclusive design expertise into product development rather than treating accessibility as an afterthought.

Who a product serves

That means we need to think about who a product serves from the outset, considering all consumers’ unique needs and attributes early enough to mitigate bias or limit usability of our products and services. The bias we’re working to eliminate could be part of anyone’s background – cultural, physical, or economical.

However, people with disabilities continue to represent one of the most important and complex demographics we’re working to include through the efforts of the IPDO. The scale is significant. The World Health Organisation estimates that 1.3 billion people experience significant disability, representing 16% of the global population.

That is one in six of us. Plus, almost everyone will experience some form of disability, temporary or permanent, at some point in their life. Accessibility should therefore be treated as a part of mainstream product design, because users with disabilities are part of the mainstream.

This is why accessibility should be considered as a priority at the start of product development. Once a product has been designed, accessibility can become harder to address properly. It risks becoming a patch, rather than an integral part of the user experience.

Our Inclusive Product Design Office has expanded vetting of our products and solutions, ensuring our technology can work for all, regardless of background or ability. The process may involve examining how users receive system feedback, how they physically interact with a device, or how easily they can navigate software using assistive technology.

The thinking is simple: not everyone interacts with technology in the same way, and good design should reflect that reality.

Valuable insights

Some of our most valuable design insights come from listening. Through our collaboration with the Governor Morehead School for the Blind in North Carolina, we’ve learned directly from blind and low-vision users about how they interact with our products. Those conversations have shaped product decisions in ways our engineering teams never anticipated.

In some cases, the challenge is physical. For example, a laptop that can be opened easily with one hand can support individuals with a mobility need. Tactile keyboard markings are helping users with low vision or reduced dexterity. Accessible packaging can also make a big difference, ensuring a device can be opened easily before it is switched on.

This principle also applies to features that may seem ordinary. Trackpad palm rejection, designed to prevent accidental inputs while typing, can unintentionally create barriers for users with limb differences. By allowing these settings to be adjustable, we empower users to control how they interact with their technology.

When companies design for people with disabilities in mind, it forces us to be more precise and creative about the problems we are solving. In many cases, the result is technology that works better for a broader range of people.

Simple expectations

For anyone using technology, the expectation is simple: it should work with them, rather than ask them to work around it. When technology is intuitive and adaptable, people can focus on what they set out to do.

Accessibility cannot sit at the edge of product design, because people’s needs, environments and ways of working are constantly changing. The more we design around real human needs from the start, the more useful technology becomes for everyone.

Inclusive design is an ongoing journey, with ever-changing standards and users. There will always be more to learn, but through conversations with accessibility experts, employees, customers, and communities, we can bring about meaningful change for all.

The future of technology will not be defined simply by what an AI solution or device can do, but by the people they enable. Designing for humanity is what makes innovation meaningful.

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