On Global Accessibility Awareness Day (GAAD), we don’t just reflect; we listen. This year, Isabel Holdsworth, a blind assistive technology engineer at TPGi, shared her experience traveling to Antarctica. It’s not a story about limits but a blueprint for how developers and accessibility professionals can build better products by embracing real-world, lived experiences.
Her story also highlights the importance of digital accessibility laws like the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), as well as the European Accessibility Act (EAA) and more. These frameworks do more than mandate compliance; they empower people with disabilities to access the world and live fully, independently, and with dignity.
For teams working on digital accessibility (especially self-service check-in kiosks, payment terminals, or travel booking platforms), her journey offers an unfiltered, human perspective on usability in the real world.
The Challenge of the Unseen: Why Kiosks Fail Blind Users
At the start of her journey, Isabel encountered a common obstacle: an inaccessible check-in kiosk at a major airport. Despite traveling with advanced assistive technology, she still needed help from a sighted person to complete a basic task.
Touchscreen kiosks are everywhere, from airports to hotels to retail stores. But without accessible features like screen readers, tactile navigation, or alternative input devices, they remain unusable for blind travelers.
Many kiosks today successfully integrate accessible hardware, like Storm Interface input devices commonly found in airport kiosks, which offer tactile keypads and audio navigation options that can significantly improve accessibility.
“We got to the airport in London and tried to check in, but it was just a flat screen. There was no way we could use it. I kept thinking, this is all run by websites now, why doesn’t it talk?”
Isabel’s struggle to independently check in highlights the importance of implementing technologies that translate visual interfaces into spoken feedback.
Don’t Let Visual Design Exclude Non-Visual Users
If your kiosk interface lacks screen reader compatibility or tactile access, you’re forcing dependency. Consider implementing solutions like JAWS for Kiosk, which translates on-screen content into audio guidance without compromising the experience.
Tech That Helped and Where It Fell Short
Isabel used Meta AI glasses to navigate airports, locate stores, and independently run errands when her sighted sister fell ill. But on the plane, she hit another roadblock: inaccessible in-flight entertainment. With hundreds of movie options on a touchscreen, she had no way to select content without sighted help.
“My sister put a movie on for me… then she fell asleep, and I couldn’t change it. That was frustrating.”
This example underscores a wider truth: inaccessibility limits autonomy. Even with AI advances, many systems still rely heavily on visual cues without alternatives for non-visual navigation.
Independence Should Not Be Conditional
Accessibility adds value when it’s treated as a core user experience goal, not a compliance task. Include voice control, audio output, and keyboard-friendly navigation in media systems, particularly in public or shared environments.
Orientation Without Sight: Mental Mapping in Physical Spaces
With Isabel’s sister out of commission, she and her blind travel companion had to navigate the ship independently, learning its layout through repeated exploration and sensory cues.
The ship had some basic accessibility features: elevators included Braille on the buttons, and key public spaces were consistently located across decks. However, critical elements were still missing, such as audio floor announcements or tactile orientation cues.
“The elevators had Braille, but they didn’t speak once you were inside, so you didn’t know which floor you were getting out on. You just had to hope no one pressed a button in between.”
To compensate, Isabel and her friend built a mental map of the ship. They memorized the position of elevators, restaurants, and their cabin by counting doors, identifying directional cues, and orienting themselves by the ship’s layout.
“We worked out that the stairs and the elevators were in the same place all the time… our room was at the front, restaurants at the back… I count doorways and corners all the time.”
Support Cognitive Mapping with Consistency and Structure
Just as Isabel created a mental model of her environment, users (especially those with vision or cognitive disabilities) rely on digital structure to navigate websites and apps. Use semantic HTML, clear headings, logical tab order, and ARIA landmarks to help users understand where they are and where they can go.
From Uncertainty to Confidence: Learning Through Direct Experience
At the start of the trip, the expedition crew didn’t know how to guide Isabel safely into the small inflatable boats. They hesitated; not because they didn’t care, but because they were unsure and afraid of getting it wrong.
“Fear of getting something wrong is the biggest thing, I think. That’s why they didn’t know how to help at the beginning.”
That hesitation quickly faded. After an early misstep, the crew adapted. Instructions became clearer, support became proactive, and one captain even went out of his way to describe wildlife in greater detail just for Isabel and her friends.
This shift mirrors what many teams experience when working with people with disabilities for the first time. Growth happens not through perfection, but through direct interaction and willingness to improve.
Don’t Wait to Be an Expert; Start by Listening
Teams often hesitate out of fear, but meaningful accessibility work begins by involving real users early and often. Usability testing with people with disabilities uncovers barriers that guidelines alone can’t predict. Lived experience is the most valuable design guide you’ll ever have.
What This Means for Accessibility Design
From inaccessible elevators that didn’t speak floor numbers to penguins nipping at boots, Isabel’s story reminds us: the world wasn’t designed with blind users in mind, but it can be redesigned with them.
For digital teams, WCAG conformance is a necessary foundation, but true usability requires a deeper commitment. When developers understand experiences like Isabel’s, they build with empathy, insight, and real impact.
Want to hear Isabel’s journey firsthand? Listen to her episode on the State of Accessibility Podcast and explore what true accessibility looks (and sounds) like.
Looking Ahead: 35 Years of the ADA and 30 Years of JAWS® for Windows
As we reflect on Isabel’s story and the progress made in accessibility, we also acknowledge key milestones in our field. This year marks the 35th anniversary of the ADA, a law that continues to expand opportunities and reduce barriers. Explore what you can do to recognize the ADA’s legacy and help advance accessibility in your own work.
For public entities, Title II of the ADA requires explicitly that services, programs, and digital experiences be accessible to people with disabilities. Our ADA Title II Compliance Blueprint can help you get started.
This year also celebrates 30 years of JAWS for Windows, a screen reader that has empowered countless users to navigate the digital world independently. From its initial launch in 1995 to the present, JAWS has continually evolved to meet the needs of users, whether at home or checking in for a flight worldwide. You can explore the full JAWS timeline to see how far accessible technology has come.
If you’re a JAWS user, consider joining the Insert J Club, a community dedicated to amplifying the voices of JAWS users and sharing real-world feedback that drives product improvement. Fill out the form to be considered; it’s free to join!
And remember: Every decision you make can move accessibility forward. Keep building, keep testing, and most importantly, keep including real users!
