We are all part of a complex society, and how we interact with it depends largely on the tools we are given. Often, we don’t realize that our digital world is built for speed and individual convenience, frequently leaving behind those who need a different pace. With the PAGE project, we recognize that for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD), the barrier to culture isn’t a lack of interest, it’s a lack of access. As we are creating the PAGE reader app, our goal is to thoughtfully design an application that finally puts the reader’s needs first.
Moving beyond the checklist
In standard app development, accessibility is often treated as a technical checklist, making sure a button can be read by a machine or that colors are bright enough. But through the initial research phases of the PAGE project, we’ve learned that the real challenge is Cognitive Accessibility. For many readers, the ”cognitive load” of a typical app (cluttered menus, shifting layouts, and flashing notifications) is an invisible wall.
Our role is to lower that wall through intentional simplification. We aren’t trying to make a full-featured Swiss army knife reader app; instead, we are focused on creating a predictable environment. By ensuring the layout remains consistent and inclusive, we build a foundation of digital confidence where the user feels in control, rather than overwhelmed by the software.
Digital consent without the confusion
One of the biggest hurdles in any digital experience today is the ”gatekeeper”; the cookie banner or the privacy settings. For many, these are minor annoyances, but for a reader with cognitive challenges, a banner filled with academic jargon or ”dark patterns” can lead to total digital abandonment. We believe that the journey to a book should be as accessible as the book itself. This is why we are striving for radical clarity in the PAGE app. By simplifying the ”boring” but essential parts (i.e. the logins, settings, consents etc.) we ensure that technology acts as a bridge to inclusion, rather than a high-tech fence.
Choosing the right tools for ”slow tech”
In an industry obsessed with instant results and constant notifications, our work prioritizes an interface that knows how to wait. We are moving toward a concept of ”Slow Tech,” where the software respects the different rhythms at which our minds process information. This involves making deliberate choices, like using the Lexend font, a typeface specifically designed to reduce visual stress, and integrating Easy-to-Read vocabulary directly into the reading experience. These aren’t just technical features; they are tools that ensure the software offers support exactly when a word becomes too heavy to carry alone.
Built with people, not just for them
Perhaps the most important part of our work happens away from the screen. Because the PAGE project includes book clubs and writing workshops, we have the unique opportunity to see how real people interact with what we build. We follow a participatory design model, which means the app is being refined not only through partners discussions, but also with feedback from its future users.
This human-driven evaluation allows us to catch the nuances that automated tests can miss—the subtle anxiety triggered by an unclear feature, or the confusion caused by an ambiguous icon. By focusing on ”understandability” as our primary goal, we are going from a mere ”can they use the reader app?” to a ”do they feel safe and comfortable using it?”
A seat at the global table of stories
With the European Accessibility Act of 2025, the publishing world is facing a mandatory shift toward inclusion. For us, however, legal compliance is just a step in the process. The PAGE project is a laboratory for what is possible when you design for adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities from the start. Every choice we make is an effort to make culture more inclusive. We are working with the conviction that literature is not a luxury, but a fundamental right. By building a more patient digital future, we are ensuring that every reader, regardless of their cognitive profile, has a seat at the table of stories.
References
Göteborg, I. C. O. U. a. I. H. I. 2., Antona, M., Stephanidis, C., & Göteborg, I. C. O. H. I. 2. (2025). Universal access in Human-Computer Interaction. In Lecture notes in computer science. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-031-93848-1 (pp. 99-117)
European Commission: Web accessibility. (2023). https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/pol icies/web-accessibility.
https://www.w3.org/WAI/fundamentals/accessibility-principles/ Web accessibility. (n.d.). Shaping Europe’s Digital Future. https://digital-strategy.ec.europa.eu/en/policies/web-accessibility