World Autism Awareness Week: How I use tech & how to make a website autism-friendly

For World Autism Awareness Week 1-7 April 2019, Dafydd Henke-Reed - autistic accessibility and usability consultant for AbilityNet - tells us what technology he finds useful. Dafydd also offers some advice on how to make a website more autism-friendly. 

Photo of Dafydd Henke Reed
Photo: Dafydd Henke-Reed

"Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) is an umbrella term. How people experience Autism differs widely. This article merely identifies what works for me. A mixture of low and high-tech solutions assist me day-to-day.

Cancelling out noise

Outside of work, I semi-permanently wear earphones. This is to limit sensory overload and discourage social interaction. I have tried noise-cancelling headphones, but they are either uncomfortable or draw too much attention by being ludicrously bulky. Bluetooth earphones, specifically Anker SoundBuds, are conspicuous and cancel most noise.

My earphones are usually playing podcasts. Perennial listens include Freakonomics and Planet Money. They provide deep-dives into the invisible systems that inform our everyday lives.

The power of self-service

I have never used AAC (Augmentative and Alternative Communication). That is, communication methods used to supplement or replace speech or writing. That said, I wouldn’t survive without self-service checkouts, online shopping, Uber and contactless. For example, technology allows me to shop without being tortured by the small-talk of well-meaning shop assistants.

Person using airport self check-in

Digital communication preferences

Technology eliminates what I think is redundant communication. And whilst communication is not extinct, technology has also revolutionised it for the better. Consider the communication preferences of Slack (cloud-based team collaboration tool). For example, you can:

  • Be notified about all messages or only some messages (e.g. direct messages).
  • Snooze all notifications for a length of time (30 mins, 1 hour, 2 hours, etc.)
  • Mute certain channels, such that you don’t receive notifications from them.

Some criticize digital communication for being inauthentic, but their granular controls allow me to manifest my fluctuating communication preferences. They allow an unprecedent level of communication customization.

Productivity apps

Structure and order are imperative to me, as well. Apps such as LastPass and EverNote enable me to systematically document, classify, and maintain my digital life. It is also enables me to exploit myself in the name of productivity.

On the one hand, apps such as WunderList allow me to document projects, break the constituent tasks, set deadlines, and ultimately get things done.On the other hand, they mostly do this by besmirching my home screen with hideous notification tickers.

Making your website more autism-friendly

Disorder impacts me most when browsing the web. For example:

  • Inconsistent layouts. Use your CSS to present clear, structured content. Don’t be laissez-faire with alignment.
  • Garish colour palettes. Contrast is good. But don’t throw a bucket of paint at your website. Use simple, muted colours.
  • Unpredictability. If a chat bot appears after your website loads, I’ll leave it. If you are anxious that users won’t find things on their own, thin-out your pages. Chat bots, coach-marks, and random modal dialogs are patches for designs that needs simplifying.

With the caveat that autism is idiosyncratic, creating autism-friendly websites isn’t challenging. Be aware of the barriers you may be unintentionally creating. Be minimal, consistent, well-structured, and use colours intelligently."

Further reading: