Adaobi Ifeachor is a civil servant, podcaster and self-described “recovering broadcast journalist.”. In her spare time, you will find her enjoying comics, live music and action-adventure video games.
She’s known about her dyslexia since her days as an undergrad. But Adaobi was only recently diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) at the age of 39.
She discusses how her diagnosis has been revelatory to her. Not only has it helped her understand her own requirements, but it’s also allowed her to realise the importance of asking others to help you put in place what you need to thrive.
We caught up with her to find out more about her experiences of navigating the physical and digital worlds.
Navigating the Digital World
Adaobi may have a first-class English degree and an MBA. But, she says, she’s always felt a little bit different… and not always in a good way: “I noticed from a young age that people seemed to pick up on social rules and norms intuitively. It felt like I had to work a lot harder to reach the same level. It’s a lonely place to find yourself as a child. Since my ASD diagnosis I’ve looked back on my life with a lot more grace. I realised that I just learn and process things differently and that’s ok”.
Being open about her neurodiversity has enabled her to figure out what adjustments she needs in and out of the workplace.
“It may sound simple, but for me, having coloured overlays and using text-to-speech when I need to take in large passages of information has been life changing. Before that I was just working and pushing myself as hard as I could and then collapsing, exhausted into bed as soon as I got home. I now have the knowhow and tools to help me to manage my day. I still get really tired, but now I understand why and what I can do to try and avoid it happening!”
“I am a visual learner and I do think that’s because of my neurodiversity. YouTube is my number one go-to if I need to know how to do something because [I] usually have someone walking me through it, right, showing [me] the steps. It helps me if the video is captioned… I need the colours not to be too bright and to have a good contrast, the same as someone with colour-blindness, someone older and, in fact, anyone looking at a screen in bright sun! Recognising those requirements and building them into website design can help make a universal difference.”
Seeing the rainbow
Adaobi explains that the colours used in website design can have a massive impact on her dyslexia and ASD – with brighter colours causing a physical reaction.
“Bright colours…pinks and reds… are more taxing. They are kind of painful! I often use the Virgin Trains app to book tickets because of the loyalty points. But I will look up the train times using another site first [like Trainline], to minimise exposure to the bright red used by Virgin. It’s incredibly tiring to look at. Blue, green or grey would be my preference for colours in website design. I have coloured overlays which I can use, but really, why should I have to?”
Adaobi’s a big advocate for the social model of disability which suggests that people with impairments are only ‘disabled’ by barriers in society, and not by their inherent differences.
Know what you need and asking for it
Adaobi’s diagnosis has given her clarity around the challenges she faces but also allowed her to identify what she needs to overcome them:
“Since my diagnosis I have found it so much easier to ask for what I need. Before I was expending so much energy attempting to be ‘normal’.
‘Stimming’ is any repetitive behaviour which people with autism can use to self-soothe. For me personally, I find that I sometimes rock back and forth, or I might bounce my knee energetically. And when you’re a kid, your parents will try and get those behaviours out of you. ‘Why are you rocking back and forth’? ‘Why are you bouncing your knee’? Then you grow up as an adult trying to contain yourself.
I am now in a space where I realise this is what I need to do to focus, and I feel that I can explain this in a meeting and that colleagues will accept that! My diagnosis has made me realise that I [often] don’t get ‘subtext’. I am very literal in the way that I receive information. I often joke with my team ‘Don’t give me the subtext, [just] give me the text’!”
The Impact of AI on Accessibility
When asked for her thoughts on how AI might affect digital accessibility, Adaobi was optimistic about AI’s potential to enhance the screen readers that she relies on.
“I am all about reducing the cognitive load. Using a text-to-speech screen reader to read text out to me can really help me to conserve energy. AI has enabled ‘neural’ voices to be used, which are less robotic and more human sounding. It’s so much easier to listen to.
My ASD can make it difficult for me to gather my thoughts when writing passages of text. Recently I used a web app called ‘Beam Jobs’ which is enhanced with AI and will produce suggested text for a job application cover letter. Obviously, I didn’t just quote it verbatim, but it really helped me to focus my thoughts about the points that I was trying to make.”
Advice for organisations
For Adaobi, emphasising the human aspect of digital accessibility is important. Everybody’s requirements need to be understood so we can remove barriers that stand in their way.
Adaobi worked for a couple of years on a government podcast titled: ‘Think digital, act human’.
“I think a major challenge for organisations, is understanding how to cater for everyone’s digital accessibility needs. There are people who have been born with impairments, but almost everyone’s needs will change as they age. Not everyone feels comfortable talking to their employer about gradual hearing loss, for example. So, putting things in place to help a seemingly small group of users helps to raise everyone up. Good design can help everybody.”
Conclusion
Adaobi’s insights are human and inclusive and underscore the importance of good digital design. Through her podcasts and in her everyday work life, she advocates for a world where technology empowers everyone to achieve equality. Through openly sharing her journey to diagnosis and asking for what she needs, she hopes to help create a world where understanding of the requirements of those people who are neurodiverse will allow everyone to thrive.
You can find out more about Adaobi via her LinkedIn page.
If you have enjoyed reading about Adaobi’s experiences, you might also like to check out our other accessibility profiles.