Webinar Q&A: Introducing cognitive insights in Fable Engage

How do you recruit this audience? How does your recruiting for this audience differ from other panels we are already working within Fable?

Instead of recruiting for assistive technology use within three categories – screen reader, screen magnifier, and alternative navigation – with cognitive we’re recruiting for needs related to memory, learning and focus. We’re also exploring different recruitment channels, with help the cognitive accessibility working group’s invited expert from Cogniciti.

Will the full cognitive AUS scale be made available?

We will provide more information regarding the cognitive version of AUS when this solution becomes available more widely. If you have any questions regarding AUS, book your complimentary coaching call.

What would participant selection in Fable actually look like? Which needs/barriers can we recruit for?

The cognitive audience are people who self-identify as having accessibility needs across memory, learning and focus. You will have the opportunity to drill down into this audience by specific need if you wish.

What assistive tech might be included with this group?

People with cognitive accessibility needs use a variety of assistive technology or support tools based on the task that they are performing. Fable will be collecting the type of tools they rely on and we recommend facilitators ask participants about their specific needs and what tools they prefer using. In our cognitive accessibility engagement guide, we’ve created interview templates that include sample questions.

How are you defining the types of cognitive disabilities? What kind of cognitive disability do the participants have?

At Fable, we shift away from focusing on specific cognitive disabilities, which are typically grounded in medical diagnoses. Instead, we take a needs-based approach rooted in the social model of disability. This means we prioritize the accessibility needs that individuals with cognitive disabilities may encounter when interacting with digital products and interfaces. We focus on three core areas of need: memory, learning and focus.

• Memory-related needs involve supporting individuals in remembering and recalling information- for example, difficulties with passwords, navigation paths, or multi-step processes.
• Learning-related needs center on reading and writing support – such as challenges with dense text, complex instructions, or spelling and grammar.
• Focus-related needs relate to sustaining attention and minimizing distractions- for instance, being impacted by animations, pop-ups, overwhelming interfaces, or long, complex tasks.

By identifying and addressing these specific needs, we can design more flexible, inclusive, and responsive digital experiences that better serve all users.

How do we design studies to capture potential conflicting cognitive access needs?

We recommend selecting 2-3 participants to capture different needs, to see the range and type of feedback and insights. You may also decide to filter participants by their specific accommodation type of memory, focus, or reading and writing, to ensure diversity, but remember that many participants have multiple cognitive needs.

Based on the guidance to be simple, how do you recommend we phrase tasks, for a prototype review for example, that are hypothetical?

It’s best to keep phrasing simple and focused and avoid hypotheticals entirely. Ask participants to recall a specific scenario, related to what you want to know or to show them an example experience related to that scenario to get their insights.

Can you share best practices for moderating with different types of cognitive disabilities?

We’ve designed our engagement guide to cover all types of cognitive needs. We encourage you to check in with participants on their needs at the beginning of the session and have included sample questions in our cognitive accessibility engagement guide.

What kind of usability studies are available for the cognitive group?

In beta, we have the User Interview type available for laptop/desktop only.

How do I uncover accurate insights without letting bias or assumptions take over when I have limited knowledge of this audience?

Be curious and ask questions; for example:

• “Is there anything else that you need?”
• “Is there anything else that we didn’t do or discuss that you think is important for me to know?”