Designing Access: A Human-Centered Design Approach for DeafBlind Learners
Workshop description
This session examines how human-centered design (HCD) can be used to develop accessible materials for DeafBlind learners. Drawing on a research-based project, the presentation focuses on the design process itself—emphasizing iterative prototyping, user testing, and material exploration as key methods for creating meaningful access. Participants will explore how tactile and multisensory materials are not simply adaptations, but designed systems shaped through engagement with DeafBlind users' communication practices, sensory experiences, and interaction needs. The session highlights core design considerations such as tactile legibility, spatial organization, cognitive load, and the integration of multiple modalities. Rather than presenting fixed solutions, this session centers on methodology—demonstrating how access emerges through cycles of testing, feedback, and refinement. Attendees will gain a framework for approaching accessibility as an ongoing design practice, supporting more responsive and equitable learning environments for DeafBlind students.
Presented by Paula MacDonald.
Paula MacDonald
Paula MacDonald, M.S., NIC, QMHI is a nationally certified ASL/English interpreter (since 2010) and an experienced interpreter educator, with a longstanding commitment to diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility. Her professional work spans interpreting, teaching, and the design of inclusive learning environments grounded in evidence-based practices. She holds a Certificate in Deaf Studies, an A.A.S. in English/ASL Interpreting and Transliteration, a B.A. in Individualized Studies, and an M.S. in Interpreting Pedagogy, where she completed her teaching practicum at Karl-Franzens University in Graz, Austria. She is currently pursuing graduate study in Human Factors and Ergonomics, with a focus on accessibility, usability, and human-centered design. Since 2013, Paula has worked in higher education in a variety of roles, including instructional designer, online educator, program manager, and assistant program director. Her work emphasizes the intentional application of career-relevant pedagogy, andragogy, and heutagogy to create meaningful, lasting impacts for learners and to strengthen communities through inclusive design.