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Digital accessibility

Co-design accessible and inclusive digital services

Use this guide to help you co-design accessible and inclusive digital services. It should be incorporated into your service design and delivery process and can be applied to both external and internal digital services.

Principles of co-design

Co-design fosters a collaborative, inclusive, and user-centred approach to design. It promotes the development of meaningful and relevant solutions that address user needs, preferences, and aspirations.

Co-design principles include:

  • Collaboration: bring together designers, users, and other stakeholders to work together and share diverse   perspectives, expertise, and experiences.
  • Inclusion: involve a wide range of participants with diverse backgrounds, abilities, and perspectives to cater to the needs and preferences of all users.
  • Participation: value active participation and encourage everyone to contribute their ideas, insights, and expertise to   build engagement and ownership.
  • Empowerment: recognise participants as experts in their own experiences to acknowledge their value as co-creators and decision-makers in shaping the design.
  • Iteration: embraces an iterative approach by encouraging testing, feedback, and continuous improvement throughout the design process.
  • Shared learning: promote shared learning and knowledge exchange between participants so that everyone involved gains a deeper understanding of the problem space, user needs, and design possibilities.
  • Flexibility: allow for flexibility and adaptability to enable the exploration of different ideas, approaches, and solutions, and evolving user needs, technological advancements, and changing contexts.
  • Respect and ethical considerations: place importance on respect, trust, and ethical considerations to respect the rights, values, and privacy of participants.

Co-design in Queensland Government

Co-design is one of the building blocks of Queensland’s Disability Plan. Read more about how it relates to Australia’s Disability Strategy, and how you can embed co-design into your work.

Co-design process

The process of co-designing accessible and inclusive  digital services typically involves:

  1. Research and analysis
  2. Stakeholder engagement
  3. Prototyping and iteration
  4. Collaboration and co-creation
  5. Accessibility guidelines and standards
  6. User testing
  7. Continuous improvement

Each project may have its own specific requirements and considerations. Consult with accessibility experts and follow inclusive design principles and practices tailored to the specific context and user group.

Begin by conducting research to understand the needs and preferences of diverse users, including people with disabilities and other underrepresented groups. Identify any existing barriers and gaps in accessibility in current digital services.

New to research?

Read more about best practice research in the Queensland Government context:

Refer to criteria 1 Understand user needs of the Digital service standard for more information.

Engage with stakeholders, including users with disabilities, accessibility experts, and relevant community groups, to ask their input and involve them in the design process. This can be done through Human centered design with interviews, surveys, workshops, and usability testing  .

People with firsthand experience should be respected and encouraged to share their perspectives and given support to effectively communicate their ideas. Involve participants with diversity in age, race, gender identity, ability, culture, socio-economic background, and/or life stage.

There are a variety of ways you can recruit participants for research activities.

  • Use a recruitment agency.
  • Contact existing clients who have provided consent to be contacted.
  • Engage specialist, community and advocacy groups.

Recruitment agencies are generally the most efficient way of recruiting large groups of end users. Relevant specialist and advocacy groups will likely be more effective in helping connect you to specific user groups.

It is important to recognise and often pay individuals for their insights. When giving incentives, it's important to make sure they're fair and cover the participant's time and expenses. The incentives shouldn't affect their feedback or create any unfairness.

Recruitment and engagement resources

Create prototypes of the digital service that incorporate accessibility features and design elements based on the research and stakeholder input. Test these prototypes with users, gather feedback, and iterate on the design to continually improve accessibility.

Prototyping resources

Facilitate collaborative workshops or co-design sessions involving a diverse range of stakeholders. Encourage open communication and active participation, allowing stakeholders to contribute ideas, feedback, and suggestions for improving accessibility.

Collaboration resources

Refer to accessibility guidelines and standards, such as the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), to ensure compliance with industry best practices and legal requirements. Incorporate these guidelines into the design process to address specific accessibility needs.

WCAG resources

Refer to criteria 6 Build consistent and responsible design and criteria 9 Make digital services accessible of the Digital service standard.

Conduct regular user testing throughout the design and development process to ensure the accessibility and usability. Involve users with disabilities to obtain their insights and ensure the service meets their diverse needs.

Consider asking participants if they’d like to hear about the outcome. The willingness to share a final draft helps to create a sense of inclusion and demonstrates their feedback is valued.

Testing resources

Refer to criteria 10 Test the digital service of the Digital service standard.

After launch, gather user feedback and monitor the performance and accessibility of the digital service. Use this feedback to further improve and refine the service to better meet the needs of all users.

Refer to criteria 11 Measure the performance and improve of the Digital service standard.

Benefits of co-design

By considering diverse user needs, accessible and inclusive design promotes a more equitable and inclusive digital environment, ensuring that everyone can fully participate and engage in the digital world.

Benefits to government

Accessible and inclusive design benefits government in several ways:

  • Comply with accessibility laws and regulations, including Disability   Discrimination Act 1992. (Opens in new window)
  • Promote equity and inclusion within government services.
  • Deliver better user experiences enabling users to easily find and access government services.
  • Avoid costly retrofits by considering accessibility requirements early in the design process.
  • Help shape a positive public perception of government by demonstrating commitment to fairness, equality, and public   service.
  • Meet requirements of the Queensland Government Digital services policy. (Opens in new window)

Increase participation in the workforce, education, and other aspects of society can which lead to a more inclusive economy and reduce reliance on social support programs.

Users who benefit from co-design

Accessible and inclusive design benefits a wide range of people, including:

  • People with disabilities—Accessible design ensures that people with disabilities can equally access and use digital   services, removing barriers and providing equal opportunities for participation.
  • Elderly individuals—As we age, we may experience changes in our vision, hearing, dexterity, and cognitive   abilities. Inclusive design accommodates these changes, making digital services more usable for the elderly population.
  • Individuals with temporary disabilities—Temporary disabilities, such as a broken arm or a temporary illness, can   impact people's ability to use digital services. Accessible design provides temporary relief and ensures usability during such periods.
  • People with language limitations—Inclusive design considers individuals with limited proficiency in the primary language of a digital service. Providing multiple language options or using plain language can help these individuals access and understand the content.
  • Individuals with low literacy skills—Inclusive design with clear language, simple instructions, and intuitive interfaces benefits individuals with low literacy skills, ensuring they can comprehend and interact with digital services effectively.
  • Users in noisy or distracting environments—Accessible design often includes features such as captions or transcripts for multimedia content, enabling users to access information in noisy or distracting environments where audio may be difficult to hear.
  • Users on slow internet connections—Designing for accessibility also improves performance, making digital services more usable for individuals on slower internet connections or limited bandwidth.
  • Everyone—Accessible and inclusive design enhances the experience for all users. Design choices such as clear   navigation, consistent layouts, and intuitive interactions benefit everyone, regardless of their abilities.

Success stories in Queensland Government

Co-design for Inclusive Housing (Department of Housing and QDN) (Opens in new window)

More information

Inclusive design

User research

Case studies

Get help

For help, more information or feedback, email designandcapability@chde.qld.gov.au.

Last updated:
10 May 2024