Communication Design Quarterly Oct 2018 Open Access

Promoting inclusive and accessible design in usability testing: a teaching case with users who are deaf

Liz Hutter University of Dayton ; Halcyon M. Lawrence Towson University

Abstract

Drawing on an analysis of a usability teaching case with users who are deaf and who communicate using American Sign Language, we argue that there is a need for industry and the academy to refocus on more accessible testing practices, situated more decidedly within the social, cultural, and historical contexts of users. We offer guidelines for more inclusive practices for testing with users who are deaf prompting designers, developers, and students to think about systems of behavior, such as audism, cultural appropriation, and technological paternalism that undermine accessibility in their design and practices. More broadly, we propose ways in which instructors of technical communication can leverage usability tools and research methods to help students better understand their users for any artifact they design and create.

Journal
Communication Design Quarterly
Published
2018-10-01
DOI
10.1145/3282665.3282668
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Open Access
OA PDF Gold
Topics
teacher development technical communication disability studies
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Citation Context

Cited by in this index (12)

  1. Palmer (2026)
    Effective Practices for User-Centered Instant Localization of a Screen Reader S…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  2. Palmer et al. (2025)
    Constructing Websites with Generative AI Tools: The Accessibility of Their Work…
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  3. Johnson et al. (2024)
    Generosity in computers and writing: Doing what Gail, Halcyon, Johndan, and Bil…
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  4. Atherton et al. (2024)
    Building Empathy through Classroom and Community Integration in a Multidiscipli…
    Communication Design Quarterly
  5. Strantz (2024)
    Interactive UX: Building and Testing for Accessibility with Design Systems
    Communication Design Quarterly
Show all 12 →
  1. Hutter (2024)
    Honoring Dr. Halcyon Lawrence's Legacy in the Technical Communication Classroom
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  2. Gallagher et al. (2024)
    Accessible Sound: Aural Information Literacy for Technical Communication Design
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  3. Hunter (2024)
    Toward TPC-UX: UX Topics in TPC Journals 2013–2022
    Journal of Technical Writing and Communication
  4. Gallagher et al. (2024)
    Accessible Sound: Aural Information Literacy for Technical Communication Design
    Communication Design Quarterly
  5. Hutter (2024)
    Honoring Dr. Halcyon Lawrence's Legacy in the Technical Communication Classroom
    Communication Design Quarterly
  6. Willers (2024)
    Bridging the Accessibility Divide: Testing the Efficacy of an Accessible User E…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication
  7. Strantz (2021)
    Using Web Standards to Design Accessible Data Visualizations in Professional Co…
    IEEE Transactions on Professional Communication

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CrossRef global citation count: 23 View in citation network → Build reading path →

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