Inclusive research design: Making research accessible for all

By Andy Averill, Head of of Data & Insights US

Accessibility is still too often overlooked, despite a growing focus on inclusive research across the industry. Although disability affects a significant proportion of the population, it is not always considered in how studies are designed or who is able to take part. In the United States, around 1 in 4 adults lives with a disability, according to data widely cited by the American Association of People with Disabilities (AAPD) and other social impact organisations.

When accessibility is not built into research design, participation does not fully reflect the diversity of the population. Large sections are excluded, despite having valuable lived experience, perspective, and influence as consumers.

Why accessibility matters in inclusive research

Many participants encounter barriers when navigating digital surveys because interfaces aren’t designed with different needs in mind. Assumptions are often made about how participants see, hear, read, process information, or interact online.

These barriers often emerge early in the research journey. Screening questions may not allow individuals to describe their disability in their own terms, while complex layouts or time-sensitive tasks can make participation difficult. Even with inclusive intentions, these design choices can still exclude people from taking part.

Industry groups such as the Accessible Insights Consortium (AIC), supported by the Insights Association, highlight the importance of considering accessibility earlier in the design process. There is growing recognition that inclusive research strengthens quality by enabling broader participation and more representative insights. To truly understand the consumer landscape, accessibility can’t be an afterthought; it must be built in from the beginning.

How standards are enabling more inclusive participation

Across the world, regulations are beginning to address digital accessibility. In Europe, the European Accessibility Act (EAA) requires many products and services, including digital platforms, to be accessible to people with disabilities. It represents an important step toward creating equal access to online services, including research tools.

Alongside regulation, the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG 2.1) provide practical, internationally recognised standards for making digital content more accessible and supporting inclusive research experiences. These guidelines promote clear navigation, sufficient colour contrast, image descriptions, and captions for audio and video content.

For the research industry, these developments signal a shift from accessibility being ‘nice to have’ to an essential part of ethical, inclusive design. Initiatives such as the AIC are helping translate accessibility principles into practical guidance, supporting more proactive and inclusive approaches to how research is designed, delivered, and experienced.

Capturing disability in profiling

For people with disabilities to be meaningfully represented in inclusive research, consideration needs to begin at the profiling and screening stage. Traditional survey structures often rely on rigid yes/no questions or outdated definitions that fail to capture the diverse ways people experience physical, sensory, cognitive, or mental health conditions.

Disability is experienced differently depending on context, condition, and individual identity, meaning responses vary from person to person. As a result, rigid profiling approaches often fail to capture a complete picture and limit the effectiveness of inclusive research.

Providing context around why disability information is being collected helps build trust, while allowing people to self-identify or describe their experience in their own words better reflects the diversity of disability.

Rather than simply asking if a participant has a disability, researchers are encouraged to:

• Explain why questions are being asked and how responses will be used
• Use non-stigmatising language that respects individual identity
• Allow participants to self-describe or select multiple responses
• Give the option to skip or opt out of answering

Inclusive profiling improves data quality, supports more nuanced interpretation of findings and makes research more relevant and useful.

Inclusive survey design and assistive technology

Assistive technologies such as screen readers, voice control tools, and text-to-speech software help many participants engage with digital research. Inclusive research design means ensuring these tools work smoothly across platforms and devices. Small design decisions can have a significant impact. Surveys that rely heavily on drag-and-drop interactions, complex grids, or time-limited tasks may be difficult to navigate for participants using screen readers, voice commands, or alternative keyboards. Multimedia content that plays automatically, lacks captions, or cannot be easily controlled can also create unnecessary barriers.

Designing for accessibility means anticipating these obstacles and building flexibility into every step. Inclusive research practices should:

• Ensure surveys work with screen readers and keyboard navigation
• Use clear language, logical structure, and manageable survey lengths
• Provide captions, transcripts, or audio descriptions for multimedia
• Offer flexible methodologies, such as video and audio surveys
• Avoid interactions that rely on complex gestures or precise motor control
• Test surveys against accessibility guidelines such as WCAG 2.1

Towards a more representative future

Accessibility in research helps ensure studies reflect the diversity of real-world experiences.

The research industry continues to explore how inclusive research practices can be strengthened and standardised. For researchers, this means embedding accessibility earlier in the process, through better profiling, designing surveys that work with assistive technologies, and ongoing testing.

As digital research continues to evolve, accessibility should be considered a core part of good research design rather than a specialist requirement. By embedding these practices into research design, organisations can reach the full spectrum of consumer voices and generate insights that truly reflect the world around us.

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