A11yTalks - The Myth of the Difficult User

Users are often labeled as “difficult” when they struggle with a product or process. In reality, those users are early warning signals, exposing accessibility and usability issues before they impact a broader audience.

This session reframes “difficult users” as critical inputs into better design and more effective systems.

Participants will:

• Understand why “difficult users” are often identifying real system failures, not causing problems
• Explore how accessibility and usability issues are commonly misdiagnosed as user error
• Discuss the importance of including people with disabilities in user research to uncover issues early
• Learn why involving people with disabilities throughout design and development leads to better outcomes, not just better compliance
• Examine how tools, training, and processes contribute to inaccessible experiences even when teams follow best practices

While no system will ever be perfect, designing with these users in mind leads to solutions that are more usable, more resilient, and more effective for everyone.