Exclusion audit
The basics | Further details
The population data from an exclusion audit can be used to select design improvements that will benefit the greatest number of people. For example, given a particular product, a slight reduction in vision demand could make a significant difference to the number of people excluded, whereas a major reduction in dexterity demand might be required to achieve any real benefit.
The number of people excluded becomes more meaningful when an exclusion audit is combined with a task analysis, which explains how several different activities combine together to form a higher-level function. For example, the initial set-up of a video recorder includes activities such as opening the packaging, and plugging in cables.
In this case, the advantage in reducing the dexterity required to plug in the cables could be minimal if opening the packaging needs a higher dexterity requirement anyway. It is also important to consider where exclusion occurs throughout the whole lifecycle of the product.
Exclusion audits can be highly beneficial but may require an expert in the field to achieve numbers that are correct and meaningful. To obtain further information, see Contact us for details of the authoring institutions.
Minor variations in demand may significantly affect exclusion, depending upon the shape of the graph at the current demand level