World Usability Day 2021

November 11, 2021

Today, November 11, is World Usability Day. Every second Thursday of November, events are hosted around the world that bring attention to the concern of making the world easier for everyone through technology.

The theme this year is Design of Our Online World: Trust, Ethics and Integrity. Because so much of our world has moved online, including things like business meetings and medical appointments, the World Usability Day organization is exploring questions including:

How do we create trust in the online environment?
What are the ethical implications of our designs?
How do we design for accessibility, to ensure that everyone can use our designs?

Accessibility is often an overlooked component of diversity, equity and inclusion programs. It's a gap that's affecting many organizations, especially when it comes to corporate travel technologies.

Our recent report, researched and created by IDC, outlines approaches to building inclusive technology, legal implications of not having accessibility features in technology, and more.

2020 will be remembered for many reasons, including the global pandemic, massive shifts in the global economy, and sociopolitical strife. Across the corporate landscape, business leaders are more ready and willing to address diversity, equity, and inclusion in a more concrete way than ever before.

— Kevin Permeter, IDC analyst

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In the infographics below, we've outlined a couple of the areas included in the IDC report. These benefits weren't a surprise to us at Deem. As a traveler-centric corporate travel technology company, we're focused on making business travel better for everybody.

Or, as we like to say: every. body. Because no two people are the same, but all business travelers should be able to be effective and productive for their companies when they travel. It’s why when we designed our corporate travel technology software, Etta, we started with the idea of including accessibility features. In fact, our mobile apps meet the World Wide Web Consortium’s AA-level guidelines for accessibility.

Not only can we welcome more businesspeople into corporate travel, we can also make business travel better for everyone. As you can see below, accessibility features help everyone. If you've ever used voice-to-text, or made font sizes on your smartphone a bit bigger so reading is easier, or increased contrast so you could see your screen in harsh light, you've taken advantage of accessibility features.

Benefits of accessibility features in software: Accessible designs are often geared toward simplicity, guide better user experience and benefit more people than only those with disabilities. — Accessibility features in software are often geared toward simplicity and flexibility, set the stage for better user experience and benefit more people than only those with disabilities.

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As we look more specifically at benefits of having accessibility features in corporate travel software, you'll notice that these still benefit nearly everyone. At Deem, we often talk about making travel better for business by making it better for travelers. And by that, we mean all travelers. The more successful we can help travelers be, the more everyone wins.

Benefits of accessible features in travel software include access to deeper levels of information than other travelers may need, reduced frustration and increased productivity for all users.

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Download your copy of the IDC Analyst Brief: Accessibility Drives Travel Software Innovation for more information on this critical topic.

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Author

Diana Rose Brandon

Director, Marketing Content

An accomplished business writer and creative professional, Diana heads up content for Deem’s many content areas including PR, social media and blogs. Her background includes creating visual and written stories for the travel, consumer electronics and technology industries. Diana is a story junkie who loves to travel. When she isn’t writing, you can usually find her reading, playing word games or behind a camera.

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