Optimizing Accessibility for Cognitive Disabilities

[KimberlyMcGee]

Millions of people struggle with focus, memory, and processing complex information every day. In fact, the World Health Organization reports that one in three people worldwide lives with a neurological condition that can affect cognitive function [1]. While these challenges can be permanent for some, designing for people with cognitive disabilities benefits everyone. It helps anyone dealing with temporary or situational challenges that impact their ability to focus, such as trying to complete a task when fatigued or under high emotional stress, or simply trying to learn something new in a noisy, crowded environment.

A smiling woman with long hair and glasses, wearing a headset, sits in front of a computer. Text reads: "1 in 3 people worldwide live with a neurological condition that can affect cognitive functioning. SAP designs for neurodivergent people. Check out our tips for wayfinding and orientation, motion content and more!

Design for Accessibility is Design for Everyone

When we design with accessibility in mind, we’re not just checking a box, we’re creating digital experiences that are easier to use for everyone. Making interfaces clear, predictable, and easy to navigate doesn’t just help some users; it makes products better across the board.

5 Tips to Optimize Accessibility for Those with Cognitive Disabilities

Supporting users with cognitive disabilities means creating clear, predictable interfaces that support diverse ways of thinking and processing information. The guidance in SAP’s Accessibility Design Tools, Second Edition, and the Inclusive Research Handbook helps turn this awareness into practical steps. With these resources in mind, here are five tips to help you get started:

1. Prioritize Clarity

• Prioritize clarity with plain language, simple sentences, and familiar terms.
• Reinforce meaning visually and verbally by using clear labels and pairing icons with text.
• Why? Unclear instructions or unfamiliar icons can cause confusion, which can lead to errors or task abandonment.

2. Help users understand their location

• Help users understand their location by keeping important details, like task summaries or form labels, consistently visible.
• Use fixed headers or status indicators so users don’t lose track of their place in a process.
• Why? Users might forget the context, instructions, or earlier steps in a task, which can lead to errors or incomplete tasks.

3. Design clean, simple interfaces

• Design clean, simple interfaces with a clear visual hierarchy.
• Group related content together and reduce visual noise.
• For potentially distracting elements like animations or background sounds, provide clear and easy-to-find controls so users can pause, stop, or hide them.
• Why? Unexpected motion or sounds and visual clutter can be overwhelming for people with cognitive and sensory disabilities, making it hard to concentrate and possibly experience anxiety. Giving users direct control allows them to create a customized space that fits their needs, improving comfort and helping them stay on task.

4. Maintain a predictable experience

• Maintain consistent navigation, layout, and terminology to ensure a predictable experience.
• Use progressive disclosure and clearly announce changes in advance — for example, through banners or tooltips.
• Why? Inconsistent patterns and sudden changes can be stressful and confusing. A predictable interface helps users build mental models and navigate with confidence, which can reduce anxiety and increase task focus.

5. Break tasks into simple steps

• Break tasks into small, simple, manageable steps.
• Use visual aids like progress bars, checklists, and grouped content to clarify the structure.
• Include clear instructions, plain language, familiar icons, and specific feedback messages.
• Why? A disorganized or complex interface can increase cognitive load, making it harder to stay focused, remember previous steps, and track progress. Clear structure and communication reduce overwhelm and help users complete tasks more confidently. 

How SAP Designs with Accessibility in Mind

Technology keeps changing, but our commitment to Accessibility remains constant. We're focused on ensuring innovation moves forward without leaving anyone behind. To achieve that goal, we are actively innovating how accessibility considerations can be integrated in all parts of the Product Development Lifecycle, especially in early phases like design.

Want to dig deeper? Explore SAP's Accessibility Design Tools, Second Edition

References:

1. World Health Organization. (2024, March 14). Over 1 in 3 people affected by neurological conditions, the leading cause of illness and disability worldwide.