Tl;dr: At Coinbase, our mission has always been to increase economic freedom for all people around the world. In this blog post we’ll cover what accessibility is, who benefits from it, and what Coinbase is doing to make our products and the entire industry more accessible. This blog highlights why crypto needs to be more accessible to people with disabilities and what we’re doing to make our products more accessible.
As the world transitions towards a more decentralized financial landscape, we believe it's imperative to ensure that the potential benefits of web3 technology extend to all. We hope to help establish accessibility as clear table stakes for all web3 technologies.
A more accessible Coinbase benefits everyone - as it elevates the consistency, safety, and simplicity of the platform. Furthermore, the emergence of web3 technology presents a unique opportunity to enhance accessibility for people with disabilities in a way that traditional institutional finance systems have often overlooked. By incorporating accessibility features such as robust voice recognition, screen readers, and adaptive interfaces from the onset, web3 platforms can empower individuals with disabilities to engage in decentralized finance with unprecedented ease.
Assistive technology is utilized by everyone in some form to help them achieve a goal or task, whether it's using ladders to reach high places, wearing glasses to improve vision, or relying on video captions to understand content in noisy environments or for language comprehension. People with disabilities use assistive technologies to interact with digital content that may not be easily accessible to them. A screen reader, as an example, is a tool that reads aloud the text on a computer screen, enabling individuals with visual impairments to access and navigate digital content. Keyboard-only users navigate the web by using the keyboard tab and arrow keys to move between interactive elements, such as links and buttons, and perform actions, allowing individuals who cannot use a mouse to access and interact with digital content.
In the past, Coinbase may not always have been as accessible as we would like to be. But we are now firmly focused on implementing fixes across our product and directly within our Coinbase Design System (CDS) to enable everyone access to our products and services. As society moves towards greater accessibility and inclusiveness, Coinbase is focused on implementing fixes across our product and directly within our Coinbase Design System (CDS) to enable everyone access to our products and services.
We are committed to enhancing the accessibility of Coinbase with various types of assistive technology so that it continues to be an inclusive space for people with disabilities. This commitment to accessibility has allowed us to focus on creating products that individuals with disabilities can not only use but also enjoy our products.
Design System Updates Viewing an asset price is critical to engaging with the crypto economy. Keyboard users can use arrow keys to navigate our chart component through the price of any given asset.
Bitcoin price chart where a keyboard user can adjust what price is shown using the arrow keys.
Retail Mobile Application Screen Reader Updates Clear labeling of components in our retail app improves the overall experience for screen reader users.
Bitcoin price watchlist cell with a clear label communicating all valuable price information.
Retail Mobile Application Visual Updates Dark mode is useful as it reduces eye strain, conserves battery life on devices, and provides a visually appealing and comfortable viewing experience in low-light environments. It has also become a must have for many people who have a variety of visual impairments, as it makes reading and viewing a page much easier. All Coinbase apps offer a dark mode setting, with some apps defaulting to dark mode.
Left: Light mode of our assets page
Right: Dark mode showing the same page, but easier to read
We’ve made substantial progress towards a more accessible product and our commitment to accessibility means that we will continue to push for greater inclusivity and equal access for all individuals.
Moving forward, we will integrate more people with disabilities and specific needs into our design process to get the benefit of their perspective. Additionally, we are focused on fostering a deeper understanding of accessibility principles and best practices at all stages of the company.
Coinbase welcomes any feedback from the community on our products. We know that in order to create a more accessible web3 future we have to listen to people with disabilities first. We’re very fortunate to have many partners that have provided invaluable support on their perspective of our products, and we could not have done this work without them.
About Sam Smith
Staff Product Designer, Accessibility