Table of Contents
Designing for Dignity: ADA
In today’s world of fast-moving digital transformation, self-service kiosks have become a vital touchpoint across industries—airports, retail stores, quick-service restaurants, healthcare facilities, and more. But for millions of users with disabilities or impairments, the shift toward self-service can either unlock greater independence or deepen frustration and exclusion.
Ensuring accessibility is no longer just a legal checkbox. It’s a question of dignity: the ability for every individual to engage, navigate, and complete tasks independently, confidently, and respectfully. It’s about inclusivity for all. And, with the prevalence of self-service becoming the norm, accessibility can have a financial reward to the provider, too.
This was the powerful message from a recent industry roundtable featuring leaders from Acquire Digital, Storm Interface, and the Kiosk Manufacturer Association (KMA). Together, they explored how the kiosk industry must move beyond mere compliance — and start designing experiences that serve all users with thoughtfulness, intelligence, and humanity.
Accessibility Is More Than a Checkbox
The legal frameworks are clear. In the United States, the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) mandates accessible design. In the United Kingdom, it’s the Disability Discrimination Act (DDA). Across Europe, regulations like the European Accessibility Act (EAA) reinforce similar principles.
Yet despite these frameworks, true accessibility remains inconsistent.
As Craig Keefner, industry veteran and KMA manager, put it: “Accessibility too often gets reduced to a technical audit checklist. Does the kiosk have an audio output? Tick. Is there a tactile keypad? Tick. But ticking boxes doesn’t mean someone can actually complete their task independently.”
This “checkbox compliance” approach leads to kiosks that technically meet standards—but fail real-world usability tests. Poor screen contrast, confusing layouts, inaccessible PIN entry points, and badly placed assistive devices—all these oversights chip away at user dignity.
And it’s not just about those traditionally labelled as “disabled.”
Accessibility is broader:
• Aging populations facing vision, hearing, or mobility decline
• Casual users unfamiliar with technology
• Neurodiverse users who benefit from simplified flows
• Multilingual users needing clear, intuitive visuals
Neil Farr, Managing Director at Acquire Digital, captured it perfectly: “If we design better for those who need more help, we end up designing better for everyone.”
Designing for Dignity: What It Really Means
Dignified design isn’t about special treatment—it’s about creating equitable experiences.
It starts by asking new questions:
• Can a user find the kiosk independently?
• Can they reach the screen comfortably whether standing or seated?
• Can they navigate without needing assistance or feeling singled out?
• Are messages clear, friendly, and multi-modal (visual + auditory)?
• Is the experience intuitive for someone encountering the system for the first time?
Nicky Shaw, US Operations Manager at Storm Interface, emphasized: “A well-designed kiosk works seamlessly for everyone. Accessibility should be invisible. It should feel natural, empowering, and respectful—whether you’re 22 or 82, sighted or blind.”
At its core, designing for dignity means treating accessibility as a baseline requirement, not an optional upgrade.
Common Failures — and How to Fix Them
The roundtable highlighted real-world examples where kiosks fall short:
• Poor audio systems: In drive-thrus and checkouts, cheap speakers and weak microphones can make voice prompts inaudible, especially for those with hearing loss. Too often, designers test their solutions in quiet office environments, but when placed in noisy public spaces, the audio is drowned out or the microphone fails to capture the user’s voice, causing frustration with automated ‘AI’ avatars.
• Glare and bad lighting: Screens positioned under strong lighting or facing windows become unreadable for many users, particularly those with vision impairments.
• Overly complex interfaces: Web-style menus on kiosks, designed for laptop users, overwhelm customers unfamiliar with nested categories or scrolling interfaces.
• Non-intuitive tactile controls: Touchscreens allow flexible UI design but aren’t accessible to all. Alternatives must be considered. Buttons that are too small, placed too high, or hidden behind glass often make kiosks unusable for those with physical impairments.
• PIN entry nightmares: Discreetly entering payment information on awkward, shielded physical keypads creates confusion and frustration.
Solutions lie in better planning and testing:
• Test under bright light conditions.
• Ensure contrast ratios meet accessibility standards (4.5:1 minimum).
• Co-design screens and tactile hardware together.
• Integrate text-to-speech that mirrors user journeys, not just screen layouts.
• Add flexible input methods: touch, voice, and remote agent support.
Hardware and Software: Collaboration is Critical
A major theme from the roundtable was the danger of hardware and software teams working in isolation.
“Accessibility usually fails when the kiosk is finished and someone says, ‘Oh, now let’s bolt on an audio pad,” said Shaw.
“Hardware and software have to be designed hand-in-hand,” added Farr. “Accessibility can’t be painted on after the fact—it has to be in the DNA of the project.”
Best practices include:
• Early-stage workshops including UX designers, hardware engineers, and accessibility consultants.
• Prototyping with real users—not just relying on developer assumptions.
• Designing modularly to future-proof kiosks for emerging accessibility technologies like voice and haptics.
It’s a shift from “compliance projects” to “user experience design”—and it’s essential.
The Business Case for Real Accessibility
Beyond the ethical imperative, there’s a compelling business case for dignified, inclusive design.
• The disability market (including carers) is valued at over $860 billion globally.
• People with disabilities—and their families—reward accessible brands with loyalty and advocacy.
• Failing to provide accessible kiosks risks reputational damage, legal penalties, and exclusion from public contracts.
• Brands like Marriott, McDonald’s, and major airports are investing heavily in accessibility—not just to comply, but to lead.
“The brands that embrace accessibility as part of their identity will win long-term,” Keefner explained. “It’s not about serving a niche—it’s about future-proofing your customer experience for everyone.”
A Holistic Approach to Accessible Kiosk Design
What does a truly accessible kiosk journey look like? It’s a system where:
• Approachability: Kiosks are easy to locate via tactile signage and intuitive placement.
• Reachability: Interfaces are designed for both standing and seated users.
• Multi-modal operation: Users can interact via touch, tactile hardware, audio prompts, or voice.
• Simplicity: Interfaces are clean and easy to navigate with minimal steps.
• Privacy and security: Sensitive actions like PIN entry are discreet and secure for all users.
• Human backup: Support options like remote agents or on-site staff are readily available.
• Continuous improvement: Feedback loops and audits drive ongoing updates based on real user experience.
These ideas aren’t theoretical. Acquire Digital’s Wayfinder platform already incorporates high-contrast interfaces, screen reader compatibility, remote assistance functions, and integration with assistive hardware from companies like Storm Interface.
The technology is ready. What’s needed is mindset change.
Accessibility by Design: The Road Ahead
The industry must commit to a new mindset: Accessibility isn’t the last checkbox to tick—it’s the foundation of good user experience.
It means designing with:
• Empathy: Thinking about real-world barriers users face.
• Evidence: Validating ideas with real testing and data.
• Excellence: Striving for experiences that are seamless, intuitive, and respectful.
“Designing for accessibility doesn’t slow innovation down—it drives innovation forward,” Farr pointed out.
And it’s not just about disability. Universal design improves usability for:
• Seniors experiencing cognitive or physical decline.
• Children or first-time users.
• Tourists unfamiliar with the language or cultural norms.
• Busy users juggling shopping bags, children or time pressures.
Inclusive design is good design. Period.
Conclusion: From Compliance to Commitment
Accessibility isn’t a burden. It’s a chance:
• To make brands more welcoming.
• To open doors to loyal, underserved customer bases.
• To build systems that honour every individual’s dignity.
And with more and more self-service kiosks becoming the norm, the consequences of exclusion are growing. If brands don’t design for accessibility, they risk alienating large portions of the population—not just those with disabilities, but seniors, casual users, and anyone frustrated by poor usability. The result? Lost revenue, damaged reputations, and customers who quietly take their business elsewhere.
The message from the Acquire Digital, Storm Interface, and KMA roundtable was clear: Start early. Collaborate deeply. Test relentlessly.
Because when we design for dignity, we create a better, more inclusive world—for everyone.
Because everyone deserves the dignity of being able to interact with technology independently.
Contact: Wayne Cross
Email: [email protected]
Tel: +447917164537
Useful links:
Acquire Digital – https://www.acquiredigital.com
Kiosk Manufacturer Association – https://www.kma.global
Storm Interface – https://www.storm-interface.com/
Editors Notes
- Interactive digital signage and wayfinding is the redheaded step-child of Kiosk and Self-Service ADA. Surprising in that screen input is crucial.
- Worth noting EAA guidelines go into effect for Europe in less than 60 days. All new deployments must meet guidelines basically.
- 501-349 are the European ADA specs.
More ADA Design resources
- 301 549 3.2.1 which incorporates WCAG
- Yes, there is a checklist — KMA Kiosk ADA Checklist Draft_2024
- Quick and Easy Initial WCAG Check
- Web Accessibility and the ADA Guidance
- FAQ Kiosk ADA
- Accessibility ADA Disability Status 2025 – Kiosk Industry
- EAA Regulation Timelines – Kiosk Industry
- European Accessibility EAA Guidelines & Storm Interface